According to an article in Al Arabiya, the
soft drink industry in Saudi Arabia is the largest in the Middle East, in terms
of both volume and value. With the climate of Saudi Arabia remaining hot and
humid throughout the year, the demand for “rehydration” drinks has been seeing a
constant rise. According to industry estimates, the sales of soft drinks are
expected to increase by 52.6% in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2016.
Although these soft drinks, especially the
fizzy ones, provide temporary relief from the heat, in the long run they do
more damage to your body than good. Here are a few reasons to avoid using fizzy
drinks to rehydrate yourself.
Causes Sore Throat
All fizzy drinks are mostly consumed in a cold
or chilled state, which is what gives that cooling sensation to the body. But
what it does in reality is that it causes congestion of the respiratory mucosa.
Respiratory mucus is a defensive layer that covers the respiratory lining and acts
as protection against external bacteria and viruses. Causing a congestion here
means exposing your respiratory system to possible infections, which eventually
leads to a sore throat.
Can Lead to Diabetes
All soft drinks contain added sugar.
Consuming large quantities of such beverages will cause the sugar levels in a
person's blood to rise, leading the way eventually to type 2 diabetes. Studies
conducted between 1990 and 2000 showed that around 1,30,300 cases of the diabetes
reported were caused by the increased consumption of soft drinks.
Increased Risk of Heart Disease
Studies conducted by various scientists
across the world proved that drinking 3 cans of fizzy drinks a day can increase
the risk of heart disease in an individual. Dietary guidelines by the WHO
recommend that intake of added sugar should be less than one tenth of the total
calorie intake in a day. Consuming 3 cans a day makes up for more than a
quarter of the calories, since they are laden with sugar, thereby increasing
the risk.
Premature Aging
It has been found that chemicals like
phosphates used in these drinks speed up the aging process. Speeding up is not
just in terms of wrinkles but also many health ramifications, such as chronic
kidney diseases, earlier in life than what most people are likely to experience
with the progress of age.
Increased Body Fat
Considering the calories involved, it
should come as a surprise that these beverages would add to our body fat. A
study found out that people who drink fizzy drinks are bound to experience a waist
line that is three times more expanded than the people who do not consume them
regularly.
Considering the side effects, it is better
to reduce the consumption of such beverages, if not stop completely, given that
you might have to deal with much more than just a sore throat.
