Carbonated beverages, popularly known as soft drinks, are among the most consumed beverages around the world. However, regular intake of these beverages can significantly impact the overall health of an individual. This is because these beverages comprise a high amount of artificial sugar and acidic content. Furthermore, they don’t provide any kind of nutritional benefit and can lead to various health issues like kidney problems, cardiac diseases, and obesity. Here is a closer look at the side effects these carbonated beverages cause on the human body.

Visceral fat
The most common ingredient present in soft drinks is sucrose, which has a huge quantity of simple sugar called fructose. This fails to suppress hunger and stimulate fullness, which in turn elevates one’s total calorie intake. Those who drink a lot of such beverages often find themselves unsatiated and tend to snack more. Excess sugar intake also makes one lethargic, leading to a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, regular consumption of sweetened beverages is linked to excess visceral fat in the long run. Many other health issues may arise due to this. For example, the accumulation of excess fat along the belly increases the risk of diseases like diabetes and stroke.

Fatty liver
The ingredients used to prepare soft drinks include table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, giving the drinks a sweet taste. These forms of sugar comprise two carbohydrate types: fructose and glucose, in a ratio of 1:1. The latter is soaked up by all cells in the human body; however, the former directly gets stored in the liver. Regular intake of soft drinks or recipes that make use of soft drinks is the easiest way to increase the fructose levels in the body. And when these beverages are taken in excess, it overburdens the liver and converts the fructose to fat. Furthermore, a part of this gets transformed into triglyceride in the blood, and the leftover portion stays in the liver. With time, this excessive amount of fat leads to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Insulin resistance
Insulin is a type of hormone present in the body that works towards transporting glucose from the bloodstream to the cells. The consumption of soft drinks makes the cells less sensitive to this chemical messenger. When this occurs, the pancreas works harder to produce more insulin to eliminate the excess glucose from the bloodstream. This condition is known as insulin resistance and is known to cause many metabolic syndromes, leading to health issues like cardiac problems and diabetes.

Leptin resistance
Leptin is a hormone that is known to reduce appetite and keep one’s body weight under control. This is produced by the fat cells present in the body. The hormone level changes when people starve or gain weight; it is also called starvation or fullness hormone. Leptin resistance is considered the most significant reason behind fat gain among humans. Furthermore, the high-fructose content in soft drinks is known to trigger this condition.

Cardiac problems
Excessive consumption of soft drinks has serious side effects and an increased risk of cardiac problems. This is because drinking sugary beverages can cause obesity, elevating the risk of high blood glucose levels, dense LDL particles, and high blood triglycerides. These problems together can lead to heart attack or other cardiac problems.

Cancer
There is a close link between cancer and other serious diseases, like diabetes, cardiac issues, and obesity. The overconsumption of soft drinks elevates the risk of having these diseases, increasing the chances of cancer or its recurrence in recovered persons. It can even lead to death in patients with colorectal cancer.

Tooth decay
The overconsumption of sweetened beverages also impacts dental health because drinks like soda have phosphoric and carbonic acids, increasing tooth decay risk. Furthermore, when they get mixed with sugar, the mixture leads to the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth, which in turn causes severe dental trauma.

Gout
Inflammation and pain along the joints are often referred to as gout. The disease occurs when the uric acid levels elevate in the bloodstream. Fructose in sugary drinks is known to raise its concentration in the body, increasing the risk of gout. Furthermore, soft drinks even lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for the disease.

The side effects and health issues of drinking carbonated and sugary beverages are immense. This is why it is essential to limit the intake of sugary drinks. Having these every once in a while is not harmful; however, making them a part of one’s meal regimen and substituting them with water can lead to a lot of harmful side effects. Those who don’t like the taste of plain water and grab a soft drink for that very reason can consider adding a few slices of lemon or citrusy fruits to their water to enhance its taste.