Are Fizzy Drinks Bad For You?

Published: 05.07.2023

We’ve all heard the tales about how fizzy drinks are bad for our health, but just how true is that statement? Can a fizzy drink a day really increase our body fat percentage? And how are claims that diet drinks are better for us still circulating? Below we delve into the question “are fizzy drinks bad for you” and debunk some myths you might have heard. 

FIZZY DRINKS AND TEETH 

It’s no secret that fizzy drinks contain large amounts of sugar, but did you know just how bad sugar is for our teeth? Sugar can cause dental erosion, which in turn damages our tooth enamel. This is the protective layer on teeth that helps prevent sensitivity and toothache. A recent study from General Dentistry has found that fizzy drinks can be up to 10 times more corrosive than fruit juice. They also found that drinking four cans a day can lead to an increased risk of tooth erosion by 252%.   

Are diet drinks a solution to this? Apparently not! In the same study, it was concluded that diet drinks can also rot your teeth due to their special concoction of ingredients and sweeteners. 

IS OUR SKIN AFFECTED BY FIZZY DRINKS?

In short, yes. Increased sugar consumption can make you look older faster due to the damage it can cause to our skin cells. Cutting down on sugar and boosting your intake of antioxidants can help improve your skin regeneration and cell health.

HEART HEALTH 

When it comes to heart health, fizzy drinks, and especially their sugar content, can build up fats in our arteries. Down the line, this can cause heart problems and an increased risk of strokes. This also links with obesity in that increased sugar consumption can lead to excess belly fat, which was linked to type 2 diabetes back in a 2013 French study. The study also found the same link between diet fizzy drinks and heart health, making the debate around diet fizzy drinks even more complicated.

FIZZY DRINK ADDICTION

Did you know that you can become addicted to fizzy drinks? When we consume excessive amounts of sugar, the body experiences a drop after the initial sugar rush. On top of this, the amount of sugar in fizzy drinks is used up quickly by the body which explains the cravings for more. The rush we get from fizzy drinks releases a chemical called dopamine which makes us feel good. Once we feel this initial rush, we want to experience it more and more, therefore we drink more and more fizzy drinks, which leads to addictive behaviour.