Filed under: food, food safety, Minnesota, organic, science | Tags: children, Food, food safety, hunger, Minnesota, summer
A Hard Look at Soft Drinks
By Jill Grunewald
It’s hot, we’re thirsty, and many Americans’ impulse is to reach for a soda or soft drink. For lots of folks, nothing compares to the fizzy, ice-cold, übersweet drink that we’ve been savoring for over 100 years. In past decades, the evolution and radically increased consumption of these beverages has done a real number on our health.
Liquid Candy
While statistics on beverage consumption vary considerably, it’s inarguable that Americans consume vastly more soft drinks than any other country. It’s no coincidence that we also suffer from the highest rates of obesity, heart disease, and Type II diabetes, all of which are exacerbated by excessive sugar intake.
According to a 2007 American Journal of Public Health report, “Yearly U.S. per capita consumption of non-diet soft drinks rose 86 percent between 1970 and 1997 alone (22 gallons vs. 41 gallons). The prevalence of obesity increased 112 percent during that approximate time.” Today, says Dr. Joseph Mercola, we’re downing approximately 57 gallons per person per year, which means some are guzzling over a gallon a week. When you consider that this doesn’t include most diabetics and small children, the volume is actually higher. The Lance medical journal recently published a report that said, “One extra soft drink a day will give a child a 60 percent greater chance of becoming obese.”
You can read the full article at
http://themix.coop/?q=node%2F762
This was not news to me, but if you drink soda you should read this. America’s addiction to sweet and unsweetened soft drinks is an epidemic that a bit of will power can solve. Just drink water. It’s better for you.
Michael
Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment
