Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health

Author: Mihail Robert - Theodoru

Teacher: Mînză Lidia

Institution: “Vasile Alecsandri” High School

        The term soft drink refers to a beverage that does not contain alcohol; generally it is also implied that the drink does not contain milk or other dairy products. Beverages like are Cola, mineral water or lemonade are among the most common types of soft drinks. Tea, hot chocolate, milk, cocktail are considered exceptions and do not fall into this classification.

Soft drinks (non-alcoholic) are liquids that are consumed to combat the sensation of heat and mostly for body hydration and that are why they are part of our daily life. Some drinks, such as stimulant soft drink increase physical energy and/or apparent clarity, speed of thought and stimulates metabolism.

One of the most consumed soft drink in the world is Coca-Cola, a soft drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company, made by coca leaf decaffeinated.

The distinctive flavour of “cola” comes mainly from a mixture of sugar, orange oil, lemon oil and vanilla, the remaining ingredients having only minor contributions. Producing company, Coca-Cola Corporation, is the largest consumer of natural vanilla extract in the world. Currently, Coca-Cola is the most consumed beverage in the world.

Fanta has its origins in Nazi Germany, when a trading ban was placed on that nation by the Allies during The Second World War.

T he composition of Fanta, for the same flavour, varies from country to country. For example, the European Fanta Orange has orange juice (in varying percentages), whereas the US formulation does not. The Australian version is 5% fruit juice, and South American formulations also have orange juice, especially in Brazil, where Fanta is 10% orange juice. These differences mean the taste of Fanta differs greatly from country to country, more so than regular Coca Cola, and may in part explain why the drink's popularity varies so much between different countries.

Effects of alcoholic beverages (especially Coca-Cola), that the human body may have it, can be seen easily by introducing a tooth or a piece of meat in a bowl with Coca-Cola. Results may be: meat color modification and changes of tooth shape.

In conclusion, the so called Diet soft drinks gained popularity. Different artificial sweeteners are used instead of sugar to give diet soda a sweet taste and some are often used simultaneously. Along with possible health concerns of sugar substitutes the effectiveness of diet soda as a weight loss tool should also be considered. Many soft drinks contain food additives such as food colouring, artificial flavouring, emulsifiers, and preservatives. Additives contained in soft drinks have major effects on the entire digestive system. Additives do not make soft drinks better for you. In fact, many doctors, health advocates and scientists are very concerned about the health and safety of these additives. Some of the commonly used additives come with some very serious side effects such as: headaches, depression, insomnia, hallucinations, abdominal cramps, allergic reactions etc.

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