F.L.A.B.B.

January 21, 2010

More reports from The Game – the above acronym stands for Fat-Loaded and Belly Bloaters. The list is quite long and contains all of the things that we know are bad for us; cakes, pastries, fried food and pop. On a participant’s day off, one is allowed to indulge in these F.L.A.B.B.-y treats, with the exception of pop.

My roommate likens her love for pop to my love for beer – I don’t need it, but I like it. However her love for Pepsi is far worse than my love for alcohol; she drinks more thank one can a day, where I as I have major regret if I drink every day – and it’s not because of the morning hangover, it’s because I know it’s not good for me.

I rarely drink pop. I don’t like the fizzing feeling in my mouth or the burning sensation at the back of my throat. I don’t like the effects it has on my teeth. And despite my love for muffins, I don’t like what it does to my waistline.

From participating in The Game, my roommate thinks that she’s lost 5 pounds because her pants are looser. I think her belly has shrunk because she isn’t consuming carbonated drinks anymore and that it has flattened her tum*.

Today’s question is: what effect does soda have on the body?

*My roommate never had a tum – she is, always has been, and always will be string thin.

A: Some of you may have received that e-mail with some scary facts about Coca-Cola. It has a list of things like: Coke can be used as a toilet bowl cleaner, that it will remove corrosion from a car battery or that a hazardous materials sign is required on trucks carrying Coke concentrate. According to http://www.howtocleananything.com most of the cleaning uses for Coke are true, and truckers have confirmed that they do have to put a hazardous materials badge on their trucks. Although in the wacky world of the Internet, there is also a rumour floating around that the U.S. highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident - which is just ridiculous.

In terms of health implications, let's start with the amount of sugar. A can of regular soda generally contains 40 grams of sugar - this is the equivalent of 10 teaspoons. Refined sugar contains no nutritional value and provides an increase in energy levels followed by a crash. Once the soda is consumed, the pancreas produce insulin to balance the amount sugar in the blood. An over production of insulin is linked to the depression of the immune system and may weaken the body's ability to fight disease. Not to mention sugar is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity,

Diet soda is no less detrimental to the body. Granted, it does not contain sugar, but instead is sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Many of these sweeteners have been found to be carcinogenic as well as increase the desire for sugar and junk food.

Soda also contains phosphorus, which is linked to a reduction of calcium and magnesium in the body. This become a worry for women who are vulnerable to low bone density and osteoporosis. Colas are the worst culprits because in addition to phosphorus, they contain caffeine which also depletes the body of calcium. Drinking 12 ounces of caffeine-containing soft drink causes the loss of about 20 mg of calcium, or 2 percent of the recommended consumption. Additionally, the combination of phosphorus and caffeine can contribute to stress, insomnia and severe anxiety in susceptible people.

Sources:
Helium Health and Fitness: The Effects of Soda on your Body
Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health
Truth or Fiction: Coke vs. Water
Yahoo Health: What Soft Drinks Are Doing to your Body