Soda Drinks And Heart Diseases

Soda drinks are carbonated soft drinks with artificial sweeteners and flavors. Consuming soda drinks has become a common practice all over the world. According to statistics, Sodas, sports drinks, fruit drinks, diet coke, energy drinks, and other beverages were the leading refreshment beverages in the United States in 2021.¹Topic: Liquid Refreshment Beverage (LRB) Brands. (2022, December 15). Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/2071/liquid-refreshment-beverage-lrb-brands-statistics-and-facts/#topicOverview
Excessive consumption of sodas, often without awareness of their harmful effects, has made them a common component of regular meals. However, these beverages have detrimental impacts on various bodily systems. Specifically, they adversely affect the heart, leading to cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, they contribute to the weakening of bones and can cause gastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, the kidneys and liver are also affected by their consumption.
Furthermore, sodas contribute to plaque formation in blood vessels, negatively impacting overall cardiovascular health. They also disrupt metabolism and influence body mass index (BMI). In addition, these beverages can alter serum electrolyte levels and lipid profiles.
Notably, the impact on heart health is significant. Studies, such as those published in The American Heart Journal, have revealed that individuals consuming just one soda drink per day face a 20% higher risk of developing heart disease. Furthermore, fruit drinks containing artificial sweeteners and added sugars increase the risk of heart disease by 42%.²Haslam, D. E., Peloso, G. M., Herman, M. A., Dupuis, J., Lichtenstein, A. H., Smith, C. E., & McKeown, N. M. (2020). Beverage Consumption and Longitudinal Changes in Lipoprotein Concentrations and Incident Dyslipidemia in US Adults: The Framingham Heart Study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(5).https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.119.01408

How Do Soda Drinks Affect Your Heart?

Soda drinks often contain artificial sweeteners, which have an impact on your lipid profile by inducing the following changes:³Here is the reference in the proper format: Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). *Sugary drinks may raise levels of unhealthy blood fats*. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/sugary-drinks-may-raise-levels-of-unhealthy-blood-fats

• Decreasing levels of beneficial cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins or HDL) in the body.
• Increasing levels of harmful cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins or LDL) and triacylglycerides.

This elevated concentration of bad cholesterol contributes to the formation of plaque in blood vessels, termed Atherosclerosis. This leads to increased blood pressure and eventually results in heart disease.
Cholesterol buildup blocks the arteries. Artificial sugars in sodas lead to elevated glucose levels in the body. This increase in glucose triggers the production of insulin. Consequently, higher insulin levels stimulate the body’s metabolism, resulting in an augmented appetite and increased food consumption, ultimately contributing to obesity. It is important to note that obesity is a known risk factor for developing heart disease.

Heart Diseases Caused by Excessive Consumption of Soda Drinks

If you consume soda drinks excessively, it opens a gateway to various heart diseases. Sodas contain excessive amounts of caffeine. Caffeine affects your circulatory system and causes:

• Increased heart rate
• Ischemia
• Heart attack
• Arrhythmias
• Stroke
• Coronary heart diseases
• Hypertension

How Do Soda Drinks Affect Heart Rate?

Consuming soda drinks can impact heart rate, which may vary depending on individual habits, frequency of consumption, dosage, and physiological factors.
One notable factor is the presence of caffeine in soda drinks, which can stimulate receptors in the autonomic nervous system, leading to an increase in heart rate. Research suggests that the intake of 0-80 mg of caffeine per 500 mg of soda drink can stimulate these heart receptors and potentially cause tachycardia.⁴Dömötör, Z., Szemerszky, R., & Köteles, F. (2015). Subjective and objective effects of coffee consumption — caffeine or expectations? Acta Physiologica Hungarica, 102(1), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.1556/aphysiol.101.2014.012

Does Drinking Soda Drinks Shorten Life?

A simple answer to this question is: Yes, excessive consumption of soda drinks shortens life expectancy.
A study indicates the early death of people who consumed excessive soda drinks as compared to the people who didn’t consume soda drinks. The reason behind this is that soda drinks cause heart and gastrointestinal diseases. These diseases lead to early death. According to doctors, soda drinks contribute to death from all diseases, including heart disease.
According to the Journal of Renal Nutrition, soda drinks and beverages contain phosphorus. Phosphorus increases the risk of :

• Diabetes mellitus
• Cardiovascular disorders
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• It can also cause death in rare circumstances

Are Low-calorie Drinks Better For Our Hearts?

If you are among the people who consume excessive soda drinks daily and are considering replacing them with diet Coke. Think again!
Although low-calorie drinks seem like a better option because people think they contain fewer calories and no artificial sweeteners, they are still harmful and not suitable.
Diet Coke and similar beverages are formulated with low-calorie sweeteners approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. These drinks contain fewer calories and are considered to have a reduced impact on heart health compared to regular soda drinks. Furthermore, they have a lesser effect on metabolism when compared to soda drinks containing artificial sugars. However, it is important to note that despite being a better alternative, these beverages still have harmful health effects.
Research shows a 2% increase in body mass index (BMI) was noted in people who consumed diet drinks.⁵Tate, D. F., Turner-McGrievy, G., Lyons, E. J., Stevens, J., Erickson, K. A., Polzien, K., Diamond, M., Wang, X., & Popkin, B. M. (2012). Replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages for weight loss in adults: main results of theChooseHealthyOptionsConsciouslyEveryday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 95(3), 555–563. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.026278
An increase in BMI above the reference range (greater than 30 to classify a person as obese) is a leading cause of many diseases, including heart diseases.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have observed an increased incidence of heart diseases, stroke, and ischemia in people who consumed diet drinks compared to those who didn’t consume soda drinks and even Diet Coke.

What is the Best Replacement for Soda Drinks?

After reading about all these harmful effects of soda drinks, you may wonder, “What is the best replacement for soda drinks?”
The answer is straightforward, “Water is the best drink.” Moreover, you can replace them with natural fruit juices without artificial sweeteners, fresh lemonade, or coconut water. Fresh juices are rich in:

• Vitamins
• Antioxidants
• Vitamin C
• Minerals
• Fibers
• Calcium
• Vitamin A

Do Soda Drinks Cause Chest Pain?

A common query posed to healthcare professionals is, “Why do I experience chest pain after consuming soda drinks? Can soda drinks be a cause of chest pain?”
Indeed, they can potentially cause chest pain, which can be attributed to either esophageal irritation or underlying heart disease.

Esophageal Irritation:

They increase the acidic content of your stomach. Acid reflux irritates your esophageal lining and causes inflammation.⁶Mayne ST, Risch HA, Dubrow R, Chow WH, Gammon MD, Vaughan TL, Borchardt L, Schoenberg JB, Stanford JL, West AB, Rotterdam H, Blot WJ, Fraumeni JF Jr. Carbonated soft drink consumption and risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Jan 4;98(1):72-5. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djj007. PMID: 16391374. The inflammation causes pain, and you may perceive it as chest pain.

Heart Diseases:

Prolonged intake of these causes heart disease. Chest pain can be due to heart disease.⁷Higgins, J. P., Yarlagadda, S., & Yang, B. B. (2015). Cardiovascular Complications of Energy Drinks. Beverages, 1(2), 104–126. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages1020104

Coronary Artery Disease:

Chest pain after consuming these drinks for a long time can also be due to underlying coronary artery disease. Consuming them excessively causes coronary artery diseases.⁸Gardener, H., Rundek, T., Markert, M., Wright, C. B., Elkind, M. S., & Sacco, R. L. (2012). Diet soft drink consumption is associated with an increased risk of vascular events in the Northern Manhattan Study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(9), 1120–1126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1968-2

Conclusion

Soda drinks exert numerous adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and blood vessels. They are known to contribute to the development of various heart diseases and negatively impact nearly every system in the body. Alarming statistics suggest that soda consumption is a significant contributor to premature mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to reject them and instead opt for healthier alternatives such as water, milk, and freshly squeezed natural juices.

Refrences

• 1
  Topic: Liquid Refreshment Beverage (LRB) Brands. (2022, December 15). Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/2071/liquid-refreshment-beverage-lrb-brands-statistics-and-facts/#topicOverview
• 2
  Haslam, D. E., Peloso, G. M., Herman, M. A., Dupuis, J., Lichtenstein, A. H., Smith, C. E., & McKeown, N. M. (2020). Beverage Consumption and Longitudinal Changes in Lipoprotein Concentrations and Incident Dyslipidemia in US Adults: The Framingham Heart Study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(5).https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.119.01408
• 3
  Here is the reference in the proper format: Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). *Sugary drinks may raise levels of unhealthy blood fats*. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/sugary-drinks-may-raise-levels-of-unhealthy-blood-fats
• 4
  Dömötör, Z., Szemerszky, R., & Köteles, F. (2015). Subjective and objective effects of coffee consumption — caffeine or expectations? Acta Physiologica Hungarica, 102(1), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.1556/aphysiol.101.2014.012
• 5
  Tate, D. F., Turner-McGrievy, G., Lyons, E. J., Stevens, J., Erickson, K. A., Polzien, K., Diamond, M., Wang, X., & Popkin, B. M. (2012). Replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages for weight loss in adults: main results of theChooseHealthyOptionsConsciouslyEveryday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 95(3), 555–563. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.026278
• 6
  Mayne ST, Risch HA, Dubrow R, Chow WH, Gammon MD, Vaughan TL, Borchardt L, Schoenberg JB, Stanford JL, West AB, Rotterdam H, Blot WJ, Fraumeni JF Jr. Carbonated soft drink consumption and risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Jan 4;98(1):72-5. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djj007. PMID: 16391374.
• 7
  Higgins, J. P., Yarlagadda, S., & Yang, B. B. (2015). Cardiovascular Complications of Energy Drinks. Beverages, 1(2), 104–126. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages1020104
• 8
  Gardener, H., Rundek, T., Markert, M., Wright, C. B., Elkind, M. S., & Sacco, R. L. (2012). Diet soft drink consumption is associated with an increased risk of vascular events in the Northern Manhattan Study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(9), 1120–1126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1968-2