soda

Just ONE soda can do this to your body

It's 2017, and no one's under any illusions anymore.

Soda's bad, right?

We all know that, yet I bet you've had a soda at some point recently.

Don't be too hard on yourself over it -- soda's a multi-billion-dollar industry, so you're hardly alone.

The reason it remains popular is simple: While we all KNOW soda is bad, most people think an occasional pop might not be too bad. If you're one of them, you might order one, for example, just when you're eating out.

But new research shows how that's exactly when you SHOULDN'T have one!

While there's no GOOD time to drink soda, the foods they're often served with tend to be high in fat and high in protein.

Y'know... fast food. Big Mac and a Coke, right?

Eating any form of high-fat fast food with water would be bad enough, but the study finds that if you suck back a soda while you eat that junk, you're not just getting extra calories from sugar.

This combo also slows the body's fat oxidation by 8 percent.

That's just what it sounds like: How you break down fat. When that process slows, you store more of that unsightly blubber, especially around your middle.

In other words, there's more than a little truth to the old saying, "A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!"

That's not the only damage, either.

In the study, volunteers were given meals with either a sugary drink or a sugar-free one while in a sealed chamber to measure their metabolism. Those tests revealed that the body fails to burn about a third of the calories that come from the drink itself.

And to complete the ugly picture, the body uses less energy overall when digesting a meal with a sugary drink.

Again, that's everything you DON'T want. It means you'll store more energy -- in other words, your body will create more fat -- instead of working off the meal and soft drink.

Don't be tempted into thinking that diet soda is the healthier choice, simply because its immediate effects aren't as bad.

Diet soda is, in many ways, just as unhealthy as regular soda. In some ways, it might even be worse.

Instead of losing weight, diet soda drinkers can often gain it -- and studies show some may have a higher risk of diabetes to boot. One study earlier this year even found that diet soda can triple the risk of one form of stroke and boost the odds of dementia.

Drink water instead. Try infusing fruit or using herbal teas for flavor... or club soda if you need some fizz.

You're still drinking too much soda

The word is out: Soda is bad.

We've always known that, but now we're actually doing something about it.

As a result, sales are falling flat. Soda consumption has dropped to its lowest level in 30 YEARS!

But don't pat yourself on the back just yet -- because odds are, you're still drinking way too much of this sludge.

The average American now consumes 14 ounces of soda per day. That's way less than we've had before, but new research shows how that's still more than enough to increase your risk of disease.

And if you drink that much yourself -- or ANY soda per day at all, really -- you could find yourself trading soda sips for insulin shots soon enough.

Because the new study finds that even a single can of soda per day can lead to prediabetes.

A can is just 12 ounces. That's LESS than the actual per capita consumption right now.

And if you drink that amount yourself... if you crack open a cold can of cola with lunch each day and tell yourself it's OK... your risk of prediabetes jumps by 46 percent.

Prediabetes is so close to diabetes that you can almost taste it, the way you can almost taste the soda as you bring that can to your lips.

That taste, of course, comes from sugar -- and lots of it. A single 12-ounce soda can contain 10 or 11 teaspoons of sugar, causing a sudden and severe spike in your blood glucose.

Your body pumps out insulin to bring it under control; but when it's asked to do that nearly every day, it starts to wear out.

That insulin is no longer as effective, and you become insulin resistant.

That puts you on the path to prediabetes... followed by real diabetes... and, eventually, heart disease and an early death.

Obviously, the only "safe" amount of soda is none at all. Even diet soda is terrible for your health, as the chemical sweeteners used in place of sugar can cause other kinds of damage inside your body.

Some studies even show that switching to diet can actually cause you to gain weight and increase your risk of diabetes by almost 60 percent.

And nearly all sodas -- both diet and regular -- contain a wide range of dangerous chemicals, including a coloring agent linked to cancer.

Better options include plain ol' water, which you can infuse with fruit or mint to add flavor or carbonate to add some fizz.

Even better, tea -- hot or iced -- can help keep you hydrated and refreshed, while packing health benefits instead of risks.