I knew soft drinks were bad but not just exactly how bad. :eek:

Here is what I found while trying to find arguments to tell my sister to stop freely pouring coke and pepsi out to her children.So, before you reach out for that can of carbonated drink, here are a few facts about them:

Each 12-ounce serving has 150 calories or 10 teaspoons of sugar, all of which are empty calories, they are no use to the body. But they do make you fat, very fat.


You could get liver cirrhosis because of these drinks.

Since these drinks have high acidity, they could erode your gastric lining over time, which leads to pain and indigestion. The phosphorus in these drinks harms the stomach too.

These drinks eat up a major amount of oxygen in the body and may cause or help cancer.

They eat into the bones and make them weak, making you prone to fractures and osteoporosis.

The caffeine content in these drinks can lead to insominia and psychological disorders.

These drinks ruin your teeth.

The advertisers make these drinks look so good, but they are actually very bad for the human body. :mad:

Try coffee, tea or fresh fruit juices instead......:)

You make an excellent point Bubbles - and that's coming form a certified lover of soda drinks.

There was a time that I was drinking two or three 24oz bottles of coca cola a day! Since I've cut soda almost completely not only did I notice an improvement in some of my stomach problems, but I lost a bunch of weight too.

The stuff tastes good but it certainly is not good for you - my grandfather uses it to take rust off metal :eek:

I honestly haven't paid much attention to whether Italians drink carbonated soda... does anyone know if it's popular in Italy?

Teresa

Italians do love carbonation - but it is usually carbonated water. Growing up, an "italian soda" was a mixture of carbonated water and a shot or two of some Torani syrup - strawberry was always my favorite. But to be honest I don't recall seeing anyone drinking these in Italy. However one look at the cold beverages at an Italian cafe or bar and you will see plenty of bottled Italian sodas- many made by San Pelligrino and flavored with citrus fruits (or bitter like an alcohol free Cynar).

The young Italians probably drink more "coke" than previous generations since fast food is more prevalent. Everytime I've been to that huge McDonalds in Rome it is packed with young Italians and I recall seeing alot of soda being drunk.

OH yeah, the carbonated water. Aqua con gas. I've tried it, and I know it's just water and I can't understand why I don't like it.

And I forgot about the bottles of soda at the bars. They're smaller, and somehow they seem less awful than coke or pepsi. In fact, in Siena I had an orange one and it was pretty good.

As for the McDonald's... don't even get me started on McDonald's. :eek:

Teresa

Yes, Justin, soda drinks are popular, which is why I mentioned their ill effects.

Instead of carbonated drinks, a healthy yet refreshing alternative is drinking fruit juices. I tried a “fruit flush” for the past few days, and don't remember feeling this good before. It has really cleared up my skin, and I don't feel so lethargic anymore. :)

The idea is simple, drink freshly-squeezed juice of one sort of organically grown fruit like honey dew or watermelon. The fruit should not be citrus. Drink lots and lots of water at the same time. The digestive system gets a break, and the body's natural system of waste or toxins disposal flushes out any stored toxins absorbed in the course of our urban lifestyle from fast food, sodas, dairy products, fats, meat, or pesticides. Just drink the fruit juice of your choice whenever you feel hungry, and try not to mentally or physically exert yourself too much.

The only people who can't do a fruit detox are those who have diabetes or heart problems, or those who have had or are going to undergo surgeries, as well as pregnant women. Detox regimens from one to three days, but any longer than that and you need to be medically supervised.

If you feel going on a detox routine is just too much, try and replace a portion of the carbonated drinks you consume with freshly squeezed juices, because your health would really, really thank you for it. :)

Italians drink PROSECCO.........