Soda
is made of many different type of elements these are carbon dioxide, fructose,
some have caffeine, lots of sugar, phosphoric acid. it also has sodium benzoate.
The
recent findings showed a 48%
increase in stroke risk and heart attack among daily diet soda drinkers, compared to
people who did not drink diet sodas at all or did not drink them every day.
The
most current headlines have raised concerns that diet sodas increase stroke
risk. Diet and habitual sodas have both been linked to kidney damage, obesity, and
certain cancers. Habitual soft drinks have been linked to elevated blood
pressure.
Until
now another study is warning parents to limit soda expenditure with
children. While previous studies have linked soda expenditure with higher
rates of obesity, a study published in the journal Pediatrics, says it also
causes aggressive ,destructive and violent behavior in children as young as 5
years old.
The
Recent Study:
Researchers
at Columbia University followed the
habits of about 3,000 mother-child pairs from 20 big cities in the United
States. At the same time as the children were followed since birth in the
long-term study, the data pertaining to soda consumption was compiled when the
children were FIVE (5)years old. Researchers asked mothers to self-report how
many servings of soda their child drinks on a usual day, and then answer a sequence
of behavioral questions.
The
Results:
Children
who consumed at least four servings of soda per day were twice as likely than
those who did not drink any soda to display aggressive, destructive,
violent behaviors - such as destroying other people’s belongings, starting
physical fights and orally attacking other children. The kids were also more
likely to have difficulty paying attention to instructions, and were more
withdrawn socially or communally compared to 5-year-olds who did not consume
soda.
Shakira Suglia
who study author and associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia
University, stated, “There was a dose response,” also said that , “With every increase in soda
consumption, we saw an increase in behavior problems. It was considerable for
kids who consumed as few as one serving of soda per day.”
The
association was present after researchers adjusted for parenting styles, and
socio-demographic factors such as how much aggressive television the children
were uncovered to, their sleep schedule, and candy consumption.
Limitations:
Because
researchers relied on self-reporting by mothers, they were not capable to
pinpoint the type of soda (diet versus regular), or the exact serving amount
associated with the increase in negative behavior.
The
American Beverage Association disagrees with the findings of this learning or study.
In a declaration to CNN, the group said: "It is a leap to suggest that drinking soda causes these or any
other behavioral issue. The science does not sustain that conclusion. The
authors themselves note that their study 'is not capable to identify the nature
of the association between soft drinks and problem behaviors.' Significantly,
our member companies do not promote or market the expenditure of soft drinks to
children in the age group examined in this study.”
Carry
away:
The
researchers say their results add to the mounting confirmation that soda
consumption has a negative effect for children.
Other
experts advise to limit soda consumption.
“In spite of the multitude of studies exposing the negative effects of soda
consumption, Americans carry on to buy and drink more soda than those in any
other country,” said Marlo Mittler, registered dietician from Cohen
Children’s Medical Center of New York, and not affiliated with the study result.
“In an effort to reduce the effects on a
child's possible negative behavior, it is suggested to eliminate or avoid any
soda consumption.”
The
American Academy of Pediatrics presently recommends parents and caregivers
limit giving children caffeinated or sugar-sweetened beverages, and should
instead offer them calorie-free milk and
beverages.
