Would you ever consider eating 19 sugar cubes? Most likely not, but that is what you would consume in your average 20 ounce bottle of soda. The sad reality that is some people just don’t know how bad the sugary stuff is for them, and that’s a fact that is hard to swallow. What I find even sadder is that children are given soda and other soft drinks at such an early age that permanent teeth may erupt with signs of tooth decay.  Childhood obesity is also on the rise due to highly processed diets full of sugar and unhealthy fats. As parents we should do all we can to ensure our children develop healthy eating habits and provide them with the knowledge they need to make good choices as they grow. Unfortunately, we as adults also make poor food choices, and some times we are very well aware that what we eat is not good for us. You only have one body so take those steps to improve your health and well being.
According to an article in Men’s Health, a study done by  the European Journal of Nutrition  concluded that drinking soda may contribute to raising your risk of developing liver cancer. The research found that people who drank six or more soft drinks a week were 83 percent more likely to develop liver cancer than non soda drinkers. They propose that the liver may quickly absorb the sugars in the soda and convert them to fat. The fat then, in turn, would build up in the liver and cause inflammation.
Do not think you are safe with drinking diet soda instead…for each one you consume you may up your cancer risk by 6 percent. Studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners in soda can actually make you crave the sweet stuff even more and contribute to packing on the pounds. So go with good ol’ H20 instead, with a twist of lemon or lime for flavor. If you can’t handle being unfizzy try a zero calorie seltzer water when you need a little bubbly!