I’ve always enjoyed a good can of soda pop.  I remember fondly my high school years when my mother would send me to fill the car with gas and I’d buy a Dr. Pepper and a Snickers candy bar with the change.  Since then I’ve drunk more than 1300 gallons of soda.  Geez, that sounds like a lot.

I thought I was smart by switching to diet sodas back in 1996.  However, recently I read this article about the link between soft drinks and heart disease.  According to researchers, having 1 or more servings of soda a day leads to an increased risk cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  The new part about this research is that it didn’t matter whether you drank regular soda or diet soda.  Both showed similar increases in risk factors.

Consequences of excessive soda drinking

Listen to these stats that they found.

• 31 percent greater chance of developing obesity (BMI > 30)
• 30 percent increased chance of developing a beer gut
• 32 percent greater risk of low HDL levels
• 25 percent increased risk of developing high blood triglycerides

Now, the researchers admit that they can’t really explain how both diet soda and regular soda drinking lead to these findings.  They haven’t actually proven their case.  But it’s probably a good idea to reduce the level of soda you’re drinking (if you drink one or more a day).

And if you don’t want to stop drinking that much, maybe daily joggling can offset some of these negative effects.  That’s what I’m betting on.

Incidentally, my favorite sodas in order of preference.

1.  Diet Vanilla Cherry Dr. Pepper
2.  Diet Vanilla Coke
3.  Diet Dr. Pepper
4.  Diet Coke
5.  Regular Cream Soda

Joggle on.

Filed under: Health, Joggling, Nutrition, Science