Death by Soda

There has been a story floating around the last week about a woman who died because of drinking Coca-Cola.  Most of the headlines oversimplify the story. In reality, the woman died from a heart attack. The contributing factors were low potassium and caffeine toxicity. Yes, Coca-Cola was involved in her death. No, Coca-Cola is not at fault. This woman was drinking more than TWO gallons of soda every day. She also did not eat very much and smoked over a pack of cigarettes every day. She was depriving her body of almost all the needed nutrients and taxing her heart with the excessive amounts of caffeine and nicotine.

The woman's partner noted that she was experiencing problems with energy and blood pressure. I can't find whether she sought treatment for those symptoms or if anyone ever told her to cut back on the Coke. I have pointed out that soda is bad for you, but anything consumed at this extreme level will harm your health. Maybe not as directly as soda, but at least indirectly by supplanting other items from your diet. When it comes to what you consume, moderation is key.

Diet Soda

I think most of us understand that a can of soda is nothing but empty calories. There are about 140 calories in a 12-ounce of soda, but if you're out and about, good luck finding a 12-ounce serving of soda. In convenience stores, it's usually a 20-ounce bottle and at fast-food places, the serving sizes are huge. I've shared how it's not just the calories that are a problem, but the possible link to lung issues, too.

If you're thinking you can avoid all these issues by switching to diet soda, you may want to hold off on that conclusion. There was a study done that links consumption of diet soda to heart issues. Just like the lung issue study, there is no proof of causation, just correlation, but it's still discouraging. The study found that just one can of diet soda a day is the link to a 43% increase in vascular events like heart attack or stroke.

Again, it's only correlation, but I'm not taking any chances. I'm glad that I gave up artificial sweeteners for Lent. I am still trying to get a cup of coffee that I really enjoy, but it's worth it if I'm avoiding heart health issues. I'm also hoping that it helps avoid the before and after effect.

Soda

I think most of us know that soda is not the healthiest drink we can choose. Either it has hundreds of empty calories or scary chemicals to eliminate those calories. The carbonation makes most people gassy and loud. I don't think people thought it contributed to asthma or COPD, though. I know that wasn't something I considered.

The study in question found an association between quantity of soda consumption and lung issues. They did not find a cause and effect relationship. For me, just the increases incidence of COPD and asthma associated with heavy soda consumption is enough to keep me from going back to drinking it as much as I used to. I will stick to drinking water.

Anti-soda ads

The NY City Health Department is waging a war against super-sized sodas. I know that I've complained about the "small" size at fast-food restaurants in the past. All I want with my meal is a can or less. I find it impossible to get that size fountain drink from most places. Granted, I rarely eat at fast-food burger places, so they may offer them. I usually eat at Subway or a similar sandwich place which has healthier fare, and I still find it hard to get a truly small soda.

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Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the ads are needed to warn consumers about the massive portions they are eating and drinking.

“The portion sizes that are marketed are often much more than humans need,” said Farley. “We are warning people about the risks of super-size portions so they can make more informed choices about what they eat.”

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In addition to the poster shown here, they are offering packets of information on living a healthier life.