How to Decide if you should Stop Drinking Cola

Being health conscious you may have decided to switch from drinking regular cola to diet cola.  Or, you've gone one step further and you're drinking diet decaffeinated cola.  You're patting yourself on the back thinking since your cola is "diet" or "decaf" that you're not putting your health at risk.  Wrong!  This article will look at how drinking "all" colas can have a negative impact on your health.

Things You Will Need

*  Willpower.

*  Self-Love.

Step 1 SWEETENERS - Cola sweeteners include high fructose corn syrup, sugar and stevia.  A 12 oz. can of cola has approximately 143 calories.  Try cutting back on "regular" cola as you don't need all that additional sugar and those empty calories in your diet.
Step 2 ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS - Currently there are (5) sugar substitutes available -- saccharine, aspartame, (NutrasweetTM, EqualTM), sucralose (SplendaTM), neotame (NutrasweetTM) and acesulfame potassium (SunettTM and SweetOneTM) .  Side effects of aspartame:  Increased hungar and cravings; lowered serotonin which causes depression and/or mood swings; the release of insulin in proportions to the sweetness of the food eaten, usually more than needed by the body with overproduction of insulin, fat cells grow faster; increased thirst because aspartame dehydrates the body; impaired sleep.  Studies have shown that aspartame causes cancer.  All artificial sweeteners have a negative impact on the body.  Limit your use of sugar substitutes as much as possible.
Step 3 CAFFEINE - Caffeine is an addictive drug.  It's a stimulant that increases your heart rate; makes it harder for people with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar; has been known to increase hunger; increases your blood pressure; it's a diuretic and causes frequent urination; it can cause stomach irritation;  if you quickly stop drinking caffeinated beverages you'll get a migraine headache from the withdrawal.
Step 4 DENTAL EROSION - Colas are acidic.  Many colas also contain phosphoric acid and/or citric acid which can further increase acidity.  Whether you're drinking regular cola or diet cola, the acid will erode your teeth.  Regular cola causes rampant decay as well as serious teeth erosion.
Step 5 BONE LOSS - Drinking diet, regular or decaffeinated can actually lower bone density and put women at increased risk for osteoporosis.
Step 6 MUSCLE WEAKNESS - Evidence is increasing to suggest that excessive cola consumption can also lead to hypokalemia, in which the blood potassium levels fall, causing an adverse effect on vital muscle functions.
Step 7 KIDNEY DISEASE - Colas containing phosphoric acid have been linked to chronic kidney disease.  Drinking 2+ colas every day more than doubles the incidence of kidney disease (while colas containing citric acid did not have any effect).
Step 8 POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY - Consuming more than 2 quarts of cola per day may induce severe and possibly fatal potassium deficiency.

Colas can be a very addictive beverage.  As the negative effects of drinking cola certainly outweigh the positive, try and find a healthier beverage to switch to.  At the very least, try and cut back on your cola consumption.

Tips & Warnings

*  Drink a cola within a matter of minutes and not hours.  Sipping a cola for an extended amount of time and/or swishing it around in your mouth will hasten tooth decay.

*  Cola will stain your teeth.  Try and drink a cola using a straw so that the liquid doesn't come into direct contact with your teeth.

*  After you're done drinking a cola, rinse your mouth a few times with water.  Removing the acidic beverage from your mouth/teeth after consuming it may help prevent tooth erosion.

*  Medical professionals recommend that you consume no more than (1) cola per week.