Soft drinks and health effects

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Nutrition, Health & Wellness

Soft drinks and health effects Soft drinks consumption is being associated to many health problems like heart diseases, obesity, type 11 diabetes, tooth decay, nutritional depletion and low nutritional levels. Soft drinks can be equated to liquid candies, and the first victim of their frequent consumption is tooth.
The high levels of carbohydrates and simple sugars present in them tend to ferment in oral cavity and affect the dental health by the formation of dental plaque and tooth decay. Further, most of the soft drinks are acidic in nature due to the ingredients used and also due to carbonating them.

When soft drinks are carbonated with carbon dioxide they turn acidic due formation of carbonic acid. The quantity of carbonic acid is directly proportionate to the amount of pressure of carbon dioxide over the liquid. Tooth decay
Slow sipping of these beverages (acidic in nature) over a period of time can affect dental health by eroding the tooth enamel and causing cavities. Drinking soft drinks through a straw must be preferred as the beverage gets swallowed from the rear end of the mouth giving less exposure to teeth.

Chronic consumption of these beverages has been found to give rise to health problems like low potassium levels (hypokalemia). There is a possibility of more excretion of calcium and lowered intake of calcium when these drinks are consumed frequently leading to loss of bone density.

Unless fortified with nutrients, these drinks are very low in vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fatty acids and essential amino acids required for general health. Soft drinks deliver high food energy and calories and frequent consumption can give rise to obesity, diabetes and related cardiac health problems.

Soft drinks and obesity

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Nutrition, Health & Wellness

Soft drinks and obesity The prevalence of obesity in United States has doubled during the period 1980 to 2005. During the same period soft drink consumption also has doubled.
Many studies both in adults and children have confirmed that drinking of sugar-sweetened soft drinks had increased the body weight and BMI (body mass index). In another study on 50,000 female nurses conducted for 8 years a gain of 8 kg in weight was recorded in women who had more than one soft drinks a day.

In another experiment two batches of school children were given sugar-sweetened drinks or sugar substitute added drinks. In children taking sugar-sweetened beverages weight gain and obesity were recorded. In another experiment soft drinks giving 450 calorie/day were given to one group and jelly beans with nutritional value of 450 calorie/day were given to another group.

The beverage group gained weight whereas the jelly bean group did not gain weight. So it was inferred that jelly beans lowered the calorie intake in subsequent meals by providing satiety. However these drinks did not provide any satiation and the subsequently higher calorie meals were taken by the subjects leading to their weight gain and obesity.
Obesity - A "super obese" male
This person with a height of 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) had a BMI of 47 kg/m₂ and weighted 146 kg (322 lb). Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks can lead to obesity related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and metabolic syndromes.

Soft drink production

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Nutrition, Health & Wellness

Soft drink production

Requirements for Soft drink production

Soft drink is produced commercially in factories and can also be produced at home.
Production of soft drink requires clean sterile water, dry or fresh ingredients like concentrates or juices, sweeteners, carbonating equipment and suitable container.

Process of soft drink production

The foremost requirement in production of beverages is clean water and its sufficient availability. Further if the water is free from dissolved impurities, it will be a great advantage. Water is coagulated and filtered for removing impurities and suspended matter. Then it is chlorinated to improve its microbiological status by destroying the bacteria.

The chlorinated water is passed through activated carbon filter bed to remove all organic debris arising out of chlorination. In the above process the base water also gets dechlorinated and is further deaerated by vacuum pump. This base water is then pumped into batch tanks and the previously prepared ingredient concentrates are pumped in predetermined quantities and mixed well with the water.

The vessels are pressurized with carbon dioxide to prevent aeration during mixing and to increase dissolution of carbon dioxide. At this stage, the liquid is cooled to dissolve more carbon dioxide. Now the drink may be sterilized by ultraviolet rays radiation or by pasteurization (a must for fruit drink). Then the liquid is filled into bottles or cans at the filling station and sealed with suitable closures. After labelling, the soft drink containers are packed into cartons and shipped out of the production center to distribution points.

History of soft drinks

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Nutrition, Health & Wellness

History of soft drinks The history of soft drinks can be traced back to medieval days and there are records of use of mineral waters in medieval history. The earliest soft drinks (sherbets) were developed by Arabic alchemists and were in use in medieval Near East.
In English history records on soft drinks it is found that in 1260s, naturally carbonated (fermented) drinks were made from the roots of burdock (Arctium lappa) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Soft drinks made from lemon juice (diluted with water and sweetened with honey) were marketed 1670s.

Joseph priestley from England made history by discovering the method of infusing carbon dioxide into water to make carbonated water (soda water), in 1767. Torbern Bergman from Sweden made history by inventing an apparatus for producing carbonated water from chalk by addition of sulfuric acid.

Later in late 18th century, fruit juices, herbs, spices and wine were added to the carbonated water to give flavors. Benjamin Silliman (Yale chemistry professor) sold soda waters in New Haven, Connecticut in 1806. In the 1830s, John Lippincott of Philadelphia and John Matthews of New York City made history by starting the manufacture of soda fountains and both built large factories for fabricating soda fountains.

In United States, in 1950s, Phosphate Soda became very popular drinks and were made by adding orange syrup and phosphoric acid to carbonated water.
soft drinks(image attribution:Oilpanhands at en.wikipedia)
Earlier in the history of glass industry the manufacturing process had limitations and carbonated soft drinks were sold by the chemists from soda fountains. Early 20th century saw the expanding sales of bottled soda and later canned soft drinks became popular in the second half of the 20th century.