With the horrible taste of tap water, no wonder people reach for something with a little better flavor. Unfortunately, many choose carbonated or soft drinks but do so at a great expense to their health. In fact, consuming soda is a leading contributor to declining health. Sadly this applies to our children, whose consumption has almost doubled during the past ten years in the United States.
When it comes to degenerative diseases, soft drinks are a heavy weight, having ties to:
- Birth defects
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis
Besides carbonated water, soda has more questionable ingredients like:
SUGAR – One can of soda has 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance for sugar.
PHOSPHORIC ACID – This acid blocks calcium from being used in the body. It also leads to indigestion and malnutrition as it neutralizes hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
CAFFEINE – Notorious for interfering with sleep, caffeine is also linked to heart disease due to higher blood pressure, elevation of cholesterol levels and even irregular heart beat.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS – As bad as sugar is to the health, artificial sweeteners pose even more problems and should be viewed as chemicals rather than sugar alternatives.
BENZENE – Any soft drink containing ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and preservatives sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate, mixed with heat and light, can form benzene.
For more research on soft drinks as well as artificial sweeteners, log on to: http://www.mercola.com/
THREE CHEERS FOR: REDMOND SEA SALT
By the time salt reaches our tables, it has probably been heated, bleached, and doused with anti-caking agents. While excessive dietary salt should be avoided, salt can be beneficial if used in good balance with other minerals. Instead of reaching for table salt, consider some Redmond Sea Salt, supplying over 50 trace minerals including natural iodine. Because it is not bleached, heated, or altered with chemicals or pollutants, you can taste the difference in Redmond RealSalt. http://www.realsalt.com/
GIVE ME FIVE
Five extra germy things:
- Shopping carts
- Debit/credit machines
- Rings
- In and out restroom doors
- Hands
Caffeine. Does this also apply to coffee? I mean the effects?
Yes, the caffeine in coffee may be problematic as well.
However, a small amount of naturally derived caffeine, as is found in dark chocolate, can be beneficial.