KCCDHN

Caries (and Other Health Hazards) In a Can: Stop the Pop!

The United States is ranked as the country that is the biggest consumer of soda pop. In the past 50 years our consumption of soda pop has increased by 500 percent! In the year 2000, 15 billion gallons of soda was sold, which equates to one can per every man, woman, and child per day! Here are some other interesting facts regarding soda consumption:
As you can see, lots of soda means lots of sugar. When sugar combines with the bacteria (m. streptococci and lactobacilli) in your mouth, acids are produced. This acid (which forms almost immediately in combination with the phosphoric and citric acid already in the soda) “attacks” the tooth by dissolving the minerals of the tooth. Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes, and every sip re-starts the cycle. Continuous attacks will eventually weaken the enamel surface, erode the enamel, and a carie or “cavity” will develop. If the erosion spreads to the dentin (inside of the tooth, under the enamel), pain and sensitivity can result. If left untreated, this disease process may progress to the nerve of the tooth, cause infection, and may abscess (requiring root canal therapy or extraction).


By the way, before eating fermenting carbohydrates or sugars, the pH levels of your mouth is between 6.2 and 7.0. However, immediately following fermentable carbohydrate (sugars) consumption, pH values drop significantly. The average pH required for enamel demineralization is 4.5 to 5.5. A can of soda has approximately a pH level of between 2.7 and 3.5. Once the oral pH has lowered, without brushing or rinsing, it takes 1 to 2 hours to recover and return to normal. Many of us sip on our sodas throughout the day, but as you can see, it’s better to drink your soda all at once, rather than sip on it for a long period of time. Another tendency we have is to drink sodas when we are thirsty and dehydrated. During that time, we have low levels of saliva in our mouths. But saliva actually helps to neutralize the acids and washes our teeth. So, drinking soda when are thirsty is actually the worst time to drink them!


Soft drink consumption poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones. Forty to sixty per cent of a person’s bone mass develops during their teenage years. When teenagers replace soda with milk, they are not providing their bodies with the necessary calcium needed for healthy bone growth and development. Not only does soda not contain any calcium, but it is high in phosphate. When phosphate levels are high in the blood and calcium is low, the body pulls out calcium from the bones to compensate. Therefore, those who drink large amounts of soda may be setting themselves up for osteoporosis and periodontitis (inflammation of the bones and supporting tissues around the teeth). (Broccoli, almonds, sardines, clams, turnips, kale, and mustard greens are also good sources of calcium in addition to milk and dairy products).
The large amounts of sugars in sodas not only puts a person at risk for dental caries, but has also been linked to obesity and diabetes. Additionally, large consumption of sugars in sodas can decrease an appetite, so that nutrient dense foods are not consumed, contributing to the not-enough-building-blocks-for- growing-bodies cycle. Kidney stones and esophageal cancer are also being linked to the ingestion of large amounts of soda. Red dye #3 in some sodas can cause allergies, hives, and asthma in some individuals; while red dye # 5 may promote attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in some children. Some sodas contain large amounts of caffeine, which is a mildly addictive stimulant, and also slightly increases the excretion of calcium. Still not convinced to give up the soda? The following is a list of tips to help minimize the harmful effects of soda:

Sources and Resources:


This is a Manila site.