Ten Reasons to Quit Drinking Soda Pop

Americans drink more soda now than ever before. In the last 25 years, soda pop consumption in the United States has doubled. Americans drink, on average, 1.6 cans of soda pop daily or 597 cans of soda pop a year! Additionally, 7 percent of Americans' calories come from soda pop. This makes soda pop the largest single source of calories in the US diet, according to one website.

Do you drink too much soda pop? Is it time for you to cut back, or even eliminate consumption of soda? Here are ten reasons to quit drinking soda pop.

#1 Reason to Quit Drinking Soda Pop: Dehydration

Drinking soda with caffeine and sugar causes your body to become dehydrated. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes an increase in urine volume. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you will actually become thirstier.

#2 Reason to Quit Drinking Soda Pop: High Calorie

Regular soda pop is high in calories. A can of Coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is 100% of the daily recommended value for adults. An 8 ounce can of soda has around 100-200 calories. Not only are the calories from soda pop empty of any nutritional value, they also deplete your body of vital minerals.

#3 Reason to Quit Drinking Soda Pop: Caffeine Addiction

Caffeine addiction and withdrawal has been recognized as a medical disorder. A study at Johns Hopkins University revealed a few interesting facts about caffeine. "Caffeine is the world's most commonly used stimulant, and it's cheap and readily available so people can maintain their use of caffeine quite easily," says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins. "The latest research demonstrates, however, that when people don't get their usual dose they can suffer a range of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating. They may even feel like they have the flu with nausea and muscle pain."

#4 Reason to Quit Drinking Soda Pop: Acid