You’ve heard me rant about artificial sweeteners in soft drinks, as being almost WORSE, in my opinion, than the standard refined sugar in most sodas.
Ever wonder why they call these, what I call “dessert drinks,” ….”SOFT drinks?”
If you ever look at the pH scale, we have acids on one end of the spectrum, and bases on the other.
“Soft” pH on one end, “Hard” on the other.
You may’ve heard of “hard” water from the local public water supply.
Hard water is heavy with excess mineral content that leads to a “harder,” more alkaline, water on the pH scale.
Soft drinks contain a lot of phosphoric acid, using Coke as a common example. The phosphoric acid gives it that sorta “sharp” taste that many people enjoy.
Then we come to the use of carbonation in soft drinks, which is what gives the pop the “fizz” we all know.
The carbonation used in soft drinks creates carbonic acid. This is a key player in the body’s acid-alkaline balance, which is a very narrow range that the body must maintain for optimal health. The concern is that ingesting it *may* form excess carbonic acid in the blood stream, amounting to a form of metabolic acidosis. Some theories suggest that acidosis is so rampant now in western society due to our diet, that most people suffer the on-going consequences of acidosis manifesting in so many different symptoms that it could be one of the most substantial health challenges we face.
Opponents will claim that the saliva and digestive process will help balance the body’s pH, as the natural base elements of the body come into play to maintain homeostasis.
The body will need magnesium, calcium, potassium and other minerals to help achieve this balance. If there is enough calcium, for example, in the diet, the body should be able to utilize that calcium to raise the acidity back up into a more neutral-alkalize state.
If there is not enough calcium in the diet…perhaps the calcium will be drawn from the bones to help achieve that balance?
Many…like myself…ask “why” add to a possible acid imbalance to begin with, or burden the body with that excess challenge to maintain equilibrium, if we don’t have to?
The phosphoric acid of the drink makes it plenty acid enough. The carbonation may revert to an internal excess of carbonic acid in the blood stream resulting in a potential perpetual acidosis condition for those who drink these drinks regularly…which we know, a great many people do.
Love, Happiness, Health and Peace……………..Tim