Americans drink more carbonated soft drinks than any other nation in the world! That’s 56 gallons per person per year. In addition, according to statistics kept by the Beverage Marketing Corporation, more sodas, by category, are consumed than even coffee, tea, milk, bottled water, fruit juices, beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages.
One may say, “So what? Soft drinks taste good and are refreshing, and besides, now they have sugar-free sodas.” Well, the fact is soft drinks, sugar-free or not, corrode tooth enamel leading to cavities, and weaken bones through calcium depletion, contributing to osteoporosis (not to mention a whole host of other disorders, including kidney and nerve damage, obesity and diabetes: Not only is the sugar overload harmful, but, especially, the phosphoric acid contained in all carbonated soft drinks.
Phosphoric acid is what gives sodas that “cola-zap,” tang we all seem to go for. Soda manufacturers use phosphoric acid because it is inexpensive, providing a flavor similar to the natural ingredients of ginger, lemon, or lime. It is also added to soft drinks to prevent or slow the formation of bacteria and mold. What soda manufacturers won’t tell you is that the level of acidity due to the phosphoric acid in your sodas approximates that of battery acid! This is according to a report in the April 2007 edition of “General Dentistry”. Phosphoric acid is also widely used in detergents and industrial-type cleansers and to remove rust from metals.
Our body’s mechanism to combat or neutralize an excess of acid in our systems is to withdraw calcium from our bones. In time, this calcium withdrawal and excretion results in depletion and deterioration of our skeletal system. People suffering from osteoporosis are known to lose height, that is, they get shorter!
Soft drinks/phosphoric acid is corrosive to teeth and bones.
