The Truth about Carbonated Drinks: Are They Bad for Your Child’s Teeth?
Carbonated soft drinks have become an inevitable part of our lives. Many people are aware of the health risks associated with these drinks but most of the time they just ignore the warning signs and keep on quenching their thirst with the popular sodium carbonate or ‘soda’. The truth about carbonated drinks is that they rob us of calcium and make our bones weak. Not to mention our teeth suffer severely as a consequence of calcium loss. Another alarming fact is that these beverages have become a favorite drink of kids these days and the parents tend to turn a deaf ear to the dangers publicized about these drinks.
The soda may not show its effects in the short run but in the long run it really causes our teeth to become weak. As a result we become vulnerable to tooth decay and many other oral complications. Formation of cavities is also common among children and teenagers and it can be mainly contributed to their poor eating habits. Our kids are used to drinking soft drinks instead of plain water or milk and as a result they don’t consume adequate calcium through their everyday diet. Calcium deficiency means bone trouble and teeth trouble in the long run and it should be controlled right from the beginning.
Some people argue that diet soda or sugar-free carbonated drinks are not harmful for oral health but the truth is: all carbonated drinks contain carbonic acid, citric acid or phosphoric acid, all of which can have negative health effects. The drinks, apart from weakening our teeth and bones, can also cause serious diseases like diabetes and even cancer. Nowadays even kids younger than 4 years of age consume soft drinks. Although much of the hype created by forwarded emails about the dangers of soft drinks might be untrue, but it still is alarming that a drink that can cause your stomach to react abnormally can be anything but safe.
You must have heard that all diseases have their origins in the stomach. If your stomach is healthy, you are healthy. If you have not taken any steps yet to throw these soft drinks out of your life, then start acting now. Give your children plain water, fresh fruit juices, and milk to drink on a regular basis. Even if you are convinced that acids in these drinks are not harmful for the stomach or your overall health, you might be aware that excess sugars are not only dangerous for the heart but also for our teeth. And it is a known fact that these beverages contain high amounts of sugar.
Water is an excellent alternative to soft drinks or soda. It not only serves to rinse our mouth and removes dietary residue from the surface of our teeth, but also suppresses our appetite and controls problems related to the heart. The next time you are offered a soft drink, keep in mind that it will not only reduce the amount of calcium in your blood but also cause your body to lose water.
Children are more vulnerable to all these dangers, so keep them away from these unhealthy beverages. Start living healthy, say good bye to all carbonated soft drinks.
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