The Pros and Cons of Consuming Soft Drinks - Research Paper Example

Soda Consumption and its Ban Non-alcoholic, carbonated drinks, more commonly known as sodas or soft drinks, emerged on the market in the 17th century. They were first in the form of simple carbonated water, known as soda water. It was in the late 18th century that flavors started getting added to this soda water and soft drinks emerged. In late 1870s, phosphate soda appeared in the United States. This was composed of fruit syrup, phosphoric acid and carbonated water. The availability of these soft drinks started off from soda fountains but over the years, bottled sodas came on the market and in the late 20th century, canned sodas emerged. Some famous producers of soft drinks include Coca Cola, Pepsi Co and Dr. Pepper Snapple. These brands own the largest share of the market for soft drinks. 85% of the sales are of the products of these companies. In 2010, the sales of soft drinks from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia totaled $291 billion and this is expected to reach almost $310 billion by 2015. The US alone owns 43% of this market, with sales totaling to $125 billion. These figures show exactly the seriousness of the situation when we begin to evaluate the pros and cons of consuming soft drinks. Yes, the soft drink market has a considerable effect on the economy. The large markets for soft drinks make their producers significant contributors to the economy. Furthermore, the soft drinks are a source of instant energy and are a good way of keeping the water and glucose at a good level in the body. However, these benefits of soft drinks do not seem to compensate for the problems caused to the health of the consumers. The ingredients used to make these soft drinks are compromising to the health of those who consume these drinks in high quantities. These drinks are sugar sweetened, using high-fructose corn syrup. They also include caffeine, sodium benzoate, added sugars and artificial sweeteners. Each of these has their own adverse affects on the health of the consumer. When we explore these affects in detail, it would be reasonable to conclude that government regulation should be placed on both the consumption and production of soft drinks. The biggest problem that has risen to the surface because of the consumption of soft drinks is that of obesity. The presence of high level of sugars in these drinks has led to drastic increases in the weights of those consumers who consume them in high quantities. This is of great concern, especially among children who are turning obese at very young ages. If obesity is started at a young age, it is likely to continue in adulthood and the disease can become chronic. No child says no to sugar if it is available easily to him. In a study carried out by Ludwig et al. (505-508) of 548 school children, it was found that the consumption of sodas was associated with increases in the body mass index (BMI). On average, it was seen that each soft drink increased the body mass index of an individual by an estimated 0.24 kg/m^2. In one meta-analysis of 88 studies, 4 studies showed that people’s risk of getting obese had a positive relation with their intake of soft drinks. Two studies also linked the intake of soft drinks to the total body fat percentage whereas 2 studies reported a very strong link between body mass index and soft drink consumption. Another longitudinal study (8 years) of 50,000 women found that women who had increased their consumption of soft drinks from none to one a day gained an average weight of 8 kg while the women who decreased their consumption of soft drinks from one a day to none gained only 2.8 kg. (Schulze et al. 927–934) Another serious health problem caused by the consumption of soft drinks is dental decay. When the oral bacteria comes in contact with the carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) present in the soft drinks, an acid is formed which causes the tooth enamel to dissolve, leading to dental caries. This eventually speeds up the dental decay process. Higher the consumption of sodas, the faster will be the process of tooth decay. (Marshall et al. 184-91) Demineralization of the dental enamel involves the mobilization of calcium and phosphorous from the enamel because of which the surface structure is lost. The low pH and high turntable acidity of soft drinks also leads to the loss of enamel. Drinks with cola in them have a pH of 2.74 and these cause the highest level of tooth decay (Xavier et al. 69-82). The consumption of soft drinks has a significant effect on the bone density as well. One study consisting of young girls found a negative relationship between the consumption of carbonated drinks and the bone mineral density (Journal of Bone Mineral Resources 1563-9). Lower the bone density, higher the risk of fractures. The phosphoric acid found in the cola drinks removes calcium from the bones, making them weak and brittle. In extreme cases, this can lead to osteoporosis. Over the last couple of decades, the milk consumption among young children and adolescents has decreased by about 50%. Simultaneously, the consumption of soft drinks has increased by an equal amount. This decrease in calcium intake and increase in soft drinks puts the children at an immense risk of developing weakened bones. In one study, it was found that increased intake of soft drinks was positively associated with increased number of wrist and forearm fractures (Xavier et al. 69-82). Menstrual women are at an even higher risk of falling prey to osteoporosis. Diabetes mellitus is another health problem caused by high intake of soft drinks. In another longitudinal study of 91249 women for over 8 years, it was seen that those women who had an intake of one or more soft drink a day were at a double risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who consumed less than one serving of a soft drink in a month. (Schulze et al. 927-934) Increased intake of soft drinks containing cola also leads to low level of potassium, a problem more widely known as hypokalemia. If the potassium levels drop too low, it can be life threatening. Risks of developing cancer are also seen to increase by a high level of soda intake. This is because soft drinks tend to alter the pattern of nutrient intake and this can lead to cancer. One study found that increased consumption of soft drinks and sweetened fruit soups is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. (Larsson et al. 1171-6) A few studies have also shown the adverse affects in the form of asthma due to sulphur dioxide, which is used as a preservative in soft drinks. It can precipitate asthma in vulnerable children (Steinman and Weinberg 404-406) Phosphoric acid based soft drinks are also seen to cause urinary stone disease. (Shuster et al 911-916) The adverse health affects of soft drink consumption are much more in number than those mentioned above. With such far-reaching ill effects of a product, it is justified to say that its consumption should be regulated and controlled by the government. The government first needs to control the availability of soft drinks in schools for children. This is because the children are still in a growing age and any disturbance in their nutrient intake could have long term affects. Moreover, it is not possible to make children understand the implications of high consumption of soft drinks so it cannot be expected of them to cut down their consumption on their own. Allowing children to consume soft drinks freely in school would paint the product in a positive light for these children. A strong measure of controlling the consumption of soft drinks would be to impose higher sales tax on them. This would lead to a decrease in their demand. The revenue gained from the taxes can be further used to start campaigns against the consumption of soft drinks to spread awareness about their adversities. However the government chooses to go about it, the measure has to be effective in reducing the consumption of soft drinks and curbing the various health problems caused by them. If this is not done, the populations of the world will be facing far worse health problems than ever before! Works Cited Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. JBMR. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science, Inc, 1986. Web. 17 Nov 2012. Larsson, S.C., L. Bergkvist, and A. Wolk. "Consumption of Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Foods and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in a Prospective Study." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 84.5 (2006): 1171-6. Print. Ludwig, D.S., K.E. Peterson, and S.L. Gortmaker. "Relation between Consumption of Sugar-sweetened Drinks and Childhood Obesity: a Prospective, Observational Analysis."Lancet. 357.9255 (2001): 505-8. Print. Marshall, T.A., S.M. Levy, B. Broffitt, J.J. Warren, J.M. Eichenberger-Gilmore, T.L. Burns, and P.J. Stumbo. "Dental Caries and Beverage Consumption in Young Children." Pediatrics. 112.3 (2003): 184-91. Print. Schulze, M.B., J.E. Manson, D.S. Ludwig, G.A. Colditz, M.J. Stampfer, W.C. Willett, and F.B. Hu. “Sugar-sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women." Jama: the Journal of the American Medical Association. 292.8 (2004): 927-34. Print. Vartanian, LR, MB Schwartz, and KD Brownell. "Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." American Journal of Public Health. 97.4 (2007): 667-75. Print. Xavier, R., S. Sreeramanan, A. Diwakar, G. Sivagnanam, and K. R. Sethuraman. "Soft Drinks and Hard Facts: a Health Perspective." Asian Food Journal. 14.2 (2007): 69-82. Print. Read More