Dangers of soft drinks

Added: (Wed Apr 23 2008)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Year after year, the popularity of soft drinks has increased due to their sweet taste and the pervasive & aggressive advertising campaign run by many beverage companies. Recent studies show that soft drinks are one of the largest single sources of calories in the diet of every American that accounted up to 7 percent. This number is even higher among the teenagers which accounts for nearly 13 percent of the total calories consumed. In spite of decrease in the consumption of soft drinks in recent times the amount of soda consumed every year by the average American is amazing – more than 50 gallons per person.

Normally, soft drinks contains huge amount of acids and sugar that have been added to give a characteristic taste to the drinks. Regrettably, both these components create significant risks to the oral and dental health of a person. Everyone knows that sugar is the main culprit in the growth of cavities that encourages bacteria. However, with soft drinks, sugar associated cavities are just the part of the story. Due to their fluid nature, swallowing soft drinks is equivalent to the bathing teeth in a concoction of sugar and acids. Over the time, even the moderately mild acids present in the soft drinks can weaken tooth enamel and make teeth more liable to damage and decay. Most dentists have tried to warn people on this serious issue, but to very little effect.

Another tortuous effect of consuming soda is the reduced consumption of healthier beverage alternatives such as milk. In the 70's, both girls and boys used to consume more milk than soft drinks. Almost 50 percent more milk than soft drinks was consumed by the girls and double that amount by the boys. However, by 1990, milk consumption decreased within both the sexes – they now consume twice the amount soft drinks compared to milk. This reduced milk consumption has led to shortage in the intake of essential minerals and vitamins, such as calcium. Calcium is an important mineral in helping to maintain strong bones and teeth. Without adequate consumption of calcium, the human body cannot correctly maintain the strength of teeth.

Lowering or eliminating completely the consumption of soft drinks is one of the best solutions to better dental and overall health. However, soda is so common in many people's diet, particularly teenagers, that it is difficult to eliminate the product or even reduce the consumption. Thus, if a person is very concerned about the harmful effects of soft drinks on the health then they should consider making extra effort in maintaining good oral hygiene. First, just try to have a look at your flossing and brushing habits. Next is to reduce the consumption of soft drinks or look for sugar-free alternatives. This is very important if you are to neutralise the harmful effects of soft drinks on your teeth.

Get professional tooth whitening and other dental care work in a warm, relaxing atmosphere with d-spa (http://www.d-spa.com.au).