Danger of Sweet Drinks to Health

Sweet drinks products are very popular in the market and are increasingly diverse. Although it tastes delicious, sugary drinks can endanger health, especially if consumed in excess. Know what are the dangers of sugary drinks on health so that you do not consume any.

Sweet drinks are types of drinks that have been given sweeteners, such as liquid sugar, brown sugar, syrup, honey, fruit concentrates, and artificial sweeteners. Some examples of sugary drinks that are popular are soda, fruit juice, bottled drinks, and boba drinks.

Besides being high in sugar, sugary drinks do not contain many nutrients that are beneficial to the body. In fact, pure fruit juice that is said to be healthy because it contains lots of vitamins is actually no healthier than whole fruit. This is because the fiber content in fruit juice is very low while the sugar content is high.

Excessive consumption of sugar is associated with weight gain and the emergence of various diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Recognize the Dangers of Sweet Drinks to the Body

Research shows that consumption of 2 to 6 glasses of sweet drinks every week can increase the risk of death by 6%, and consumption of 1-2 glasses of sweet drinks per day can increase the risk of death by 14%.

The dangers of sugary drinks on health cannot be underestimated. The following are some of the diseases that can arise from consuming too many sugary drinks:

1. Obesity

Weight gain occurs when the number of calories is greater than the number of calories burned for activity. Well, high sugar content in sugary drinks will provide you with large amounts of calorie intake.

Unlike solid foods, sugary drinks do not give you a feeling of fullness, so you will still consume large amounts of food even though you have gotten a lot of calories from sweet drinks. As a result, the calories will exceed the body's needs and there will be weight gain.

Uncontrolled weight gain can cause overweight and obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for various deadly diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer.

Therefore, limit the consumption of sugary drinks to prevent obesity while reducing the risk of death from these diseases.

2. Diabetes

High sugar content in sugary drinks can increase blood sugar levels and increase your risk of diabetes. Diabetes can cause complications in the kidneys, eyes, and heart.

A study shows that consuming 1-2 glasses of sweet drinks every day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 26%.

3. High cholesterol and heart disease

There are two types of cholesterol, namely good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein / HDL) and bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein / LDL). People who often consume sweet drinks tend to have lower HDL levels and high LDL levels.

High LDL levels can increase your risk of narrowing of the arteries in the heart. A study states that consuming 1 can of sugary drinks per day will increase the risk of heart attack by 20%.

4. Tooth decay

Consumption of foods or drinks high in sugar can cause damage to teeth. To avoid this, sweet drinks are only recommended for consumption during meal times.

This also applies to fruit juices because the sugar and acid content in them can damage teeth. Therefore, fruit juice should only be consumed during main meal hours and the amount also needs to be limited. The recommended consumption of pure fruit juice is 150 ml per day.

5. Certain types of cancer

A study states that excessive consumption of sugary drinks can increase the risk of developing cancer in general, except lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. The type of cancer that is closely related to the consumption of sugary drinks is breast cancer.

Excessive consumption of pure fruit juice can also increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, consumption of whole fruit is far more advisable than the consumption of fruit juices that are only juice.

To avoid the danger of sugary drinks, you need to limit their consumption. Instead of sugary drinks, you can choose water or carbonated water that does not contain sweeteners. You can also consume low-calorie soda drinks that contain less sugar.

If you often consume sugary drinks, it never hurts to see a doctor monitor blood sugar levels and know the risk of other diseases due to excessive sugar consumption.

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