The Indian Soft Drinks industry is a booming industry with market turnover of about 8500 million bottles a year with the two giants Pepsi and Coca-Cola having a major share However, following the controversy over finding the presence of pesticides in the carbonated drinks, which includes - DDT and other such chemicals which are responsible for adverse effect on health,the sale of Coca-Cola and Pepsi drinks suffered a heavy setback.T
The Indian government had ordered in investigation into why an analysis of 12 brands of cold drinks owned and marketed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi allegedly found that they contained on average more than 30 times the EU legal limit for pesticides.Apart from this controversy over the pesticides or no pesticides, the carbonated drinks harbour many other objectionable ingredients.
It is a known fact that the Soda pop is not good for health but perhaps one may not be aware of the extent to which drinking carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, or artificially sweetened beverages destroys our body. Some of the objectionable ingredients in most Carbonated drinks /Soda pops include -
Caffeine, Phosphoric acid, Sugar or high fructose corn syrup, Aspartame. Each of the ingredients have their own merits and demerits.
1.Caffeine : It is a stimulant and does improve mental alertness when taken in small quantity ,however Caffeine overdose can cause anxiety and decreased sleep .
2.Phosphoric Acid : It is used as a flavoring agent.It is widely used in carbonated drinks, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The phosphoric acid content of Coca-Cola has been determined to be about 106.0 mg/L and in Pepsi about 106.9 mg/L. The addition of phosphoric acid lowers the pH of carbonated drinks making them more acidic. This is a potential problem in dental care, since it has been shown that acidic solutions weaken the enamel and mineral structure of teeth. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them a sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria, which would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution. It has been said that the fastest growing group of people with osteoporosis is teenagers....because of the huge number of sodas/Carbonated drinks they consume. Here are some observations Product ---------pH
Pure Water ------7.00 (neutral)
Diet Coke---------3.39
MountainDew---- 3.22
Coke -------------2.63
Pepsi ------------ 2.49
Sprite ----------- 3.42
(pH required for enamel dissolution is 5.5.)
3.Sugar: A 12 oz..can of Coca-Cola or Pepsi has over 10 teaspoons(30 gms.) of sugar. The ingestion of sugar (or a high simple carbohydrate diet) actually increases urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, chromium, copper, zinc, and sodium by impairing re absorption in the kidneys. The loss of calcium in the blood activates the release of calcium from the bones.Sugar impairs immune function by competing with Vitamin C for transport into white blood cells.The body will convert excess sugar to fat which will lead to obesity
4.Aspartame:Aspartame is a non-caloric artificial sweetener used in many diet drinks and foods. Although this artificial sweetener has been widely used for many years, some allegations still fuel a debate on possible side effects Apart from these, the soft drinks like Pepsi and Cola have no nutritional value but gives 150 Cals. Considering the adverse effects of these soft drinks on the teenagers the Union Health Minister of India has now decided to take a strong step. A proposal is being put forward to ban the sale and consumption of these soft drinks in Schools,Colleges and University campus.This is indeed a welcome step needed to check the obese and unhealthy generation Labels: Health hazards |
