How to cut back on soft drink consumption
Soft drinks consumption is soaring for the most part because they taste great, relieve thirst and come in a variety of flavors, sizes and shapes. At the same time, aggressive marketing and promotion from large beverage companies and soft drinks corporations, low pricing and caffeine being one of their main ingredients, has made soft drinks a complement of many foods and, ultimately, an addiction both for children and adult consumers.
However, soft drinks are often the culprit for a large number of severe health conditions associated with their excessive consumption, as a result of high fructose corn syrup, added sugars and high amount of calories contained in them. Scientific studies suggest that the overconsumption of soft drinks can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, hypertension, tooth problems, bone weakening, bone demineralization, heart diseases, strokes and cancer, among others. Read more
Reasons for huge increase in soft drink consumption in US
According to the National Soft Drinks Association (NSDA), in 2004, Americans consumed on average 1.5 12-ounce cans per day and spent over nearly $850 per household per year for the consumption of soft drinks. By adjusting these figures on a nationwide basis, U.S. consumers spent over $65 billion on soft drinks and consumed nearly 560 12-ounce cans per year. Pretty scary, isn’t it?
It is scary, but it can certainly be explained.
Soft drink consumption in the United States was a widely recognized phenomenon since 1950s. There was no single man, woman or child at a movie theater without a large pop corn and a soda can. Large displays were all over the places showing the famous vintage Coke signs or the Space Age popcorn box of the 1950s; boys with leather jackets drinking coke; girls with colorful outfits and blood-red lips drinking soda. Read more
Soft drink consumption and acidity
Since 1849 that soft drinks were introduced in the American market, their consumption has soared tremendously for numerous reasons. The direct impact of aggressive marketing from large beverage companies, their low pricing, their great taste, and their exceptional matching with fast food meals and pre-packaged foods, all have made soft drinks a daily routine to the American life. However, excessive consumption of soft drinks is not a health-promoting choice, for the most part because they contain high amounts of added sugars, caffeine, and phosphoric acid.
Phosphoric acid is a chemical additive contained in soft drinks as an artificial flavoring that keeps the carbonated bubbles from going flat. Large beverages companies use phosphoric acid to provide soft drinks with a fizzy bubbling appearance. Read more