The Hidden Impact of Soft Drinks on Health and Diet

Soft drinks, also known as sodas, are popular beverages made from carbonated water, added sugars, and various flavors. They are a staple in the global beverage market, with carbonated soft drinks alone accounting for about 50% of the soft drink market. This category includes colas, sparkling fruit drinks, tonics, ginger ales, shandy, and carbonated teas, each offering a unique taste and experience to consumers.

Historically, soft drinks originated from two main sources. The first source was fruit-flavored sparkling waters, which became popular due to their association with the great European spas known for their supposed health benefits. The second source was non-alcoholic versions of domestically brewed herb beers, which were crafted to provide a similar refreshing experience without the alcohol content.

Regulatory definitions of soft drinks encompass a wide range of beverages, including fruit drinks, fruit juice squashes, crushes, and cordials. However, they exclude pure fruit juices and nectars. Soft drinks are essentially nonalcoholic beverages made by absorbing carbon dioxide. While purified water and carbon dioxide are common ingredients, the specific flavor compositions are closely guarded secrets among manufacturers, ensuring each brand's unique taste profile.

Soft drinks are typically sweetened, water-based beverages with a balance of acidity. Acids, such as phosphoric acid, are added to enhance the flavor and provide an extra bite. A standard 12-ounce can of soda contains about 1.5 ounces of sugar and approximately 160 calories, yet offers little nutritional value. This high-calorie content poses dietary concerns, especially considering that a typical sedentary woman requires only about 1200 to 1600 total calories per day to maintain optimal weight and good health. Consuming two or three soft drinks daily can significantly reduce her food calorie allotment, impacting her overall nutrient intake.

When the calories from soft drinks are added to those from food, the excess calories are stored as fat, contributing to weight gain and associated health issues. Despite their widespread popularity, it's important to consume soft drinks in moderation and be mindful of their potential impact on daily caloric and nutritional balance.
The Hidden Impact of Soft Drinks on Health and Diet

The Impact of Caffeine in Soft Drinks

In the realm of beverages, caffeine plays a pervasive role, especially within the domain of carbonated drinks. Found commonly in soft drinks, caffeine is often underestimated for its potential effects, particularly on children. Soft drinks, whether traditional colas or newer non-cola varieties, frequently incorporate caffeine as a key ingredient.

Notably, children derive a substantial portion of their caffeine intake from soft drinks. In America, these beverages stand out as the primary source of caffeine for many young individuals. Caffeine, categorized as a stimulant drug affecting the central nervous system, is a defining component of this ubiquitous beverage category.

Caffeine's contribution to total caffeine consumption cannot be ignored. Soft drinks significantly augment caffeine intake, raising concerns about potential health impacts. Excessive caffeine consumption can lead to a range of health issues such as insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, and irregular heart rates. Moreover, caffeine is an addictive substance, prompting increased consumption over time.

An often-overlooked issue pertains to the relationship between caffeine and calcium excretion. High caffeine intake, facilitated by soft drinks, enhances calcium excretion in urine, potentially increasing the risk of osteoporosis, particularly among heavy caffeine consumers.

Furthermore, studies indicate a potential link between caffeine and birth defects. Evidence suggests that daily caffeine levels exceeding 500 mg may delay conception and pose risks during pregnancy.

Despite the prevalence of caffeine in soft drinks, consumers often lack awareness regarding the actual caffeine content. Most soft drinks contain approximately 30 mg to 50 mg of caffeine per ounce, significantly lower than coffee but still impactful over time.
The Impact of Caffeine in Soft Drinks

Artificial flavoring in soft drinks

Nice flavor and aspect are necessary to make a food attractive and eating a pleasure. Flavors are volatile organic chemicals. Most have simple, well-characterized structures with a single functional group (i.e., a chemically reactive subunit) and a low molecular weight. Flavors can be categorized as artificial flavors, spices, and natural flavors.

The flavoring ingredients used in making soft drinks must be water soluble allowing them to completely disperse throughout the drink with no separation. Soft drink flavorings are specifically formulated to be used in soft drinks. The flavors for soft drinks include gingerale, sarsaparilla, root beer, birch beer, chocolate, cream, colas, cherry, wild cherry, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, orange, pineapple, grape, loganberry, apple, pear, peach, and others less widely distributed.

Artificial flavors are made of ingredients that appear chemically identical to naturally-occurring flavors, and can be combined with non-flavoring ingredients like emulsifiers, preservatives, and solvents. The FDA defines artificial flavor as “...any substance, the function of which is to impart flavor, which is not derived from” a plant or animal.

Example of artificial flavoring
There are two types of artificial vanilla flavorings, which always contain vanillin that is synthesized from cheap raw material such as guaiacol, eugenol or lignin, a natural polymer found in wood; and/or ethyl vanillin is added, which is another artificially produced vanilla compound that has three times the flavor strength of vanillin.

Artificial flavors make excellent tasting products and they are readily available, stable, safe for use in food, consistent in composition and cost effective.

Artificial flavoring in soft drinks

Osteoporosis due to soft drink

The most popular beverages among young people in the United States are carbonated beverages also known as sodas or soft drinks.

The important thing to remember is that over consumption of soft drinks should be avoided because of their numerous harmful effects such as as: obesity, osteoporosis, nutritional deficiencies, and tooth decay. It is important to be aware of the harmful effects of such deleterious beverages.

Bone mass peaks in the early 30s. After this age most people lose approximately one percent of bone mass a year. As more and more bone is lost, the bone becomes weaker and more brittle, a condition known as osteoporosis.

A very serious effect of soft drinks on people’s health is the correlation between soft drink consumption and the increased risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. People who drink instead of milk or other dairy products likely will have lower calcium intakes. Low calcium intake contributes to osteoporosis, a disease leading to fragile and broken bones.

The large amounts of sugar, bubbles caused by carbon dioxide, and phosphoric acid that are found in soft drinks remove nutritious minerals from bones allowing the bones to become weak and increasing the risk for them to break.

This is done by the phosphoric acid disrupting the calcium-phosphorous ratio, which dissolves calcium from the bones. This can cause calcium loss in bones. The phosphorus acid then pulls the calcium from their storage warehouse – that is, their teeth and bones. The result is osteoporosis – that is, loss of density of bones, back and disc trouble, pyorrhea and of course, decayed teeth.

All soft drinks are made with a solution of phosphoric acid. This is in part what gives them their kick.

Many people consume soft drinks instead of necessary beverages like milk, so their bodies are not receiving enough nutrients, especially calcium. By lowering bone mineral density it may be increasing osteoporosis risk.

This deficiency in calcium intake and increased consumption of soft drinks is a greater problem for women than for men. On average, women reported drinking five carbonated drinks a week, four of them colas. Calcium intake was lower for women who drank the most cola.

The discrepancy between genders is because men traditionally eat more and consume more milk than their female counterparts, so soft drinks do not have as profound of an effect on men.
Osteoporosis due to soft drink

Caffeine in soft drinks

Caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world. Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is found in more than 60 species of plants and is the best known member of the methylxanthine class of alkaloids.

Most carbonated beverages contain caffeine, which is considered to be a mild drug and can have harmful effects, especially on children.

Soft drinks today – both ‘colas’ and many noncolas – have caffeine added to them as part of the recipe. Coca-Cola was at one time made from syrup that contained extract from cola nuts (a natural caffeine source).

The children’s major source of caffeine was soft drinks. Soft drinks are the most consumed caffeine-containing beverage in America. Caffeine is a drug that acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system.

In the late 1800s, entrepreneurs began selling flavored carbonated beverages with added caffeine. Original claims for promoting use of these products appealed directly to the stimulant pharmacology of caffeine.

The contribution of soft drinks to total caffeine consumption is significant.  According to the study (Gilbert 1984) the United States per capita consumption of all soft drinks increased by 231% between 1960 and 1980, with the major part of this increase attributed to caffeinated sodas.

Leading caffeine-containing soft drinks accounted for 85% of the soda market in the early 1980s.

Large amounts of caffeine consumption can cause diseases and disorders such as insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, and deviations from the normal heart rate.

In 1994, there was a study published that children ages eight to twelve warning that , although caffeine may improve children’s attention to detail and their manual dexterity, it also increase their anxiety.

Caffeine is an addictive substance, which causes consumers to need more caffeine. A major concern about caffeine is that it increases the excretion of calcium in urine, which increases the risk for osteoporosis in heavy caffeine consumers.

Some preliminary studies show that caffeine increases the risk of birth defects. Evidence suggest that a level over 500 mg a day, caffeine may delay conception.

The amount of caffeine in soft drinks varies and it usually isn’t listed on the beverage container. In general, most have 30 mg to 50 mg per ounce serving – half that of an 8 ounce cup of coffee.

In the United States, coffee and soft drinks are the major dietary sources of caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration limits the amount of caffeine that can be added to soft drinks to 0.2 mg per mL or 71 mg for a 12-oz serving.
Caffeine in soft drinks

Can soft drinks cause osteoporosis?

Bone mass peaks in the early 30s. After this age most people lose approximately one percent of bone mass a year. As more and more bone is lost, the bone becomes weaker and more brittle, a condition known as osteoporosis.

The large amounts of sugar, bubbles caused by carbon dioxide, and phosphoric acid that are found in soft drinks remove nutritious minerals from bones allowing the bones to become weak and increasing the risk for them to break.

Soft drinks induce acidosis and osteoporosis may result to loss of calcium from the bone (part of the buffering system of the body, which maintains the acid-base balance of the body critical for life).

When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out from their storage warehouse – that is, their teeth and bones.

The result is osteoporosis – that is, loss of density of bones, back and disc trouble, pyorrhea and of course, decayed teeth.

Osteoporosis is been disease characterized by a reduction of bone mass and deterioration of the micro-architecture on the bone leading to bone fragility. Health impact of osteoporosis is increased risk of fractures.

Osteoporosis usually starts with collapse of the upper and lower plates of the vertebrae and protrusion into the vertebral bodies. This deficiency in calcium intake and increased consumption of soft drinks is a greater problem for women than for men.

On average, women reported drinking five carbonated drinks a week, four of them colas. Calcium intake was lower for women who drank the most cola.

Refined sugar intake also increases the loss of calcium from the bone. Regular consumption of refined sugar increases loss of calcium from the blood through the urine.

Calcium is then pulled from the bones to maintain blood calcium levels, as foods containing refined sugar generally do not contain calcium.
Can soft drinks cause osteoporosis?

Application acesulfame K in beverages

Acesulfame k can be used as a sweetening agent on a wide range of products for instance in low calorie products, diabetic foods, sugarless products, oral hygiene preparations, pharmaceuticals, and animal feeds. Low-caloric and calories-reduced beverages are a highly important field of applications for acesulfame K.

Acesulfame is suitable for low calories and diet beverages because of its good stability in aqueous solution even at low pH typical of diet soft drinks.

As with all intense sweeteners, sweetness potency of acesulfame K relative to sucrose decreases with increasing concentration and varies with the medium in which the sweetener is being tested and the method used for quantifying sweetness.

The taste profile of acesulfame K is generally considered to be superior to saccharin.

It has a rapid onset time but the sweetness quality is marred by a bitter astringent aftertaste that is particularly noticeable at higher concentrations.

The taste quality of blends with acesulfame K with other sweetness is superior to single sweeteners even at the fairly high sweetens level of these beverages.

When acesulfame K is blended with other sweeteners for beverage use, it may be reasonable to deviate from blend rations which provide the highest synergistic sweetness enhancement.

Especially in blends of acesulfame K and aspartame variation of blend rations allows modifications of the time-intensity profile of sweetness and adaptation to flavour profiles.

High levels of synergisms (30% and above) occur with aspartame and to a lesser extent with cyclamate, glucose, fructose and sucrose.

Acesulfame K containing beverages can be pasteurized under normal pasteurization conditions without loss of sweetness.

Pasteurization for longer periods at lower temperature is possible, as is short-term pasteurization for a few seconds at high temperature.
Application acesulfame K in beverages