Drawbacks or Disadvantages of Soft Drinks

Disadvantages of soft drinks may be linked to the fact that all the beverages of this sort virtually have no nutritional value except the sugar they contain. Again, it is because they are primarily artificial ingredients.

These beverages are carbonated and their consumption is quite common in urban areas of which the Western counties are chief.

Consequently, the intake of these beverages in place of natural juice or water makes them appear harmful especially for children and this is one of the disadvantages of soft drinks.

Before discussing the composition of soft drinks, it is said that a study which was conducted at a UK hospital, precisely at Hospital of Southampton indicated that children who dwell so much on these soft drinks will always experience the following negative effects regarding health.

1. They are at risk of arteriosclerosis and diabetes as adults due to metabolic imbalance.
2. They are malnourished. This is because soft drinks are just non-nutritive
3. They experience lack of appetite
4. They show sign of nervous irritability and diarrhea.

All the signs or symptoms that portray disadvantages of soft drinks will disappear immediately when the intake of soft drinks is reduced.

Composition of Soft Drinks

Soft drinks are beverages which are usually carbonated and have the following compositions

1. Chemical sweeteners
2. Caffeine
3. Acids
4. Common Sugar
5. Water
6. Carbon dioxide gas

Chemical sweeteners

They are used to replace sugar. The most frequently used chemical sweetener in soft drinks is known as aspartame. These chemical sweeteners do not make available calories.

Caffeine

Some soft drinks like cola drinks contain cola nut extract. The cola nut is a tropical fruit that has caffeine as one of it ingredients. Sometimes their proportion in soft drinks are quite enormous.

Acids: The commonly used acid is phosphoric acid and it’s highly acidifying to the blood

Common sugar (saccharose) and other types of sugars are used. For example, fructose and glucose.

Others are carbon dioxide gas which easily dissolves in water and other additives such as flavorings, preservatives and stabilizers.

SOME Disadvantages

The following are the disadvantages of soft drinks

1. Stomach irritation
2. Decalcification
3. Allergies
4. They contain empty calories
5. Dental caries
6. Urinary stones
7. They don’t quench thirst

Stomach Irritation

Some inflammation and irritation of the mucous lining of the stomach is linked with the process of digestion of carbonated beverages. Because of the following disadvantages of soft drinks such as linked to gastritis, digestive disorders and gastroduodenal ulcer, these soft drinks should be avoided.

Decalcification

This involves several acids added to these beverages and it brings about acidification of the blood. Phosphoric acid causes acidification and when this happens, the body reacts to neutralize by releasing minerals such as calcium from the bones. According to healthyeating, regular consumption of soft drinks brings about calcium depletion.

Therefore, in cases of osteoporosis and rickets, these soft drinks should be avoided because they pose a lot of disadvantages.

Allergies

Various addictive used when preparing these soft drinks can cause allergies. The reactions may as the following:

1. Hyperactivity or nervous irritability
2. Eruption of the stomach
3. Digestive disorders and stomach pain

Empty calories

One of the disadvantages of soft drinks is that they contain empty calories. This is because sugar in soft drinks has to be transformed into energy and for that to take place, B-group vitamins and other essential minerals are needed.

Now they are absent and therefore must be obtained from the body’s reserve. This process depletes them. When there is no physical exercise, these sugars turn to fat.

Dental caries

The process of combining sugar and acids like phosphoric acid and several others cause attack on the dental enamel in an aggressive manner. Therefore, among the disadvantages of soft drinks is dental caries.

Urinary stones

Consumption of soft drinks especially cola beverages on the regular causes increase in risk of urinary stones. They cause elimination of calcium and also oxalates via the urine. Substances like these form urinary stones.

Soft drinks don’t quench thirst

Regular consumption of these beverages leave an after-thirst thereby leading to greater thirst than ever before. This is because of the presence of chemical sweeteners and also sugar content.

Some soft drinks without nutritional value

They are:

1. Cola Beverages
2. Bitters
3. Tonic water
4. Fruit-flavored Beverages

Cola Beverages

These ones contain chemical sweeteners or sugars and also carbon dioxide. They are simply unhealthy and quite undesirable for younger people and those suffering from cardiac disease or insomnia. This is because of the caffeine content and this is also one of the disadvantages of soft drinks.

Bitters

Bitter and tonic water seem to have the same composition. However they are more bitter natural extract which increases appetite and fosters digestive processes but one of the disadvantages here is that they are high in sugar content which counteracts any probable health benefits made available by the plant extract.

Tonic Water

They are simply some sweetened grams of sugars of about 90 – 120 grams which are carbonated having fruit extracts and a significant amount of quinine. However, most of them are packed with invigorating and fever reducing effects. They contain no phosphoric acid or caffeine.

Fruit-flavored Beverages

Most of them are carbonated and are known to be sodas. They all lack nutrition except the sugar contained in them.

In essence, this post is limited to only disadvantages of soft drinks. From above we can conclude that the disadvantages of soft drinks are quite enormous and have outnumbered their benefits.

 

 

Some of the benefits include:

1. Water content
2. They are nonalcoholic
3. They are stimulants. They tend to stimulate digestion.

Soft drinks have no nutritional value except the sugar and many additives present in them which pose health risks.

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