Never Have Carbonated Beverages/Cold Drinks And Fast Food Together

Fast food almost feels incomplete without that glass of coke on the other hand. Sadly, cold drinks plus fast food are not so good for your health. Cold drinks in combo meal are increasingly becoming the staple for most people and while it might feel wholesome and filling initially, this combination can have a long-term effect on your health and immunity.

DID YOU KNOW? A regular bottle of soft drink (600 ml) drink contains  16 teaspoons of sugar!

It is important to be aware of the disadvantage of processed food to consume them in a regulated manner.

Read on to learn about the side effects of cold drinks, which food combinations to avoid, and why you absolutely mustn’t mix your fast food with carbonated beverages.

Why avoid carbonated drinks?

1. Carbonated drinks contain a lot of sugar which often leads to an increase in the glycemic index of the food that you are consuming. This can cause high blood sugar levels.
2. Sugar in carbonated drinks is a source of molecules called fructose. An excess accumulation of fructose eventually turns into fat, some of which might accumulate in the liver. This can cause nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
3. One of the most basic reasons to avoid the consumption of carbonated drinks is that it adds nothing tangible to your body. Soda contains nothing more than sugar in it and consumption of this sugar only increases the calories that you never asked for.
4. As mentioned earlier, carbonated drinks are a source of fructose. This molecule often leads to what is known as leptin resistance. Leptin is responsible to regulate the fat cells produced in the body. Developing resistance to this hormone can be a contributing factor to unhealthy weight gain, especially in adolescents.
5. You must not ignore that processed foods or beverages, no matter how good they taste; increase stress, mood swings, anxiety levels too. This can make things worse as they further lead to sleep issues.

The disadvantage of processed food

Most of the fast-food that we consume contains a large quantity of simple carbohydrates and almost no fiber or necessary nutrients. These food cause a rise in blood sugar which eventually spike the insulin in the body. A rise in insulin can lead to diseases like type 2 diabetes.

Another thing to keep in mind is that fast food has a very high amount of sodium in it. It is recommended that an adult should consume around 2300 milligrams of sodium per day. Studies have shown that consumption of one fast food meal can contain half the amount of daily sodium requirement. There are various other complications such as weak bones, obesity, skin rash, digestion issue.

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Why do you need to ditch drinks with fast food?

To paint a picture most simply, when you get your fast food meal coupled with a carbonated beverage, you bring the drawbacks (listed above) of both these 'not-so-gut-friendly' substances. A combination of these two could be the worst form of self-sabotage.

Calorie overload

One of the most important reasons why you need to avoid this combination is calories. Both carbonated drinks and fast food are very in sugar content, saturated fat, and sodium. Consumption of these two together can add up to more than 300 calories!

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Bone health

Consumption of the two together can also affect your bone health. Both of these types of food have a very high amount of phosphorus which often reduces the amount of calcium in the body thus hampering bone strength and density.

Dehydration

When you drink carbonated beverages with your meal, you leave no space for any other type of liquid consumption. What gets ignored in such a situation is water. Your body needs the minerals that water provides to aid digestion and help in absorbing nutrients.

Food combinations to avoid

Now that we know the various drawbacks that carbonated drinks and fast food have and that the combination of the two might not be best for your health, we have listed below a few food combinations to avoid and why.

Pastry:

One cannot emphasize enough that carbonated beverages have a very high amount of sugar. Combining them with pastries and muffins could lead to dangerously high levels of sugar in your body and can also lead to a heart attack.

Spicy food such as tacos or anything with chilli:

These foods raise your temperature when you consume them. This makes you want to immediately gulp down something to quench your thirst. More often than not, a person usually reaches out for the can of soda that they bought with their meal. When you consume soda as when your body with the meals, it raises temperature leading to the formation of sulphuric acid which can cause acidity in your stomach.

Pizza or other cheesy food

Cheesy food like Pizza should not be combined with carbonated beverages like coke. The combination of acids produced by the two can create discomfort and bloating.

To Conclude

All of us enjoy our share of cold drinks and food, and while you don’t have to necessarily get rid of them entirely, it is important to consume things moderately. Cutting on carbs and sugar early in life reduces the susceptibility to dangerous illnesses in the future. Next time you find yourself at a fast-food outlet, ditch that massive glass of bubbles.

FAQ's

Is sparkling water safe?

Sparkling water is drinking water that uses carbon dioxide to give it that fizzy taste you find in cold drinks. Sparkling water or seltzer water is safe to consume so long as you dodge ones with added sugar or sugar alternatives.

Is diet coke better than regular cold drinks?

Regular cold drinks contain too much sugar as discussed above. Diet coke contains artificial sweeteners which makes them low in calories, but diet coke does not have any nutritional value. If you are looking for something healthy, diet coke is not idle.