Fizzy Facts: Top 3 Statistics About How Soda Affects Your Health

By: Daniel Herleth, MD

Since New York’s attempted ban on soda, many people have been talking about the health concerns of soda and other sugar-sweetened foods.  As a physician, I think it’s important for people to be aware of these health concerns and be educated about alternatives to make smart decisions for themselves.   

Why is there so much concern about soda? 

Soda does not provide any nutrients, and regular soda has lots of calories.  All of these calories can lead to many health problems, and it can cause significant weight gain.  Diabetes is significantly more common in soda drinkers.  Here are the facts that might make you re-consider that fizzy beverage:

1)      Even small amounts of soda have risks. A regular cola has about 140 calories per can.  While this may not seem like a lot, many people drink more than one can in a day.  For instance, a 44-ounce soda has about 500 calories, about one-quarter of recommended total calories for the day. 

2)      One recent study showed that people who have only one soda per day have a 20 percent increased risk of having heart disease, like a heart attack.[i]  

3)      Another study suggests that 25,000 people die each year related to health problems caused by soda.[ii]

What about some alternatives to soda?

Diet soda eliminates the sugar, but it does not prevent health problems.  It is also shown to increase diabetes, heart attack, and stroke risk even without as much weight gain.[iii]

If possible, you should eliminate these food and drinks. If not, the most important aspect is moderation.  Water should be your main beverage; this is the healthiest, most natural drink available.  It is best to slowly decrease your soda intake and steadily replace it with water to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as headaches.   

What about caffeine?  Many people use soda to provide caffeine.  Coffee is a much healthier option as it has many anti-inflammatory properties that support our health, unlike soda.  However, much of this benefit is lost with lots of sugar or other flavors in the coffee.  Up to three cups per day is a safe amount of coffee.[iv]

What is a safe portion size for other sugary sweets?

Sugary snack foods, including cookies, candy, and cake, can cause similar health problems, such as diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.  Much of this comes from weight gain and subsequent increases in blood pressure and cholesterol.[v]

It is okay to have some sweets, with strict limitations; for people with diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure, it is even more important to limit intake.   A reasonable solution is to truly make these occasional treats, one or two times per week or for special occasions.  When eating sugary snacks, it helps to limit portion size- a small cookie, a small sliver of cake or pie.  By controlling portion size, you get the taste without as many calories and health problems.  A good way to limit how much you have is to avoid buying these foods at the store.

If you have questions about this or are unsure if you are consuming too much soda or sugary food, please talk to your doctor. 

Daniel Herleth, MD, practices family medicine at Northwest Physicians and is a part of BJC Medical Group. He received his medical degree from Tulane University in New Orleans and completed his residency at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Please visit bjcmedicalgroup.org or call 314-953-6801 to make an appointment.

[i] Koning, Lawrence et al. “Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Incident Coronary Heart Disease and Biomarkers of Risk in Men” Circulation. March 12, 2012

[ii] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/781093

[iii] Fagherazzi, Guy et al.  “Consumption of Artificially and Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Incident Type 2 Diabetes” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. March 2013

[iv] Bernstein, Adam et al. “Soda consumption and the risk of stroke in men and women” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 2013

[v] Te Morenga, Lisa et al. “Dietary Sugars and Body Weight: Systematic Review and Meta Analyses of Randomised Controlled Trial and Cohort Studies” BMJ. January 15,2013