- Written by Bhaavyaa.
The original cola drink was invented in 1886 when John Styth Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, USA, concocted a mixture of coca leaves, cola nuts and caffeine to sell as a cure for headaches and hangovers. Today, regular colas contain only about one-third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee, and there are also decaffeinated versions. The sugar contained in diluted squashes ranges from a single teaspoon per glass to four or even more in the case of some blackcurrant drinks, but these may also provide useful amounts of vitamin C.
The sugar in soft drinks is broken down by bacteria growing on teeth - to produce acid. If you sip sugary drinks over long periods, it increases the risk of tooth decay by prolonging the time that enamel-destroying acids are present in the mouth. Acidic fruit-juice cordials can also erode your teeth. Try to drink soft drinks at mealtimes, and clean your teeth regularly ;)
In a recent survey, researchers at Southampton University found that some children are gaining almost half their daily energy intake from sugary drinks, and that these empty calories are leading to irritability, loss of appetite, poor weight gain and diarrhoea. And doctors who treated eight toddlers referred to Southampton General Hospital with eating or behavioural problems found that the children's symptoms disappeared when their consumption of sweetened soft drinks was reduced.
Therefore, consuming soft drinks are okay if they are consumed occasionally, not on a long run. After all, mothers advise us not to have coke for a reason right?