Soda Pop

It's been awhile since I wrote about this subject and I want you to know that I feel this is a major contributor of poor health in countries where it is heavily consumed. Here's a couple of articles I've recently read on the subject which I hope you'll find helpful. The first comes from the Idaho Falls Free Press, 11-5-98 and was written by Judy McBride.

Preliminary findings suggest that drinking lots of non-diet sodas coupled with eating few leafy greens may compromise bone building and bone maintenance, according to an Agricultural Research Service study. It's a dietary combination quite common among US youths. Drinking 57 ounces (average 5 cans) of sugary sodas each day for weeks on end upset the calcium and phosphorus balance of the young men in the study. The effect was even greater when diets were low in magnesium. 39% of US males get less than 75% of the recommended magnesium intake through foods according to the USDA.

Females are even worse, with 46%of women over age 19 and 60% of those under age 19 getting less than 75% of their magnesium needs in their diet. Males, however, average at least 1 can of regular soft drinks per day more than their female counterparts. This can lead to severe phosphorus depletion because the drinks caused the volunteers to excrete more than they took in. Phosphorus is a major bone mineral and is integral to the DNA and RNA.

The study also showed that calcium levels dropped when the magnesium levels were low, and that an enzyme marker indicating bone breakdown was present as well. Consider that this could easily be a cause for "Charlie horses" and muscle cramps and spasms (even in the bowel), teeth and jaw deformities and arthritis. If you do have any of these problems please look honestly at your soft-drink intake to see if that may be a possible cause.

Now, just so you don't think that diet drinks are better read what Larry & Maureen Human had to say in their October issue of Juniper Co. Newsletter. "The American Cancer Society has found that replacing sugar with Equal or NutraSweet actually makes you GAIN weight. Why? Phenylalanine is a chemical that affects the part of the brain that makes you feel full. Result: People who use NutraSweet, etc. get intense sugar cravings and actually eat more. Other studies show that NutraSweet can lead to hypothyroidism, which can cause tremendous weight gain and many other health problems."

The above information was supplied by: Dave Carpenter, N.D., L. Ac.