The Fizz on Pop

By: Brad Stewart, Employee Wellbeing Coordinator
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Healthy nutrition is becoming an important focus for many of us. As eating healthy foods and participating in regular exercise begins to improve general health and wellbeing, there is a significant aspect of nutrition that seems to slip by fairly unnoticed.

Soda pop has become a staple in the diet of many Americans and has become so common that most of us do not blink twice when we pop open a can. In our society today, we have the opportunity to buy pop anywhere we go, from school to the work place. Pop makes an inviting appearance in almost most every public building, every restaurant, fast food establishment, and gas station in the U.S. What we do not always realize is that every time we drink a pop, we are consuming numerous empty calories that serve no nutritional benefit whatsoever.

Nutritional content of Soda:
12 oz. can-
Coke = 140 cal., 39g sugar, 50 mg sodium
7-up = 140 cal., 39g sugar, 75 mg sodium
Mountain Dew = 170 cal., 45g sugar, 105 mg sodium
Dr. Pepper = 150 cal., 45g sugar, 55 mg sodium
Cherry Coke = 150 cal., 42g sugar, 35 mg sodium

The nutritional content of all of these sodas is frightening, and what makes it even more alarming is that the average person consumes 1 ½ cans of pop a day. This means that the average person consumes about 60g sugar in addition to their daily diet, not to mention 230 additional empty calories. With the emergence of larger cans (the old large appears to be the new small) and bigger value meals, these poor nutritional values are increasing dramatically. For example, the average 20oz. bottle of soda contains 250 calories and 17 teaspoons of sugar. A spine tingling example of a supersize soft drink is at 7-eleven with the 64oz. Double Gulp (5 12oz. cans of soda). Though we are increasingly health conscious, many of us will consume multiple sodas a day, regardless of the size.

The high amount of calories, sugar, and sodium in the population's diet is causing an increase in the risk for many illnesses. Obesity is one of the most prevalent of all these diseases. A recent study found that each daily serving (12 oz.) of a sugary drink appears to raise the risk of obesity by 60 percent. Nutritionists across the country agree that an important cause of obesity is high calorie intake. The average healthy male can consume about 2,400-2,800 calories a day, but when you factor in the calories from soda this can rise to 2,600-3,000 at the least. The National Institute of Health recommends drinking water rather than sugary soft drinks in order to maintain a healthy weight.

High calorie and sugar intake can also leave us at an increased risk of developing other conditions and diseases besides obesity. Choosing soft drinks over calcium enriched and nutritious milk may deprive us of the calcium we need to maintain strong bones and protect against bone loss. Low calcium intake can contribute to Osteoporosis, a disease leading to fragile and broken bones.

Consuming large amounts of refined sugar, such as that found in soft drinks, is one of several important factors that can promote tooth decay. Drinking soft drinks on a regular basis bathes the teeth in sugary water for long periods of time, increasing your risk of tooth decay. To prevent decay, it is recommended that we avoid or limit prolonged high sugar levels in the mouth as much as possible

Soft drinks have become a huge market in the United States. The bottom line is though they are tasty, the poor nutritional content offered by soft drinks increases our probability of developing many preventable illnesses and diseases. Limiting consumption of soda to the occasional special treat can help improve and maintain good health and positive wellbeing.