How does your beverage of choice affect your health?
Sports and energy drinks, diet pops and new vitamin drinks are all the rage. North American sales of these drinks are in the billions. Do these drinks really do what they are supposed to? First and foremost they are meant to quench our thirst. When you are thirsty or dehydrated is the worst time to drink pop or acidic/sugary drinks. Water is the best choice. All of the energy, sports drinks, vitamin waters and pops are acidic (2.5-3.5) and contain 5 -9 teaspoons of sugar per 1 cup/8 oz. When we are dehydrated we have less saliva, and it is our saliva that helps neutralize the acids from these drinks.
Athletes need to restore their electrolytes and carbohydrate levels when they are doing extreme sports for an hour or longer. This is the time for sports drinks. Most children and teens do not reach this level of activity. Children and teenagers should not be drinking energy drinks as they affect the heart rate, can cause hyperactivity and heart problems.
Again, water is the best choice before, during and after most activities.
Important facts to remember:
Our mouth and saliva has a pH normally of 6.4-6.8 (remember chemistry class?)
Neutral is 7, battery acid is 1, most pops, energy and sports drinks are 2.5-3.5
The pH level of 5.2-5.5 is when the acids begin to dissolve the hard enamel of the tooth, causing tooth root sensitivity and cavities
75 % of North Americans are chronically dehydrated, meaning we do not drink enough water or eat enough fruits and vegetables (which contain lots of water)
We drink far too many caffeinated beverages which pull the water out of our bodies
Calories in these drinks can be 150-180 per 12 oz can, it takes 60 minutes of biking on flat surface to burn off
Read the labels – 4 grams of sugar = 1 tsp of sugar
Regular or excessive intake of sugary drinks per day (one or more a day) leads to excessive calories = diabetes risk and obesity risk, which has tripled in the last ten years
Carbonated drinks cause more acid reflux and other gastrointestinal (tummy) troubles
Caffeine from drinks also puts you at risk for osteoporosis (bone weakness) as calcium is leached out the teeth and bones to go into the blood stream
Sometimes we are thirsty and mistake it for hunger, next time you think you are hungry, have a glass of water
Daytime fatigue, fuzzy short-term memory, and trouble focusing are most often caused by lack of water
Reduce your risk of colon, breast and bladder cancer by 45-80% by drinking 5 glasses of water per day
Rinse mouth with water after pop, energy or sports drinks, do not brush, too acidic
some good uses of coke- for cleaning stains from the toilet, removing rust off vehicles, removing grease stains from clothes and vehicles and loosening a rusty bolt
when the body is too acidic from eating/drinking acidic foods/drinks our blood cells become thicker and they cannot do their job of transporting oxygen to the body parts
diet drinks cause many health issues - aspartame has neurological risks, mimics other diseases and syndromes, can affect vision, create anxiety, heart palpitations and the list goes on; sucralose (Nutrasweet)and Ace-K have many similar side effects
Next time you need a drink, grab a good source of water, add a slice of lemon, lime, strawberries or cucumber, throw in a few raspberries and even some ice cubes, pour into a fancy glass and sip away the summer!