Dentalcompare
Clinical Director
Soda remains to be one of those drinks that seem to be so good, yet so bad for you. As a dentist, we regularly warn people against the evils of soda drinks, especially Coca-Cola. Basically, instead of the bacteria oin your teeth taking a few hours to form acids that cause cavities following a sugar snack, Coca-Cola starts ripping minerals out of your teeth the moment it touches them. Because it is related to the acidity, it doesn’t matter if it is the diet version or not.
The problem expands when considering that no one seems to know whether diet sweeteners like Aspartame are safe or not. The research has been inconclusive, and just Google “diet drink incidence of cancer” and you will find a ton of information on the subject. Digging further you will find all kinds of research on the effects of soda on bone density as well.
Now researchers at the University of Minnesota have published an article that links the sugar in these drinks to pancreatic cancer. They did a study with over 60,000 people over 14 years. They found that if you drank two or more soft drinks per week (not day), you had a statistically significant increased risk of pancreatic cancer. That’s Stats 101 speak for “a heck of a lot more likely”. Like most cancers, there is not just one thing that could give you cancer. Things like environmental influence, diet, and genetics all play a role in its development. But if you know the source of at least one of these causes, it helps you do something about it.
It seems that over the last few years, soda pop has been vying with smoking for the top spot as the least healthy habit (legal habit, that is). Quit either one, and I know that at least your teeth will thank you.