The science is in. We need to skip the soda this summer if we want to get healthy and stay healthy.

Researchers have long suspected that dinking extra calories in the form of soda has contributed to the obesity epidemic in both the US and Canada, but it's only recently that large epidemiologic studies have investigated this specific relationship.

Researchers at Yale University reviewed 88 scientific studies (American Journal of Public Health, April 2008) on the effects of soft drink consumption on health and say recommendations to reduce soft drink consumption are "strongly supported by science." They found a clear association of soft drink intake with increased calorie intake and increased body weight.

But weight gain isn't the only problem scientific research is uncovering. Drinking soda may also increase the risk of developing diabetes, bone fractures and dental cavities, according to a scientific review funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

"Among physically active girls, cola beverages, in particular, are highly associated with bone fractures," according to research done by the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. The 2006 Framingham Osteoporosis Study, which involved more than 1,400 women, found that soda intake was associated with significantly lower bone mineral density in the hips of older women.

Artificially sweetened soda will not let you off the hook. Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio reported last year that heavy consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with twice the risk of developing diabetes. They also reported increased weight gain and obesity incidence among frequent users of artificially sweetened beverages.

Logically, anyone truly interested in health will avoid drinking soda no matter what science has to say. Soda does not add anything good to the body-instead it robs us of health.


Sublime Summer Drinks
Homemade herbal iced tea: Brew up a pot of your favourite iced tea and refrigerate. Try rooibos, peppermint, green tea, ginger or one of the many colourful berry teas and mixtures available.
Lemon water: Nothing beats cool lemon water on a warm day for quenching thirst. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into chilled or room temperature filtered water. If you don't do sour very well, mix in a drop or two of stevia liquid. Adding a pinch of sea salt will help remineralize the body and protect you from summer dehydration.
Fresh fruit and vegetable juice: Familiarize yourself with the wonderful benefits of juicing fresh fruit and vegetables.
If purchasing fruit juice, read the ingredients to be sure you choose actual juice with no sugar or preservatives added. Once home, dilute the juice with 50 percent water to reduce the sugar content. If you own a blender you're set for cool,
refreshing fruit smoothies. Add ground flax seed or hemp hearts to your creation(bananas make a good base) for some fibre and essential fatty acids.
Pure water: Yup, pure water is still the best way to keep the body hydrated.


Summer Drinksto Ditch
Enhanced and flavoured waters: Since when does water need enhancing or flavouring? Only since multi-million dollar marketing campaigns started suggesting it does. Of the specialty waters on the market, Glaceau's VitaminWater, which is owned by Coca-Cola Company, is possibly the worst for you. One 20-ounce bottle packs 33 grams of sugar, which is almost as much as a can of Coke. Sugar robs the body of vitamins, so it's highly unlikely the added vitamins will do you any good.
Summer cocktails: Stick to wine or beer if you want an alcoholic refreshment. Summer cocktails are often loaded with sugar. The popular piņa colada, for example, is not healthy despite the chunk of pineapple garnishing the glass. The drink delivers a whopping 75 grams of sugar (and more than 600 calories-about the same as a 12-ounce piece of salmon with a small salad).
Bottled iced teas: Aside from containing a large amount of caffeine, iced tea drinks may be more sugar-laden than pop. One 20-ounce bottle of Lipton iced tea, for example, can contain up to 50 grams of sugar.
Energy drinks: The amount of caffeine in some of the widely marketed energy drinks is potentially dangerous for both short- and long-term health. Short term, the heart rate and blood pressure may increase. Long term, adrenal glands
can become fatigued or exhausted, which will severely and negatively affect overall health while, ironically, causing low energy. Forget about the fancy herbs added to some of these drinks. The caffeine and sugar content is reason enough to ditch them. Just 12 ounces of SoBe No Fear, for example, contains 16 ounces of caffeine and 66 grams of sugar. Yikes!


Sandra Tonn is a registered holistic nutritionist,
freelance writer and yoga teacher living in
Powell River, BC. sandra_tonn@telus.net

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