What Soft Drinks are Doing to Your Body

Yahoo ^ | Oct 30, 2009 | Dr. Maoshing Ni

[goodwithagun]

Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health. As the debate for whether to put a tax on the sale of soft drinks continues, you should know how they affect your body so that you can make an informed choice on your own. Soft drinks are hard on your health Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives. A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper...yummy! Usually out around the holidays :) (The diet version is really good too!)

[roamer_1]

Actually, you can make a decent soda at home with much less sugar. An uncle of mine used to make Birch Beer (non alcoholic) and a cream soda that he sold in his store in the 50’s.

Folks don't know what they're missin' either. Old fashioned creme soda and root beer stored in glass... that's the real thing... A wholly different experience from that which passes by those names today.

I am fond of real root beer, particularly.

[skr]

Thanks for the info. No fake sugar aftertaste for me with a combination like that! : )

[TennesseeGirl]

I'll still drink Dr. Enuf, lol. Can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Contains: carbonated water, 100% pure cane sugar,citric acid, natural and imitation flavors, potassium benzoate, caffeine, niacin, thiamine, potassium iodide.
http://www.drenuf.com

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

But other than maybe the effect on teeth, the finest organic pasta is no different than a spoonfuls of beet sugar.

Do you lead by example, or are you a 'do as I say, not as I do' kind of guy?

Since you claim it's all the same, then I would expect that white sugar is all you eat, right?

I mean if all foods are merely sugars and starches, then why bother with meat and vegetables, right?

[Minn]

Since you claim it's all the same, then I would expect that white sugar is all you eat, right?

Why would you expect that? All I said is a carb is a carb is a carb. There's also protein and fat for calories. Then there's fiber, vitamins and minerals. I pretty much eat whatever I wish from that selection, just like my grandmother that lived to 96.

I'm just saying the phobia about processed sugar is completely misguided. Except for the vitamins and fiber (which are easy to get plenty of), a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice has nothing on as glass of cola. Your body doesn't know the difference. The calorie part is chemically identical once stomach acids do their work.

I've reached the conclusion that the whole nutritional supplement and organic food businesses are, for the most part, scams. It's very easy to meet your body's nutritional needs by eating a small variety of foods. Health food nuts aren't healthier than regular folk; just less satisfied and poorer. If the calories you consume are somewhat in balance with the calories you burn, and there's some variety in your diet, don't waste your time or money listening to some phony "doctor" telling you what to eat or swallow.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

All I said is a carb is a carb is a carb

And I said, not all carbs are created equal.

You would have me believe that, nutritionally speaking, there's no difference between simple and complex carbs.

Nutritionally speaking there's a lot of difference between a bowl of sugar and a bowl of vegetables.

I'm just saying the phobia about processed sugar is completely misguided

I never said I was afraid of sugar. I only said that once I found out how much sugar is in each can of Coke, I stopped drinking them.

Except for the vitamins and fiber (which are easy to get plenty of), a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice has nothing on as glass of cola.

You also said that there's no difference between a potato and a handful of sugar.

Your body doesn't know the difference. The calorie part is chemically identical once stomach acids do their work.

Again, I disagree. The quality of how I feel is directly related to the quality of food I eat.

[mlo]

Caffiene, especially in the form of coffee, is a health food.

[SunkenCiv]

'Saturday Night Live' mocks Governor Paterson's blindness, past drug use by Stephanie Gaskell Sunday, December 14th 2008

Saturday Night Live pushed the envelope last night with... Fred Armisen as Paterson during a segment on "Weekend Update." ...Armisen, as Paterson, says he has three criteria: economic experience, upstate influence and someone with a disability who is completely unprepared for the job - just like him. "I want to choose a senator not from the glitzy coke parties of Manhattan but rather from the shabbier coke circles of upstate new york," he said. "I'm tired of all these fancy, two-eyed smart alecs from the big city running the whole show. It's time we get someone from Utica, Syracuse or Schnectady - towns where people have something a little off about him. I mean, they don't have to be blind," he said. "I just need someone with like a gamey arm or maybe the giant gums with the tiny teeth. Let's get one of those in the Senate." The fake Paterson points out that he only became governor because of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's prostition scandal. "Whoever is appointed senator must - like me - be caught totally off guard and be comically unprepared to take office," he said. "Come on, I'm a blind man who loves cocaine who was suddenly appointed governor of New York. My life is an actual plot from a Richard Pryor movie."

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ACTUAL HEADLINE:

Paterson In A Blind Rage Over 'SNL' Skit

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Governor Paterson proposes 'Obesity Tax,' a tax on non-diet sodas
by Glenn Blain and Kenneth Lovett
with Edgar Sandoval and Erica Pearson
Daily News Albany Bureau
Sunday, December 14th 2008

Gov. Paterson, as part of a $121 billion budget to be unveiled Tuesday, will propose an "obesity tax" of about 15% on nondiet drinks. This means a Diet Coke might sell for a $1 - even as the same size bottle of its calorie-rich alter ego would go for $1.15. Paterson's budget also calls for a 3% cut in education spending, a $620-a-year tuition hike at SUNY and a $600 increase at CUNY - and about $3.5 billion in health care cuts, a source said. The Democratic governor will not call for a broad-based income tax boost, but he will push to restore the sales tax on clothing and footwear... State employees again will be asked to forgo their 3% raises next year and defer five days' pay until they leave their jobs, the source said. In all, Paterson will propose about $9 billion in cuts, $4 billion in new taxes and fees, and $1.5 billion in nonrecurring revenue, a second source said. The so-called obesity tax would generate an estimated $404 million a year. Milk, juice, diet soda and bottled water would be exempt from the tax... Public health advocates welcomed news of the tax, saying it would help the fight against childhood obesity. "Raising the price of this liquid candy will put children and teens on a path to a healthier diet," said Elie Ward of the American Academy of Pediatrics of New York State.

[and now, the buried lead:] The Paterson administration also announced steps yesterday to expand the state's social services net, including a 30% increase in welfare payments over three years starting January 2010, increased money for food banks and expanded access to the state's Family Health Plus program. Paterson also hopes to make it easier for people to enroll in Medicaid by eliminating face-to-face interviews and fingerprinting requirements.