What do we subsitute for water when we feel thirsty? Coca-cola;Pepsi;Thumbs-up;KingCola; and many others. These non-alcoholic drinks are called “SOFT DRINKS”.
But these cannot substitute for water;they will only replace lost fluid from body and give quick energy;because of Caffeine(in some) and SUGAR! It is to be worrying for parents whose children are addicted to soft drinks.It is upto perents to make their children understand drawbacks of such drinks;which give nothing but “EMPTY CALORIES”.
DRAWBACKS-
1)They are high in SUGAR;(almost 7 teaspoonful of sugar in 300 ml bottle)which will
increase your weight.
2)Being high in sugar;TOOTH DECAY is very common.
3)All these drinks have got ACIDIC ph;which can ERODE not only enamel of teeth
but can cause harm to inner lining(endothelium) of STOMACH;(more prone to
ULCERS)
4)You have all side effects of CAFFEINE!(because all cola drinks have Caffeine).With
caffeine children do not sleep at night. This is also habit forming!(see my review
on caffeine).
DIET COLA:PEPSI- These drinks have everything same except SUGAR;so caloric value goes down. The sugar is substituted by ASPARTAME; K-ACESULPHATE;etc.
Aspartame is known to be more sweet than sugar. In low quantity it is harmless;because it is NATURAL AMINO ACID found in food protein! Many theories are put forward about side effect of aspartame; but nothing concrete!These drinks are advisable for weight conscious and DIABETIC patients.
But I do not advise any of these drinks. I advise plain water; coco-nut water; fresh lime-juice(without sugar); butter milk or fruit juices. They give you nourishment without giving extra calories!