For the purpose of this editorial, I will discuss carbonated beverages - a.k.a.’soda’ - only. This is simply to avoid confusion, as I know that all sorts of other beverages fall into the’soft drink’ category(even Kool-Aid - gross!)
In my opinion, sodas are a nightmare for your body.
Sugar.
Caffeine.
Additives that only members of the space program can pronounce.
Artificial coloring - Mt. Dew contains Yellow No. 5, for example.
What’s so great about pumping all of this junk into your body? It doesn’t taste good after you’ve been exercising - in fact, it makes you thirstier! Most soft drinks leave nasty aftertastes, and the high sugar content cannot possibly be good for teeth or internal organs.
Most people will not drink soda and water: If they are like I am, they will chug the Mt. Dew and not have any desire(or room, they argue!) for the H2O that every single human being needs.
So, all in all, I don’t think soft drinks are good for us save to pacify our taste buds.
Even so, I drink plenty of Mt. Dew and Dr. Pepper - because I like the way they taste. However, I am also into skating(you know, strap in-line skates onto your feet and do insane tricks off of curbs and mailboxes?). This means that my body requires something more thirst-quenching than soda. So, I also drink plenty of water and sports drinks - to help replace the water, salt, and electrolytes that are sweated out during my exercise periods.
Overall, I recommend that you balance out your fluid intake so as to avoid damaging your body or depriving it of the nutrients it simply must have to survive. Don’t ignore your body’s cravings and I think you will find that a soda every now and then(especially for those of us who are not of legal age to enjoy beer with our pizza) is just fine.