Sodas/Carbonated Drinks - Yes Or No?

[TOBEY32]

I know dark-colored ones are out, but how 'bout grape and orange, etc., etc.? Guess it can depend on your kidneys. Also how bones have been affected by such things as Pred.
Does anyone drink them (say 1 a day/a couple of times a week)? What does your doc say?
In case you can't tell I'm hoping someone will give me the green light!

David

[mishb]

They seem to cause inflammation and pain for me David so I avoid all soft drinks.............have for quite a few years.

I don't know about the reasons behind avoiding or not avoiding, my guess would be that one or two wouldn't normally hurt.
........ I'm sure someone else might have a logical answer for you.

[mama2005]

I have not had kidney probles and my doctor has not said anything about the intake of my soda. I would go through more pain without them then with them I am sure. I would check with your doctor if you have any questions about being allowed to have have it.

[JanW]

No kidney problems and I don't limit my intake.

[pberggren1]

All soft drinks are bad. SURAR!!!!!!

[Al]

I have two objections to sodas, David, and neither one has to do with carbonation. The first is phosphoric acid, which is highly prevalent in many soft drinks (and not all of them dark-colored). Phosphoric acid is pretty dicey for kidney patients.The second is the sugar--and there is a huge amount in soda (unless it uses an artificial sweetener, in which case I have a third objection. I am not convinced that sucrose is the root of all evil, but it is pretty bad, given the amount consumed these days. (How much is too much? No one knows, but I would be willing to wager that the threshold is far below the intake of most people.)

Al

[Sangye]

I only have soda very occasionally. Drinking it on anything approaching a regular basis is a bad idea.

Al's reasons are good. I'd also add:
--- phosphoric acid is bad for everyone and leeches calcium from your bones
--- your stomach only has so much space in the day. If you're filling it with soda you're not filling it with nutrition.

[Al]

....
--- phosphoric acid is bad for everyone and leeches calcium from your bones
--- your stomach only has so much space in the day. If you're filling it with soda you're not filling it with nutrition.

Good points. I didn't rant more about phosphoric acid only because I only have my own experiences as a background. (That is to say, I know many who are heavy soda drinkers (and otherwise eat horribly) who, nevertheless, do not have an autoimmune disease. I also know many who have AI diseases who have a very good diet. So there is a lot going on that I cannot account for. Nevertheless, I am pretty convinced that phosphoric acid is a bad idea for human ingestion. Not to be too gross about it, but you are surely aware that phosphoric acid is the main ingredient in toilet bowl cleaners....

Al

[jola57]

I will add my two cents. Since getting sick I have cut down on cola considerably, but once in a while I go off the rails and that is when my creatinine goes haywire. Last time I simply drunk the stuff to prove my theory. I wonder if there is a class action suit form person(s) with kidney problems and cola. I still love my cola, but drink it only occasionally now.

[Al]

I will add my two cents. Since getting sick I have cut down on cola considerably, but once in a while I go off the rails and that is when my creatinine goes haywire. Last time I simply drunk the stuff to prove my theory. I wonder if there is a class action suit form person(s) with kidney problems and cola. I still love my cola, but drink it only occasionally now.

Interesting question, Jolanta. When I was at the hospital, I read a brochure about dialysis, not knowing whether that would be my fate of not (not yet!). The brochure mentioned soda as an okay thing to drink. I asked a renal nutritionist about this, which seemed off the wall to me. She said, "well, technically, soda is not so good for dialysis patients, but for many, it is all the hydration they are likely to get." (!!)

Al

[freakyschizogirl]

I have cut down my soda (fizzy in the UK) intake. Its not disease related but it just wasnt good for my teeth. I still have the ocassional one when we go for a meal out or on the go for a boost.

The fruity ones dont nearly have enough fruit juices in them tho i remember when i visited the States 2 years ago they label the amount of fruit juices in them. We dont do that over here. The best fizzy/fruity drink i have found is Appletiser - which is sparkling pure apple juice. Has this crossed the pond?

I thought the main reasons for avoiding carbonated drinks was the Aspartame - which seems to get a lot of bad press - its a sweetner thats added but apparently can cause some cancers (but doesnt everything these days cause cancer?)

[Sangye]

I forgot to mention high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)-- an absolute disaster for our food supply.

Sodas contain either sugar (in the form of HFCS) or artificial sweeteners. As deadly as HFCS is over time, I avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague. They are extremely dangerous. It's true that we can't avoid everything that causes cancer, but artificial sweeteners are fairly easy to avoid.

[annekat]

The fruity ones dont nearly have enough fruit juices in them tho i remember when i visited the States 2 years ago they label the amount of fruit juices in them. We dont do that over here. The best fizzy/fruity drink i have found is Appletiser - which is sparkling pure apple juice. Has this crossed the pond?


We have sparkling apple cider in what looks like wine bottles. Martinelli's is the well known brand where I am and I just tried another called Apple Valley, which I think is almost as good. Both are from California. These contain no added sweeteners. They are often used as substitutes for alcoholic beverages at holiday dinners, as they go well with food. I don't put these in the same category with sodas, or fizzies, and consider them healthful. I hope I'm right.

Anne

[annekat]

I am confused about the role of phosphoric acid in sodas, what is it and why is it in there? Al says it isn't related to carbonation. I'm assuming the sparkling ciders I drink don't contain it, since it isn't listed on the label. And how do they get the carbonation into these things? What about sparkling water, e.g. club soda, seltzer water, and the flavored but unsweetened ones? I find all of these helpful when feeling any indigestion.

Anne

[me2]

Gee thanks Al for the info. Now every time I see a case of Coca Cola I will be imagining a toilet brush taped to the box.
Lots of good info here. I quit sodas long ago and I was a regular consumer (they didn't come with a brush so I drank them).

Sangye mentions the high fructose corn syrup and one of the things hfc is accused of is causing cravings. I don't know how they have determined this but it certainly fits with my experience. So to stop or reduce consumption of anything with hfcs is a bit like a drug addict going through detox. This also fits with my experience. It was difficult to reduce soda consumption. In fact I had to go cold turkey and then at a later time was able to have one just once in a while. I drink about two sodas a year. I will maybe buy a third one now for those stubborn stains.

[TOBEY32]

Thought phosphoric acid was only in the "dark" ones: cola, root beer, etc., but maybe not. My whole thing is I enjoy the carbonation. High fructose corn syrup wouldn't be enough to make me stop, but kidney and bone involvement might would be. I will see what my docs think, and go over again what's said here. All I can say is who wants to eat popcorn at the movies ... and down it with water. Maybe I'll make that one of those exception times.

[Al]

I forgot to mention high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)-- an absolute disaster for our food supply.

Sodas contain either sugar (in the form of HFCS) or artificial sweeteners. As deadly as HFCS is over time, I avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague. They are extremely dangerous. It's true that we can't avoid everything that causes cancer, but artificial sweeteners are fairly easy to avoid.

It is true that most sodas are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, though a few proudly (!) tout their use of "natural" cane sugar, as if it were a health food. Yeah, I suppose you could smoke organic tobacco too. Anyway, there is a lot of controversy about HFCS. The industry claims that it isn't so bad. Personally, I avoid it, so much as possible (the stuff is pretty ubiquitous), partly because I would rather be on the conservative side of the controversy; also, I think it is a very bad use for corn (and for the subsidies for corn that we taxpayers cough up). In any case, note that anything ending in "--ose" is a sugar: sucrose, dextrose, maltose, fructose, etc. White sugar, for instance, is a combination of sucrose and fructose. The sugar found in most fruits is mainly fructose--hence the name. But from the bodies point of view, they are all sugars, though some will cause glycemic spiking more than others, which is hard on the body. I do not know for a fact that HFCY is worse than an equivalent amount of some other sugar. Yet, in all cases, too much is a bad thing. Even so, the results are not as easy to predict on an individual basis. There are plenty of people who eat atrociously, yet stay pretty healthy. Many for eat pristine diets, yet get sick. Why? Surely, there are many more things going on. And another thing: I am pretty sure that the end result of having a dessert of pie and ice cream at Grandma's house, surrounded by a loving family and good conversation is a much different game than furtively wolfing a Twinkie and Coke (along with a cigarette) during an office break.

I also avoid artificial sweeteners, which, their being so recently developed, I suspect the body does not know how to digest. There is one possible sweetener substitute that might be les deleterious: Stevia, which comes from an herb in the sunflower family. It has essentially no effect on serum glucose level, so might be more acceptable for Weggies with a sweet tooth (pred users have to watch glucose levels carefully; steroids can easily push glucose levels into the diabetic range). Still, I wouldn't get carried away....

Al

[Al]

I am confused about the role of phosphoric acid in sodas, what is it and why is it in there? Al says it isn't related to carbonation. I'm assuming the sparkling ciders I drink don't contain it, since it isn't listed on the label. And how do they get the carbonation into these things? What about sparkling water, e.g. club soda, seltzer water, and the flavored but unsweetened ones? I find all of these helpful when feeling any indigestion.
I suspect it is there, Anne, to give the flavor an added punch; without it, the soda would be too sweet for most everyone. But this is only a guess. Carbonation comes from adding CO2 (carbon dioxide). This causes the bubbles when the top comes off. It can be added to any drink; in the case of sparkling wine (and beer), it doesn't need to be added, as it comes "for free" in the fermentation process. Many people use carbonated beverages to "settle the stomach. I do know know why this should work, but I remember as a kid I would take some ginger ale and put my face into the glass, letting the bubbles pop against my skin. This helped. As for sparling apple juice, I'm not sure I would call it a "health food'--there is far too little apple juice in it. But natural juices without added sweeter (i.e., HFCS) are certainly better that those with the other crap in them. I personally find Martinelli's pretty pedestrian compared to some small label stuff that is really good. You can find some of these at the high-end stores. (In our area, I would go to Puget Sound Consumer's Coop--you don't have to be a member.) I do not eschew these products; neither do I guzzle them. As a lawn-mowing drink, I much prefer plain, cold water.

Al

[Al]

Thought phosphoric acid was only in the "dark" ones: cola, root beer, etc., but maybe not. My whole thing is I enjoy the carbonation. High fructose corn syrup wouldn't be enough to make me stop, but kidney and bone involvement might would be. I will see what my docs think, and go over again what's said here. All I can say is who wants to eat popcorn at the movies ... and down it with water. Maybe I'll make that one of those exception times. Of course, David, theater popcorn is pretty salty, and often flooded with fake butter loaded with trans-fats....

Phosphoric acid comes standard in many non-dark sodas. Also caffeine, if that bothers you (check out Mountain Dew, for example). But the key is, as always, in moderation....

Al

[ArlaMo]

Dang, I wish my water could occasionally taste like my favorite diet Coke with Vanilla....sigh

[Al]

Gee thanks Al for the info. Now every time I see a case of Coca Cola I will be imagining a toilet brush taped to the box....I will maybe buy a third one now for those stubborn stains.

This made me laugh, Kirk!

Al

[Al]

Dang, I wish my water could occasionally taste like my favorite diet Coke with Vanilla....sigh I know it doesn't have the caffeine zing, but how about a dribble of vanilla in some mineral water?

Al

[Dryhill]

I like a few carbonated drinks, but generally when I do have one I dilute it about 50/50 with water which is enough to satisfy my craving for a fizzy drink. The only one that I drink neat is ginger beer, but I only have one or two bottles a year.

I would however highly recommend that all households keep a bottle/can of cola available as it is a wonderful for removing very old thick grease and engine oil from nuts and bolts, etc. ............... so just think after drinking cola you will have no more thick layers of engine oil inside you anymore. :flapper:

Jim

[drz]

My nurse also recommends (requires) I keep a can of CocaCola in the fridge at all times for any serious hypoglycemic episode since it has a high glycemic index. There are a few foods that are higher but sodas are easy to store and drink quickly when your blood glucose levels are too low. It is also easy to find when your brain is all fogged up from low blood glucose too.

[Al]

[....I would however highly recommend that all households keep a bottle/can of cola available as it is a wonderful for removing very old thick grease and engine oil from nuts and bolts, etc. ............... so just think after drinking cola you will have no more thick layers of engine oil inside you anymore. :flapper:

Jim
Yeah, it's as good as WD-40. Also, Jim, to deal with those troublesome toilet bowl stains....

Al

[Al]

My nurse also recommends (requires) I keep a can of CocaCola in the fridge at all times for any serious hypoglycemic episode since it has a high glycemic index. There are a few foods that are higher but sodas are easy to store and drink quickly when your blood glucose levels are too low. It is also easy to find when your brain is all fogged up from low blood glucose too.

drz, do you have a lot of hypoglycemic episodes?

Al

[Dryhill]

Yeah, it's as good as WD-40. Also, Jim, to deal with those troublesome toilet bowl stains....

Al

Yes Al it is pretty good stuff, I am just not sure it should be allowed as a drink?

Jim

[drz]

drz, do you have a lot of hypoglycemic episodes?

Al

I used to until I got my continuous glucose monitor (CGM). I found out the first week I had it that I was having several hypoglycemic episodes almost every night but had slept through them before getting the CGM. My endocrinologist also encourages me to run my Blood Glucose levels on the high side to avoid the hypos which he says are far more dangerous and destructive to my body. Some times I feel them, sometimes I don't after having them for years.