Soda -- not so good for you
Categories: Safety, Eating & Nutrition
When I was growing up, we never drank soda, except maybe once or twice a year when we went out to dinner if we were really, really, good. We drank milk like it was going out of style. In high school, I discovered Pineapple Crush and my life changed. I still drank lots of milk, however. I would go climbing on a Saturday with some salami, dark chocolate, and a quart of milk. I always drank the milk in the bottom of my cereal bowl, and I still think milk goes better with pizza than beer. After high school, I spent the obligatory summer working at McDonald's where the soda was free for the employees. I definitely blame the gallons of Diet Coke I drank there for much of the subsequent dental work I had to suffer through. Nowadays, I try to limit my Soda intake to one, maybe two glasses a day, sticking mostly to water. The kids, however, have never had soda and, hopefully, never will, so long as they are still growing and under my control.
While that might seem a bit extreme, here's a list of eight reasons that make our policy look much more rational. Note that the list has been compiled by a company that distributes water ionizers; that, however, doesn't invalidate the points they make. Jared and Sara love milk and water; they don't seem to have any interest in soda and I'd like to keep it that way. What do you think? Do you let your kids drink soda?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jan Bay 8-01-2007 @ 2:57PM
I have tried make soda a non-issue. It's been my experience that if something is strictly forbidden, it becomes very desirable!
I drank soda maybe once a month or less growing up. We always had gallons of tea, milk and Kool-Aid all with more sugar than we probably needed. I had lots of kidney problems (inherited) and the doctors said I should not drink soda, kool-aid, coffee or tea. I found that I could sneak a glass or two of any of the above with no problems, except colas. If I drank colas, the effects were immediate and severe.
Jan from www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com
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Sandyone 8-01-2007 @ 3:11PM
Soda is the devil.
That's nasty stuff and it crept into our house without my noticing it.
I have since kicked it back out. Mostly. We have it for special occasions. The kids like plain water or seltzer. Lots of seltzer! I've always made my KoolAid with 1/2 the sugar and we've never been big juice drinkers. Milk is making a comeback in our life. I've always loved the stuff, but each of my kids has had an intolerance to it in the early years. My oldest has problems if he has too much dairy, but the rest seem to have outgrown the problems.
Soda is not a good thing, but since we're Catholic, we get to have not good things in moderation and it all works out!!
Milk with pizza? No thanks. That's when I hanker for a coke. And not one of those girly diet ones. Gimme the real thing or give me seltzer!
We've also started letting the kids get soda when we eat out....if they pay for it themselves. We'll pay for milk or real juice, but the soda is on their nickel. More times than not, they suddenly don't "need" a soda with their meal.
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Robin 8-01-2007 @ 3:38PM
I have a caffeine allergy that took many years to diagnose, so I'm trying to keep my kids off soda for as long as I can, and then hoping to introduce it as a 'special occasion' drink and monitor their reactions, steering them away from cola if they do have to drink soda. Besides the fact that soda's just plain not good for you, there are hidden dangers to caffeine that a lot of the public aren't aware of. For those with a sensitivity, the resulting symptoms may be misdiagnosed as depression, anxiety, bipolarism, and especially in children, ADD.
So for me, I guess it comes down to two different matters: the first being that non-caffeinated soda still has a lot of sugar in it, and I want my kids to grow up viewing it as a "sometimes" food just like all other sugary things, and the second that caffeine is a drug and I'm very wary of giving my children things that tamper with their natural chemistry, especially when there's a family history of bad reactions.
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Meg 8-01-2007 @ 3:47PM
There was a report on a recent study in the paper this week that also linked soda drinking (either of regular AND diet soda) to a higher rate of heart disease and metabolic disorders. Of course, you can't rule out the fact this correlation could just be because people who drink a lot of soda also tend to eat less healthfully than people who abstain from soda. But, nevertheless, seems like another vote against soft drinks, that's for sure! Here's a link to a newspaper article about the study:
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/fitness/articles/2007/07/24/study_diet_soda_linked_to_heart_risks/
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Meg 8-01-2007 @ 3:48PM
Oops, I meant to say "either of regular OR diet soda" not "and"! Duh!
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Ann Adams 8-01-2007 @ 4:49PM
I'm with you on milk with pizza or any other spicy food. That or unsweetened iced tea.
I seldom buy soda. When I do, it's one of the no caffeine varieties. We let them have a coke when we go out to eat.
Like most other things that aren't especially good for us (McDonalds for example), I believe in moderation, not total abstinence.
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Maria 8-01-2007 @ 4:52PM
While my daughter is little we simply won't keep soda in the house and will not give her any to drink. She loves water and milk, so that is what we offer. When she is older, we are hoping that she will decide for herself that she doesn't need soda when we explain how bad it is for you. Unfortunaltely, she has two grandmas who both drink a lot of soda, and I can see them giving some to her, even if I request that they not. I don't know what to do about that.
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SKL 8-01-2007 @ 5:52PM
In my house, nobody drinks soda, so it's a non-issue, until the kids are old enough to procure their own food. By then, I'll have a chance to explain why it's junk food. I'm not big on forbidding any food, but rather developing good habits and not making the bad stuff easy to get.
But, to play the devil's advocate, I really think the "8 evils" list is exaggerated. A lot.
Like - drinking soda halves fertility? Then why do the young, irresponsible, soda-guzzling people I know average more kids than people who don't drink much soda? And generally closely spaced? I have a feeling the source of that statistic (and probably others in the list) is not highly reliable.
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Sabrina 8-01-2007 @ 7:05PM
I drink diet, about a can or two a day. That's pretty unhealthy, but I need my caffiene and really hate the taste of coffee. Fortunately for me my oldest (2.5) hates carbonation. Once we were in a pizza hut where they told us they only had soda, and as she usually hates water we ordered caffiene-free sprite. Took one drink, spit it out, and asked for water! She's since tried to steal a sip or two of mine only to make a horrible face and spit it out again and again. I'm happy, and I hope this lasts!
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Nancy Toby 8-01-2007 @ 7:44PM
I think that list you linked to is ridiculous, and mostly unfounded hype. Probably lemon juice is more acidic than either soda or bottled vinegar - so? They don't even know how to spell methanol.
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Eric 8-01-2007 @ 11:44PM
I personally believe, and have seen quite a bit of evidence supporting it, that not letting kids drink pop (or soda, as all of you are calling it), gives them no tolerance to caffeine later in life.
I drink quite a bit of it- I'd say 1 liter a day... I've been drinking it since I was five years old.
I've never had a cavity, I'm healthy, I'm normal weight. I also don't go crazy when I have caffeine, the opposite of some people I know.
I'm not saying you should give your baby a can of Coke, but they're going to be shocked (as is the rest of the world) when they reach the age when they first see the Pepsi ball.
I think the only thing worse than keeping it from your kids would be forcing them to drink Fresca.
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Eric 8-01-2007 @ 11:47PM
After reading the list, I have to say:
I've also never broken a bone (or tooth).
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Anna 8-09-2007 @ 10:27PM
Hmmm... I'm feeling 50/50 on this post...
On the other hand... I also don't think milk is a good choice: cow's milk is just that - for cows. It's been a long journey for me to transition though. I'm down to soda 1 or 2 times a week, at most. I prefer soy milk or rice milk & cringe when my DD asks for chocolate milk at a restaurant. Call me a hypocrite but this is coming from someone that used to drink upwards of 6 cans of pop per day. Not to mention once kids come along, you realize things that you desire cost more & tend to be less healthy for you. All in all, moderation is key. Cut out little by little & you eventually forget what it is you are missing.
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