Are Natural Sodas Healthy?

Kristie Leong M.D.
6 min readMay 26, 2020
Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

Can the word soda co-exist with the word healthy? Maybe healthy is too strong of a word but, yes, there are “better for you” soda alternatives out there. Diet sodas, just because they contain no sugar, don’t fit the bill.

Why don’t diet sodas get a clean bill of health? Research suggests artificial sweeteners in these beverages alter gut bacteria in a way that contributes to obesity. Therefore, you might be substituting one poison for another if you drink diet soft drinks.

How bad are soft drinks for your health? The non-diet ones contain high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that your body processes differently from glucose, another simple sugar. Although controversial, some studies show high-fructose corn syrup increases the risk for health problems like fatty liver disease.

Plus, fructose increases blood triglycerides, a risk factor for heart disease. Needless to say, you should try to limit fructose and all forms of processed sugar in your diet.

It’s not just fructose in soft drinks that’s a problem. Your favorite fizzy beverage is also loaded with phosphoric acid. This is a problem since phosphoric acid interferes with the absorption of calcium and is linked with osteoporosis.

Still, there are those who love carbonated beverages and aren’t ready to switch to a healthier beverage like tea…

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Kristie Leong M.D.

Family physician who believes proper nutrition for optimal health & disease prevention. https://www.histaminedoctor.com