Signs You’re Drinking Too Much Soda
By Nick Hadji
2 years ago
1. Obesity
Image source / Daily MailIt will come as no surprise to you that drinking soda has been linked to obesity. A single can of soda contains around 140 calories and if you are having the fizzy drink with every meal, you could end up gaining more than three pounds in a month. Of course, along with the soda, you are likely to be consuming junk food, so another reason for obesity.Original content sourced from Femanin.com2. Insomnia
Image source / RedditIf you're having difficulty sleeping, it could be time to re-evaluate your soda consumption. Sixteen ounces of a popular diet soda contains a massive 45 milligrams of caffeine which can take your body abound 12 hours to metabolize. If you're drinking soda along with your dinner, you might find yourself tossing and turning when it's time for bed.3. Blurred Vision
Image source / redditYour poor vision may be the result of your soda habit. Drinking soda can cause your blood sugar to spike rapidly which may cause the lenses of your eyes to swell, impacting your vision. High blood sugar can also increase your risk for diabetes, a condition often associated with changes in eyesight, blurred vision and macular degeneration.4. Hair Loss
Image source / RedditThe shiny spot on your head that has gradually appeared might be the result of your soda consumption. This is a major contributing factor in the increase in diabetes diagnoses, which could cause hormonal variations, increase your risk of hair loss. Additionally, research suggests that diabetes is often a pre-disposing factor for alopecia and thyroid disease, both of which can contribute to thinning hair.5. Brain Tumor
Image source / John Hopkins MedicineStudies have shown the chemicals in sodas have been linked to neurological disturbances including seizures. Scarier still, the FDA reports that the aspartame found in some diet sodas can be converted to formaldehyde in the body. Sufficient levels of these can be carcinogenic and may contribute to your risk of developing a brain tumor.6. Tooth Decay
Image source / WikipediaA single 12 ounce can of soda contains almost ten packets of sugar, coating your teeth and gums each time you crack open a can. Multiple studies have shown just how human teeth, which have had to be removed by a dentist, can dissolve when left in soda over a period of time.7. Diabetes
Image source / RedditBoth regular and diet soda have been linked to an increase in type 2 diabetes. The sugar spike that you get from soda forces the body to transform that sugar into fat in your liver. Over 6 months, the fat deposits in your liver could increase by as much as 150%, increasing your risk factor for diabetes along the way.8. Aging
Image source /RedditIf you're hoping to maintain a youthful appearance, ditch soda right now! Soda contains phosphates and sugars which have been shown to accelerate the aging process at the cellular level. Dehydrating caffeine in soda contain harmful chemical components which also have an aging effect on your skin, causing it to dry out and putting you at risk of wrinkles and fine lines.9. Memory Loss
Image source / RedditResearchers at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, have put a link between excessive consumption of sodas containing BVO with an increased risk of bromism, a condition that wreaks havoc on the central nervous system. This can contribute to memory loss, muscle weakness, fatigue and mental health issues.10. Infertility
Image source / RedditSoda's shelf-stability may come at a serious cost to your fertility. Certain citrus sodas contain brominated vegetable oil, also known as BVO. This additive maintains soda's flavor and appearance and has already been banned in Japan and Europe because it has been linked to infertility and early onset puberty.11. Excess Belly Fat
Image source / RedditBlame your soda habit if you are sporting a spare tire. The refined sugar in soda is quickly absorbed, causing your blood sugar to spike. This surge in blood sugar triggers the production of insulin which can turn that sugar into fat, particularly around your waist. Eliminating soda from your diet can save you thousands of calories and hundreds of thousands of grams of sugar every year to help fight that belly fat. fighting.12. Migraines
Image source / RedditSodas are loaded with sweeteners of artificial and natural varieties, both of which are known to trigger migraine headaches. When coupled with the dehydrating nature of many caffeinated sodas, a pounding headache could easily result. If this turns into a migraine, over the counter painkillers may not even scratch the surface.13. Dehydration
Image source / RedditIf you think you're hydrating by drinking soda, then think again! The caffeine in many sodas has a diuretic effect, causing dehydration if you do not adequately supplement with extra water. Over time, this may lead to a slower metabolic rate, electrolyte imbalances, water retention and possibly heart arrhythmia.14. Receding Gums
Image source /Lane Ends Dental PracticeIf you feel like your gum line is receding, your soda habit might be to blame. The sugars, preservatives and artificial colorings which are found in your average soda, can get trapped beneath your gums. If not cleaned thoroughly, bacteria feeds on the trapped particles, causing destruction of gum tissue15. Poor Gut Health
Image source / Men's HealthThe gut bacteria living in your intestines can affect everything from your metal stability to your digestive health. All the sugar in soda gives the bad bacteria in your belly plenty to feed on, without providing much nutrition for the good bacteria, the one that that keeps you healthy.16. Joint Pains
Image source / RedditThose aches and pains that just won't go away might be getting worse every time you put a sugary soda in your shopping cart. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that women who consumed sugar sweetened sodas on a regular basis, have an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis.17. Depression
Image source / RedditYou won't find happiness at the bottom of that soda can. Sodas are high in fructose which can react negatively with the amino acids that accompany our happiness chemical, serotonin. Fructose can damage those amino acids which then become unavailable, thereby reducing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Over time, this can contribute to a risk of depression.18. Kidney Health Issues
Image source / RedditOften called the most excruciating pain next to childbirth. kidney stones are the result of an accumulation of minerals in the kidneys over time, which eventually pass through the urethra. Those with regular soda habits are at an increased risk for this unpleasant condition, both with excessive sugar consumption and dehydration.19. Behavioral Problems
Image source / Good HousekeepingYou might not be the only one in your family affected by your soda consumption. The plastic bottles that soda comes in often contain BPA, a chemical used to harden plastics, which has been shown to contaminate substances it comes into contact with. The result can be behavioral problems in your offspring.20. Heart Failure
Image source / RedditKeep your heart healthy by cutting right down or giving up your soda habit today. The British Medical Journal suggests that drinking sweetened sodas could contribute to heart failure and your risk for heart failure is closely linked with diabetes, obesity and uncontrolled blood pressure.21. Stroke
Image source / PoliticoYour risk for having a stroke increases every time you sop a soda. Soda is directly responsible for increased fat stores in the body, some of which may cause hardening of the arteries. This includes the ones close to your brain, increasing your chances of a stroke.22. Unhealthy Eating Habits
Image source / Daily PioneerDrinking soda can be directly linked to unhealthy dietary habits. Researchers at the University of Bordeaux believe that sugar could be as addictive as illicit drugs, triggering the same reward centers in the brain as opiates and amphetamines. Unfortunately, this means that a single soda can have a snowball effect — one drink makes you crave another and so on.23. High Cholesterol
Image source /RedditCommit yourself to lower cholesterol and a longer life by ditching those sodas from your diet right now. A single can of soda has more sugar than your body requires in an entire day. Research published in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association' suggests a diet high in sugar is linked to high cholesterol.24. Colorectal Cancer
Image source / Cedars-SinaiAll those cool colors in your soda could be contributing to your cancer risk. The caramel coloring used in colas and other non-clear sodas, like root beer, is made from ammonia and has been shown to cause cancer in mice. Even clear sodas can cause colorectal cancer because of the exceptionally high sugar content.25. Allergies
Image source / RedditAre you sneezing your way through allergy season? It might be your soda habit as highly allergenic sodium benzoate has been removed in many sodas. It is then replaced by a lesser evil called potassium benzoate. Unfortunately, this is still not good for allergy sufferers as both have been linked to hives and asthma.26. Heartburn
Image source / RedditThat burning in your chest might well be your soda habit coming back to haunt you! Carbonated soft drinks often cause your stomach to bloat, which could cause the acid in your stomach to come back up into your throat. Coupled with the acid-promoting caffeine that is found in many sodas, you are increasing your risk of heartburn, upper digestive tract ulcers and possibly certain types of cancer every time you crack open a can.27. Biliary Cirrhosis
Image source / RedditKeeping your liver healthy starts with keeping off soda. Artificial sweeteners, such as those found in many diet sodas, have been linked to inflammation of the bile ducts which can lead to biliary cirrhosis. Over time, the condition can cause scarring on the liver and reduce its function, putting you at risk of jaundice, swelling, pain and early death.28. Bladder Cancer
Image source / RedditIf you want to reduce your cancer risk, decrease your soda consumption as part of the process. Certain artificial sweeteners found in soda, like saccharin and sodium cyclamate, have been linked to cancer in lab rats. Soda could also increase your risk of obesity, a contributing factor in a number of cancers that affect anywhere from your bladder to your brain.29. Digestive Ulcers
Image source / RedditIf you are struggling with digestive ulcers, your soda habit may be part of the cause for the discomfort. Both caffeine and carbonation can contribute to the irritation of your stomach lining, putting you at greater risk of ulcers and making those you already have even worse.30. Osteoporosis
Image source / RedditHealthy bones and soda are not a match. Research studies have reported that drinking cola could be contributing towards reduction in bone density, making you more susceptible to fractures and mobility loss as you get older. Start today and swap soda for water!31. Cardiovascular Disease
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Because consuming a whole lot of soda (and therefore sugar) can increase your risk of things like heart attack, stroke and obesity, it only follows that any problems with cardiovascular disease can be caused by excessive soda consumption! Keep your heart in shape by ditching the soda.32. Leptin Resistance
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You might not have heard of leptins before, but leptin receptors work hard in the body to help you keep a healthy weight and let you know when you've had enough. But drinking soda can actually result in the leptin receptors working less efficiently, meaning you can get more hungry and gain weight!33. Heart Lesions
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The Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) in soda can actually contribute to heart lesions, and put you more at risk of heart complications. It can increase your risk each and every time you pop open a new can of fizz! Battling the craving for fizz can be very difficult, but worth it if you want to avoid this!34. Reproductive Cancers
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This one relates to not the soda itself, but the cans it comes in - so this is more an issue if you're a fan of grabbing the odd can rather than drinking from plastic bottles of soda. The aluminium cans can often be lined by BPA, which has been linked to reproductive cancers.35. Cellular Damage
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When people think of the effects of soda, they might only think of the things you can see - like weight gain and tooth decay - but did you know excess soda consumption could be changing your body's cells, too? Preservatives and artificial sweeteners in diet soda have been linked to cell damage.36. Lymphatic Disorders
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Drinking soda could also be contributing to any lymphatic issues. This could be anything from blockages to something more serious like cancer. This is because the artificial sweeteners in soda have been found to risk increase of lymphoma - so cutting out soda if you have this in your family medical history is a good idea!37. Fatty Liver Disease
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You may have thought liver disease and problems are only caused by alcohol and not non-alcoholic soda - but the excess sugar found in soda has actually been linked to fatty liver disease, too. Because the body can't properly process the amount of sweetener, it turns it into fat in the liver instead.38. Difficulty With Breastfeeding
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This doesn't mean that you'll find it difficult to breastfeed - the trouble lies with caffeinated soda when you're trying to feed your baby. This is because the caffeine can pass to your baby through breast milk, resulting in a very restless and irritable baby!39. A Serious Case Of Bloating
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If you're constantly feeling bloated - which is never fun - it could be because of all that soda you're drinking. If you have a build up of gas bubbles from the soda fizz, they're likely to collect in your gut, resulting in a feeling of discomfort and - you guessed it - gas.40. Erectile Dysfunction
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Drinking a lot of soda can also be linked to a loss of libido and trouble in the bedroom - at least where erections are concerned. Sodas can increase cholesterol and blood pressure, which can mean bad news for circulation and erection blood flow. So if you're having bedroom problems, you might want to pass on the soda!41. Inflamed Bile Ducts
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Another thing that soda can have a negative impact on is your bile ducts. The artificial sweeteners often found in diet sodas have been linked to inflammation in the bile ducts, which in turn can lead to a condition called billary cirrhosis, which negatively impacts liver function.42. You Have Increased Sugar Cravings
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The sad fact is, the more sugar you start to have, the more sugar you crave on a long-term basis. So if you're drinking a lot of sugary sodas, chances are that you're going to be craving more and more soda, as well as anything with sugar in it. Which is also bad news for your health!43. You're Having A Higher And Higher Tolerance For Sweetness
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Another unfortunate fact about sugar consumption is that the more you have, the more your brain and body becomes used to it and then looks for a higher dosage to get that sugar craving hit. So the more you have, the more your tolerance is increasing, so you're more likely to crave more and more.44. You're Feeling That Fatigue
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With things like sugar and soda comes the fatigue hit! So if you're having too much of it, you're more likely to get a healthy dose of 'crash' and fatigue that you can also get from being dehydrated and/or having too much caffeine. So you may find you lack energy a lot of the time!45. You're Basically Having All The Caffeine Side Effects
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Drinking too much soda can have the same consequences of having too much caffeine, which can leave you with all the main side effects like headaches, tiredness, trouble sleeping, jittery and aches and pains. So if you're having all this without drinking coffee, it'll be the soda!46. You've Noticed Your Dentist Visits Are More Frequent
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Is your dentist requesting you to come back for a check up much more quickly than they usually would? Or maybe you're finding dentist visits are more often now because of issues with your teeth? All of this could be because of the effects that sugary soda is having on your teeth!47. Your Recycling Bin Is Full Of Soda Cans
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This one may seem an obvious one, but it's amazing how you can stop keeping track of what you're drinking when you're so busy. The evidence is in the recycling bin at the end of every week - or even every day - when 99% of it is empty soda cans! A clear sign you might be drinking too many!48. You Feel Older Than You Are
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Sugary soda can have an affect on how old you look, but it can also affect how old you feel, too. When you're contending with aches, pains, weight gain, headache and even blurry vision, you're going to end up feeling a lot older than you actually are - so pay attention to how you're feeling!49. Your Big Toe Is Swollen
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You might not have thought to look at your feet in relation to drinking soda, but an inflamed big toe can be a sign of gout - which can be triggered by drinking too much high fructose corn syrup, found in - you guessed it - soda! Joint pain and gout specifically can be awkward side effects.50. Do You Have A Stooped Posture?
