By David Hawkins
It has become evident to me that soft drinks have become the mainstay
for fluids being put into the body. Long- term use of these drinks
can have a detrimental effect on the human body. In a recent edition
of Townsend Letter For Doctors And Patients an article called The
Curse Of The Soft Drink inspired me to bring this to your attention.
The following are excerpts of that article written by the author
Stan Field.
How can such an innocent drink be of harm to the body? Lets look at
some of the ingredients that you will find in almost every can of
pop. Most contain phosphoric acid, caffeine, sugar, saccharin or nutri-sweet,
caramel coloring, carbon dioxide and aluminum.
Lets begin with phosphoric acid: this slows the carbon dioxide bubbling
to help with bottling. Phosphorus works in the body with calcium to
maintain proper building and tearing down of bone. Soft drinks cause
the excessive excretion of calcium. Thus over time this can contribute
to disorders like osteoporosis. It doesn’t stop here though
folks.
The body excretes more calcium in anticipation of more phosphorus
which leads to excess calcium in the urine, the depositing of calcium
in joints ( osteoarthritis, bursitis, gout, bone spurs and bunions),
the formation of kidney and gall stones, and the development of plaque
calcifying on the arteries. Phosphoric acid further depletes other
alkaline minerals, magnesium, sodium, and magnesium which are used
in numerous body functions such as the heart, nerves, and adrenal
gland function. It causes the reduction of hcl (hydrochloric acid)
secretion in the stomach thus aiding in the formation of gas and bloating
by interfering with digestion.
Caffeine is another popular ingredient in soft drinks: we know that
caffeine is a stimulant and helps to overcome fatigue, mental sluggishness
and to enhance endurance. Some of its negative attributes are that
it aids the constriction of arteries thus increasing the heart beat
and blood pressure. It affects the adrenal glands in a way that weakens
them.
Sugar: a 12- ounce can of soda contains approximately 11 teaspoons
(33 grams) of sugar. The ingestion of simple sugar has many effects
on the body: it increases urinary calcium (and magnesium, chromium,
copper, zinc and sodium) by impairing reabsorption by the kidneys,
causes blood sugar to rise requiring insulin release from the pancreas
to normalize. This overworks the pancreas. It causes clumping of red
blood cells, impairs immune function by reducing the activity of white
cells to attack invading bacteria.
Are diet sodas any better? Artificial sweeteners may not have calories
but they affect the body adversely too. Aspartame, when ingested,
breaks down into three chemicals. They are aspartic acid, phenylalanine
and methanol. Aspartic acid is an excitotoxin to the nervous system
due to exciting the nerves excessively. Phenylalanine (amino acid)
can depress serotonin (neurotransmitter) thus leading to emotional
disorders, depression and poor sleep. Methanol is a poison to the
liver and the brain. It is converted to formaldehyde which is a neurotoxin,
carcinogen and can lead to birth defects. Methanol poisoning is a
cumulative poison with symptoms including headaches, tinnitus, memory
lapses, numbness, nerve inflammation, blurred vision and blindness.
Aluminum became an issue when soft drinks were put into cans instead
of bottles. The phosphoric acid was eating the can so they solved
this problem by coating the inside of the can with plastic. Aluminum
still leaches out though and recently has been a factor in aluminum
toxicity. It tends to deposit in brain and bone tissue and is a possible
contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. It also causes the excess
excretion of calcium in the urine which has been shown to cause bone
and joint disorders.
I find this to be an interesting subject given the fact that Americans
love their soft drinks at whatever price. I have seen many people
feel better when they have eliminated or reduced the amount of soft
drinks in their lifestyle. As I mention in one of my past articles
about the benefits of water. It is still the best fluid you can put
into your body. Good health!
David Hawkins is owner of Mother Earth Foods and has been a practicing
herbalist for over 25 years. He is available as a lecturer and for
private consultations at Integrative Holistic Health Services. You
can send comments and questions to David Hawkins 1638 19th St. Parkersburg,
WV 26101 or visit www.motherearthworks.com.
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