Monday, February 11, 2013

Oh that morning cup of... soda?

With the health of this country, the unhealthiest of the wealthiest nations to be exact, in the midst of a perfect storm of diseases affecting the masses in epidemic proportions (Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Chronic Inflammatory diseases), to say that the average American makes countless unhealthy dietary decisions per day would be a colossal understatement.  And our addiction to sugar no doubt tops the charts!  This devastatingly poor bill of health can be blamed in part, if not totally, on the staggering amounts of sugar (per person) consumed daily, especially since the advent of high fructose corn-syrup. 

And the biggest offenders?  Soda companies and their many varieties of soft drinks, sports drinks, and juices consumed each year. 

So hearing of PepsiCo's plan to roll out a new soda/energy drink hybrid tailored for those "soda connoisseurs" that are searching for that morning coffee/tea alternative, is depressing and scary to say the least... another nail in the proverbial coffin!

Their selling point?   A lower calorie (compared to all the mocha frappa coffee drinks)... lower caffeine  (compared to all the Red Bull's and 5-hr Energy drinks) alternative, but with that ever so popular Mountain Dew taste. 

Like most "low calorie" or "zero calorie" marketed drinks, manufactures rely on artificial sweeteners to fill that sugary void, but the latest research shows these sugar alternatives may actually be worse for you.  The body is hardwired to expect calories to follow sweet.  So in such cases when a 'no calorie' sweetener like Splenda or aspartame is consumed, the body ironically is not fooled.  And when the body's natural caloric and energy satisfactions are not met, as would be the case following basic glucose consumption, the body seeks more calories.  This in turn leads to weight gain.  Now add that to the fact that these artificial sweeteners, despite lacking sugary calories, still manage to stimulate the release of insulin and what you have is a deadly double whammy!

And as for their "lower in caffeine" claims, it's important to remember that isolated caffeine, unlike the caffeine found naturally in antioxidant rich foods such as organic whole bean coffee and cacao as well as tea, isolated caffeine is extremely unhealthy in any amounts.

So before you reach for that morning can of soda, think long and hard about the unavoidable consequences!

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