But why, one may ask?

The answer is very simple. It's very tasty and it's everywhere. In addition to that, sodas are very popular and heavily consumed in part because companies promote them vigorously. The brainwashing marketing is doing an excellent job engraving in people's minds reasons why they need to drink soda. It's cheap, it's cool, it becomes a habit and not to mention becoming addicted to the caffeine contained in these drinks.

However, do you know how much these carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, and artificially sweetened beverages harm your body? Giving up sodas can be one of the best things you can do to improve your health.

But again, why, one may ask?

First of all, they're useless. Other than satisfying your taste buds, they provide absolutely no nutrition to your body. Even if some of them claim that they contain minerals or vitamins, they're just synthetic replicas, or in other words, chemicals or inorganic substances.

And how about obesity? Even though the soda industry successfully battles this issue by showing, what it appears to be influenced studies that there is no solid, scientific evidence demonstrating this, the reality is ever real. Obesity is on a constant rise.

The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers have even calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.

And, let's not forget the risk for diabetes, tooth decay, weakened bones, liver and kidney damage, increased blood pressure, heartburn, dehydration, impaired digestive system, and even cancer. The internet is full with reports of these and even more health problems that these soft drinks could give you. It's a poison in a can.

Moreover, adolescents and kids who grow up drinking these beverages don't think long-term. And what happens when these soft-drinking people become young or middle-aged adults and they have osteoporosis, sedentary living and obesity?

By that time, switching to water, milk or fruit juice may be too little, too late.

Research from a British university suggests a common preservative E211, known as sodium benzoate, found in these drinks has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA, or in other words damage the cells in our bodies. Sodium benzoate occurs in small amounts naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks.

Consequently, completely eliminating sodas from your drinking habits can be one of the best things you can do. By drinking soda, you cut the intake of fresh juices, milk, and even water and deprive yourself from essential vitamins and minerals.

Copyright (c) 2008 Steve Dimeck