Many children love to drink carbonated drinks, and cola is one of them. Some children even drink cola instead of water. What are the disadvantages of children drinking too much cola? Let's find out together!
The disadvantages of children drinking too much cola
1. Obesity.
20 minutes after drinking cola, blood sugar levels rise, stimulating insulin secretion. 40 minutes later, caffeine is fully absorbed, blood pressure rises, and people feel drowsy. The excessive sugar in cola can lead to obesity, causing cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and colon cancer.
From a nutritional perspective, cola has almost no nutritional value besides water. On the contrary, some ingredients in cola, such as excessive carbon dioxide, phosphoric acid, and caffeine, can damage human health under certain conditions. The calories in cola are also considered an "accomplice" to childhood obesity. Frequent consumption can accumulate over time, easily leading to weight gain in children and forming a bad habit of craving sweets, preferring sweetened drinks over plain water. Drinking large amounts of cola before or during meals can affect the intake of other foods, reducing the body's nutrient supply; drinking cola after a normal meal increases the intake of extra calories.
2. Reproductive problems.
The plastic bottles of cola may contain bisphenol A. This substance can disrupt the endocrine system, causing early puberty and reproductive abnormalities.
3. Kidney problems.
The large amount of phosphoric acid in cola can lead to kidney stones. Obese men are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones.
4. Diabetes.
Studies show that people who drink more cola have an 80% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
5. Cola reduces the absorption of calcium and iron.
Cola also contains an ingredient called phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid reduces the absorption of calcium in the body, affecting bone growth and normal height development in children. Children and adolescents in their growth period need sufficient calcium for normal bone development, to maintain good bone metabolism, and to achieve optimal bone density, so it is not advisable to drink carbonated drinks like cola for long periods.
In addition, phosphoric acid also hinders the absorption of iron. Iron is one of the main materials for making blood. If there is not enough iron, it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Rapidly growing children also need enough iron to produce blood quickly. Especially for adolescent girls, the need for iron is higher because menstruation causes a fixed loss of iron each month. Therefore, girls who love to drink carbonated drinks are more likely to develop iron-deficiency anemia. Girls should be cautious about osteoporosis when drinking cola. Studies show that carbonated drinks can accelerate bone loss, and adolescent girls who love to drink cola are five times more likely to fracture than those who don't drink carbonated drinks!
6. Bad teeth.
The acidic substances in cola have a strong corrosive effect on children's teeth, making the protective layer of the teeth thinner and more susceptible to damage; combined with the effect of sugar in cola, it also greatly increases the chance of children developing cavities, harming the health of their teeth.
7. Stomach irritation and vitamin destruction.
For children, caffeine is stimulating and can stimulate stomach contractions and gastric acid secretion, causing intestinal spasms. Children who often drink coffee are prone to unexplained abdominal pain, and long-term excessive intake of caffeine can lead to chronic gastritis. Caffeine can dilate the capillaries on the gastrointestinal wall, stimulate kidney function, increase urine flow, and lead to increased calcium excretion in children, which in turn affects bone development. At the same time, caffeine can also destroy vitamin B1 in children's bodies, causing vitamin B1 deficiency.
8. Asthma.
The preservative sodium benzoate in cola can cause some people to have reactions such as rashes and asthma.