Soft Drinks

NOT ON MY PLATE (or in this instance in my CUP)
CULPRIT: Soft Drinks

Americans drink way too much soda and sugary soft drinks. I believe the obesity issues we have in our young kids (and adults) are highly attributed to the amount of soft drinks they consume. Besides having an enormous amount of sugar (usually in the form of HFCS - high fructose corn syrup discussed in an earlier blog), soft drinks have added chemicals such as artificial colors and flavors that can be deteriorating to your health.

Recently, the FDA had to alert several soft drink companies to reduce the amount of Benzene in their soft drinks. When conditions are right, the chemical can form as a result of ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate found in the soft drinks. Benzene is a chemical that has been linked to cancer in humans. It is in our air due to automobile emissions and burning coal and oil. Also, benzene is used to produce chemicals, dyes, detergents, synthetic fibers, solvents, rubber and some plastics. The FDA says there's no cause for concern. The FDA alerted the companies that make the soft drinks to keep it under the 5 ppb limit as in public drinking water (all the more reason to drink purified water). Some of the soft drink companies were tested as high as 87.9 ppb.

Weather or not you believe that the FDA has our personal best interest in mind, I recommend you limit your intake of soft drinks. If you do buy them, drink them occasionally, buy natural soft drinks made with pure cane sugar (such as Whole Foods 365 brand or Hansens natural soda) and no added harmful chemicals. Read the labels. Also, don't store soft drink cans in a warm or hot place. Soda that has been sitting in a warm or hot area has a higher aluminumum content. We don't need additional aluminum exposure. We get enough of it in many foods and personal hygene products. Don't think that Diet is any better either. I"ll write about diet soft drinks in my next blog entry.