The Demon Soda Pop

Episode 214

We visited with Deborah Novak, UCLA Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian, and discussed the topic of soft drinks and their impact on our health. Its was a very interesting discussion, which I will be more than happy to share with you, post haste.

Soda Has No Nutritional Value Whatsoever

Although many soda corporation executives will argue to the contrary, soda is a substance that offers no nutritional support for the body whatsoever. It is extremely calorie dense and most of these calories end up in the liver (stay tuned, I'll explain in detail). It also contains phosphoric acid, which we know destroys tooth enamel, but also may bind to calcium and keep it from being absorbed by the body. In addition, most soda has caffeine which is a diuretic, this makes you pee out more calcium and possibly other vitamins and minerals and this can result in weak, brittle bones and premature osteoporosis. In short, other than being a fun treat there is no compelling reason to have soda and there are many reasons to eliminate it altogether from your daily life.

An Indelible Part of Our National Consciousness

Most of us can't remember life without soda and none would argue that mass marketing has burned it into our subconscious somewhere next to apple pie and baseball. Soda, as we know it today, came into vogue in America in 1832, when John Mathews invented his apparatus for the making carbonated water. He then mass-manufactured his apparatus for sale to soda fountain owners. It was originally marketed to create an association with mineral baths, which were thought to have healing properties.

The drinking of either natural or artificial mineral water was considered a healthy practice. The American pharmacists selling mineral waters began to add medicinal and flavorful herbs to unflavored mineral water. They used birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, and fruit extracts.

Until the 1960s, it was common for both small town folk and city slickers alike to enjoy carbonated beverages at local soda fountains and ice cream saloons. Often housed together with a pharmacy, the soda fountain counter served as a meeting place for people of all ages. However, the popularity of soda fountains declined with the introduction of fast foods, commercial ice cream, bottled soft drinks, and restaurants.

And that ushered in the age of television and mass marketing of soda which went from an occasional treat to something served at every meal. Oh, what a wicked web we weave. Let me show you what I mean:

• Americans are spending $54 billion a year on soda pop.
  
• More than 15 billion gallons of soda were sold in 2000. That works out to be one 12 oz. can for every man, woman and child in the U.S. per day.
• Kids are heavy consumers of soda: 56% of 8 yr. olds consume soft drinks every day and 1/3 teenage boys drink at least 3 cans of soda per day.
  
• Soda is sold in in 60% of all schools public and private nationwide (President Clinton helped remove soda from middle schools). Many of these schools actually receive kick backs from the people who put this in front of our children on a daily basis.
  
• Teenage kids drink 2x as much soda as milk. Whereas 20 yrs. ago it was reversed.
• Carbonated soda provides more added sugar in a typical 2 yr. olds diet than cookies, candy and ice cream combined.
• A study of 12-19 yr olds: Boys drink more than 2 cans per day. Girls 1 3/4 can per day.
• In the past 40 years, bottles and cans have ballooned from 6 1/2 oz. to 12 oz. and recently 20 oz.

I think we are all familiar with 7/11's 64 oz. 600 calorie "Double Gulp", also called the "Pop Belly Special" by researchers.

Obesity and Soda, Friends for Life

Our bodies were not designed to consume the large amounts of fructose that we do today. Consumption of fructose has gone from less than half a pound per year in 1970 to 56 pounds per year in 2003.

High fructose corn syrup was invented in Japan in 1966, and started finding its way into the American food supply in 1975. In 1980 the soft drink companies started introducing it into soft drinks and you can actually trace the prevalence of childhood obesity, and the rise, to 1980 when this change was made. Check this out:

Ms. Novak pointed out that its not the soda, really, its the overall calorie content during this period that has caused the obesity epidemic. And this is a valid point during this period an enormous number of foods began to have high fructose corn syrup introduced to them, not just soda.

However, that's also kind of like saying, its not the tobacco, its the exposure to the carcinogens in the tobacco that causes cancer. Without the soda, you certainly can reduce caloric intake and people who drink soda regularly will find that they will lose weight simply by eliminating it from their diets.

Another important issue is the link between soda, weight gain and type 2 diabetes. The most striking link was between soft drink consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. In a study of 91,249 women followed for eight years, those who consumed one or more soft drinks per day were twice as likely as those who consumed less than one per month to develop diabetes (JAMA. 2004;292:927-934).

Fructose and Your Liver, a Dysfunctional Relationship

It is not the calories from high fructose corn syrup that are different, it's the fact that the only organ in your body that can take up fructose is your liver. Glucose, the standard sugar, can be taken up by every organ in the body; only 20% of glucose load ends up at your liver.

Fructose does three things that are particularly bad in the liver. The first is this uric acid pathway, which was just described; the second is that fructose initiates something called de novo lipogenesis ( fat production). This excess fat production leads to increases in VLDL , very low density lipoproteins, (the "bad" cholesterol). This, in turn, results in an imbalance in the amount of fat you have in your blood (called dyslipidemia).

Finally, fructose initiates an enzyme in the liver called Junk one (oh, the irony; junk food initiates Junk one) and when you initiate Junk one what happens is that your insulin receptor in your liver stops working (not good) and that means your insulin levels all over your body have to rise. Diabetes, here we come.

Glucose, on the other hand, does not do the above unless consumed in very large quantities; and your body has a mechanism to let you know when you have taken in too much of it. If you keep filling your pie hole, you will feel sick. Unfortunately, your body does not have an efficient way to let you know if you've ingested too much fructose.

Put all of this together and basically you've got a feed forward system of increased liver fat, liver deposition of fat, increased inflammation, and increased insulin, in short, a recipe for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, you end up with an inability to hear what leptin, a hormone produced by fat tissue that increases storage of body fat and suppresses appetite, is telling you (leptin says "Brain, I'm full. Tell the mouth to stop"). As a result, you consume more fructose and you've now got a vicious cycle that is out of control. Here's an example in the animal kingdom.

Fructose, because of the way it is metabolized, is actually damaging your liver the same way alcohol is. In fact, it's the exact same pathway. Fructose is, basically, alcohol without the buzz, dude. Interestingly, a little exercise and fiber can go a long way toward detoxifying the effects of fructose. The high fiber content of fruit makes it OK to eat. Going a little easy on fruit juices might also be a good idea since most of us are getting plenty of fructose from other sources.

Soda Rots Your Freakin' Teeth

The carbonic or phosphoric acid dissolves the calcium out of the enamel leaving a softened matrix for bacteria to enter the teeth and cause wholesale destruction of those white things you use for chewing. So drinking sugar free sodas is not the answer because it has this acid too.

Smile!

Many of the individuals who have this problem are students who study and continuously sip soda, creating an acid bath for their teeth. Now, let's not forget the fact that sugar itself is converted to acid by the bacteria on the teeth for an additional insult. If you couple all this with poor oral hygiene, you wind up with extras for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Bye, Bye Bone Density

The link between soda drinking and loss of bone density is not exactly clear. The real problem here seem to be the caffeine that is found in soda. Because it is a diuretic it causes you to pee more, which means you end up excreting more calcium and this results in loss of bone density over time.

In addition, calcium is a base, phosphoric acid is highly acidic, your body releases calcium to stabilize the pH. Phosphorous binds to calcium in the stomach and prevents absorption of calcium into your blood. High phosphorous in your blood draws calcium out of your bones.

This may explain why some children have weak, brittle bones. They have replaced milk with soda. They no longer have a rich source of calcium and the phosphorous and caffeine combine to deplete normal calcium levels.

Soda Also Linked To Kidney Stones

Patients with stones should avoid cola drinks, since they can severely reduce citrate levels in the urine. Phosphoric acid increases the risk for stones, caffeine also causes more dehydration, which can lead to formation of stones. Some research shows that drinking one quart (less than three 12-ounce cans) of soda per week may increase a person's risk of developing stones by 15%. And as the graphic above clearly illustrates, that's no fun. Drink more water instead.

Artificial Sweetners

Researchers at Purdue University found that rats consuming saccharin sweetened yogurt ate more food overall and put on more weight during a two week period than rats consuming glucose sweetened yogurt. The saccharin eating rats ingested 5-10% more calories overall and gained 20% more weight and increased their percentage of body fat by more that 5%.

Apparently, artificial sweeteners interfere with our perceptions of sweet taste, thus, they upset an ancient physiological system that evolved to regulate food intake and energy use. In other words, just as artificial sweeteners trick our taste buds and satisfy our sweet tooth, they may confuse other systems involved in assessing calorie intake and controlling appetite. So the millions who reach for diet soda thinking they are helping their cause are actually just creating a physiological climate for more weight gain because their natural off switch has been short circuited.

Diet Soda And Syndrome X (Metabolic Syndrome)

Two recent long term studies found a positive correlation between diet beverages and metabolic syndrome, which is a constellation of risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, in all fairness, this interpretation of the research is a bit of a stretch. People who had metabolic syndrome also ate diets that had high amounts of trans fats, refined grains and saturated fat. They, basically, did everything they possibly could to put their lives in peril. Diet soda just seems to be icing on the cake.

One Last Thing

OK, if I haven't succeeded in at least giving you pause the next time you reach for a soda. Here's one last thing regarding aspartame, the chief ingredient in Nutrasweet and a common ingredient in most diet soda.

Many medical professionals believe aspartame, which contains phenylanaline, is a potent neurotoxin that can cause injury to the brain and nervous system. It has been known to cause seizures and should not be given to eplileptics or anyone who experiences seizures since it may aggravate them.

Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of Searle, manufacturers of aspartame. For 16 years the FDA refused to approve it, not only because its not safe but because they wanted the company indicted for fraud. Both U.S. Prosecutors hired on with the defense team and the statute of limitations expired.

Mr. Rumsfeld was on President Reagan's transition team and the day after he took office he appointed an FDA Commissioner who would approve aspartame. The FDA set up a Board of Inquiry of the best scientists they had to offer, who said aspartame is not safe and causes brain tumors, and the petition for approval was revoked. The new FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes, over-ruled that Board of Inquiry and then went to work for the PR Agency of the manufacturer, Burson-Marsteller, at a rumored $1000.00 a day, and has refused to talk to the press ever since. Read the whole story of the history of aspartame at http://www.wnho.net/history_of_aspartame.htm .

Bottom Line?

Eat and drink things that give your body nutrition. Soda is not inherently evil, it just should not be consumed with virtually every meal the way it is in many families today. You want to lose weight, dramatically reduce your risk for diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and more? Try making soda the occasional treat that it was once was, or better yet, eliminate it entirely from your diet. You'll be amazed how much better you feel.

My work is done here.

Your Health Is In Your Hands, People

Marc