The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is getting more aggressive in its mission to protect Americans from the harmful effects of soft drinks.
The group sent a petition to the Food and Drug Administration calling for cigarette-style warnings on all non-diet soft drinks to alert consumers that too much of the sugary beverages can make them fat and cause other health problems, such as diabetes and tooth decay.
Some suggested warnings included:
"To help protect your waistline and your teeth, consider drinking diet sodas or water."
"Drinking soft drinks instead of milk or calcium-fortified beverages may increase your risk of brittle bones (osteoporosis)."
"Drinking too many (non-diet) soft drinks contributes to weight gain."
Soft drinks with more than 10 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce serving should also carry warnings that say it is "a mildly addictive stimulant drug" that is "not appropriate for children," the CSPI added.
The group said new labels are needed to help counter aggressive marketing by the soda industry.
Liquid Candy
The basis behind the petition is that teenagers drink too much of what CSPI calls "liquid candy," a concoction of high-fructose corn syrup, water and artificial flavors.
According to CSPI, cited research based on government data found that teenage boys who drink soft drinks consume an average of three 12-ounce cans per day, while girls drink more than two cans. Moreover, teenagers who drink soft drinks get nearly 15 percent of their total calories from the beverages; though it's not the consumption of calories that concerns the group most, but rather the declined intake of other nutrients.
Thus, the new warnings are especially necessary to help counter the growing number of youth who drink soda.
USA Today July 13, 2005
Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks Are Harming America's Health (46-page FREE REPORT)
You may have seen the article I ran in June that reported sugar is now the number one source of calories in America. That is an absolutely astounding statistic.
Of course, the largest source of sugar is soda, so the CSPI campaign is right on target. There simply is not any more important dietary change you can make than to eliminate soda and sugar from your diet. This is a relatively easy step to take and will give you the most health benefits for the effort you invest. In financial terms, it has the highest ROI.
Here are some other reasons why you want to minimize your intake of soda:
Phosphoric Acid: May interfere with your body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.
Sugar: Soft drink manufacturers are the largest single user of refined sugar in the United States. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects.
Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.
Don't think for a moment, though, that you can slip in diet soda to replace regular soda, as that is a definite move in the wrong direction.
Although I am grateful to this and the many other health campaigns that CSPI engages in, they are relatively clueless about the dangers of diet soda. I suspect if they read the book I am publishing in the fall on this topic they would have a different position.
As strange as it may seem after my extensive review, I am absolutely convinced that diet sodas are actually worse than regular soda. Last month I ran a study that showed consuming diet sodas actually doubles your risk of developing obesity.
Plus, artificial sweeteners used in diet soda, like Splenda® and NutraSweet®, pose major risks to your health.
Pure water is your best option for a beverage. If you are having trouble giving up soda, seriously consider Turbo Tapping to help you get rid of your soda addiction.
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