Last week, I embarked on a subject, which is quite controversial, not as much in its substance as in the politics behind it, as it involves the giant food and beverage industry. I wrote earlier why colas, sodas and soft drinks can be harmful to the health directly and indirectly. I also spoke about their different ingredients that can be individually damaging to the health, not to mention what they inflict on the body when combined. In excessive amounts, they assault the body, systems, and organs, causing disruption and havoc.
I started off explaining what happens to the body when high quantities of sugar (10 to 12 lumps in a can) from soda drinks enter the system. I also described how the different systems and organs respond in an aggressive manner to the sugar entering their digestive tract and bloodstream, and the way they metabolize the sugar, use it and then store the excess as layers of fat, especially around the waist, making the consumer overweight or even obese and diabetic in short periods of time.
It is important to keep in mind that fat and obesity are neither harmless nor innocent. Fat produces inflammatory compounds in the body and is implicated in many metabolic syndromes (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders) and many types of cancer.
Mood swings, due to the effects of hyperglycaemia (sudden rises and drops in blood sugar), arise from excessive concentrations of refined sugar intake and insulin spikes, particularly on an empty stomach and in the absence of an unbalanced nutrition. This condition puts tremendous stress on the body and brain.
Now, I will resume my analysis of some of the other harmful components of such beverages and their detrimental side effects. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware of them or do not relate them to their consequential disorders.
With the high concentration of sugar in colas, consumers became concerned about their caloric intake and weight gain. In order not to lose their market share, soda manufacturers replaced the sugar with artificial sweeteners like aspartame (nutrasweet), sucralose, and saccharin and called the cola “light” and “Zero.”
Without a clue about the detrimental side effects of sugar substitutes on the body and brain, consumers quickly took to the “sugar-free” version. The word “sugar-free” appealed to their minds and they embraced the so-called “light” version with delight. Little did they know that the “sugar-free” myth they are after is also the one that will change their brain responses to food in such a way that increases their appetites for carbohydrates, sugar, and fatty foods, making them gain weight. Let us see how the artificial sweetener alters the brain mechanism.
According to a study conducted at the University of Texas, aspartame is linked to obesity despite its low caloric content. With the incoming sweet flavor, the brain expects real sugar, which is not available. Such stimulation makes the brain seek calorie-rich food later on, resulting in sugar and carbohydrate cravings and overconsumption. If you think aspartame is going to stop you from getting fat, then artificial sweeteners and their manufacturers have deceived you.
Many people are made to believe that when they switch from regular colas to the “diet” version, they will stop gaining weight or maybe even lose the extra fat on their hips or around their waists. In reality, this is far from what happens. In fact, the substitute frustrates weight, while depressing the brain functions first.
The sweet taste coming from the artificial sweetener in colas confuses a section of the brain called the caudate head, where one feels satisfaction from food in order to control further consumption. According to a study performed at the University of California, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) showed that the caudate head’s activity is reduced and dulled among diet cola drinkers. The consumer becomes much less satisfied by the empty calories provided by the artificial sweetener, subsequently demanding more energy i.e. calories during the day.
The research results lead scientists to link diet colas and artificial sweeteners to overeating and obesity, as they desensitize the part of the brain responsible for interpreting the body’s internal cues. In other words, the substitutes numb your brain to the signals that indicate satisfaction from food.
If the purpose of drinking “diet” soda is to maintain or lose weight, then all your efforts are frustrated by the very substance you are relying on to achieve your aim and you are getting the opposite of what “Light” and “Zero” colas promise and what the beverage industry leads you to believe.
According to this finding, your choices of food and daily behavior will influence your brain, thereby implicating food intake and weight patterns.
Unleashing the appetite increases the excessive consumption of starchy and sweet foods and, of course, your weight. The good thing is that such conditions are reversible due to the elasticity of our brains, which re-adjust themselves by quitting harmful habits and adopting healthier alternatives.
As if the above warning is not enough, aspartame has been found to have carcinogenic affects on rats and to trigger devastating health complications such as autoimmune disorders. In studies, mothers-to-be, who heavily consumed “diet” colas, gave birth to infants with deformed brains, which resembled melted plastic.
Artificial sweeteners inflict far more damage on the health than the above-mentioned changes in the brain. I have written a series of articles, such as “Say No to Aspartame: The Hidden Danger”, which can be found on www.arabnews.com/lifestyle. I encourage you to read the earlier articles or research artificial sweeteners and their consequences.
Heavy intake of cola causes other disorders. It leads to the depletion of potassium, which is an instrumental mineral in maintaining rhythmic heartbeats. Low levels of the mineral can dangerously affect the heart electrical signals and other functions.
Dr. Clifford Packer of Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in Ohio declared, “With aggressive mass marketing, super-sizing of soft drinks, and the effects of caffeine tolerance and dependence, there is very little doubt that millions of people in industrialized countries drink 2-31 colas a day. It follows that the serum potassium levels of these heavy cola drinkers are dropping, in some cases, to dangerously low levels.”
With heavy soda consumption for extended periods, consumers can experience fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. According to the International Journal of Clinical Practice, an Australian farmer had to be hospitalized for emergency treatment because of lung paralysis due to drinking large amounts of cola (over 4 liters a day). The beverage industry still advocates the safety of colas and sodas, citing these cases as isolated incidents.
Next week, I will continue exposing to you the other damaging components of colas, soda and soft drinks. With sufficient information about what goes into your body, you will be able to make a rational decision in order to protect your health. I am pleased to say that I have already received several e-mails from readers declaring that they will stop consuming these nutrient-empty drinks. I hope that their courage leads them to commit to their written promises.
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
You can find the previous health articles on www.arabnews.com/lifestyle
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