By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
10 Things That Can Happen When You Stop Drinking Soft Drinks
For many people, soft drinks are part of the meal rather than an occasional treat. A bottle may accompany lunch at work, dinner at home or a visit to a restaurant, and some people drink more than one in a day.
The amount of sugar involved can be easy to overlook because it comes in liquid form. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a 12-ounce can of regular soda contains more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar, about 42 grams, and around 150 calories.
That figure becomes more striking when compared with the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that free sugars should provide less than 10 per cent of daily energy intake.
For a person consuming about 2,000 calories a day, that is roughly 50 grams, or 12 teaspoons. WHO says reducing the amount to 5 per cent, about 25 grams or six teaspoons, may provide additional health benefits.
Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organisation, has stressed the importance of keeping sugar intake under control, saying, “keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay.”
For someone who regularly drinks soft drinks, removing them from the daily routine can therefore change more than what is in the glass.
1. Less sugar goes into the body
The most immediate difference is the amount of added sugar removed from the diet.
A person drinking one 12-ounce can of regular soda every day could take in about 42 grams of added sugar from that drink alone. If the person takes two cans daily, that rises to about 84 grams before sugar from other foods and drinks is considered.
This can make it easier to stay within recommended sugar limits, particularly for people who also eat sweet snacks, pastries, biscuits, cakes or other sweetened foods.
2. There may be fewer liquid calories to deal with
Soft drinks can add calories without making a person feel as full as they might after eating solid food.
One 12-ounce can contains about 150 calories from sugar. Drinking two every day would amount to about 300 calories a day and approximately 2,100 calories in a week.
Those calories do not automatically translate into weight gain because the overall diet and level of physical activity also matter. However, removing a regular source of liquid calories can make weight control easier, especially when the drinks are replaced with water rather than another high-calorie beverage.
Dr William H. Dietz, former Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the CDC, has urged people to reduce high-calorie foods and sugar-sweetened beverages as part of efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
3. The daily diet may become more balanced
A soft drink can occupy space in the diet without supplying the nutrients found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and other minimally processed foods.
When sugary drinks are removed, some people naturally begin choosing water or other unsweetened drinks. The money previously spent on sweetened beverages can also be redirected towards more nutritious foods.
This does not mean that everyone who quits soft drinks will suddenly have a healthy diet. The benefit becomes greater when the change is accompanied by better food choices.
4. Some risk factors for type 2 diabetes may improve
Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with type 2 diabetes.
Regularly drinking large quantities can add substantial sugar and calories to the diet and may contribute to excess weight, which is itself an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Removing soft drinks takes one regular source of added sugar out of the diet. It does not, however, prevent diabetes on its own, and people already living with diabetes still need appropriate medical care, food choices and physical activity.
5. There is one less dietary concern for heart health
The relationship between sugary drinks and cardiovascular health is another reason to examine the habit.
Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with heart disease and high blood pressure. Reducing them can therefore form part of a broader approach to improving diet and supporting cardiovascular health.
The change is particularly useful when a sugary drink is replaced with water instead of another drink containing large amounts of added sugar.
6. The liver may benefit from fewer excess calories
The liver also has a place in the conversation about sugary drinks.
Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. One reason researchers are concerned is that regular intake can contribute to excess calorie consumption and unhealthy weight gain.
Stopping soft drinks does not guarantee that a person will avoid liver disease. It removes one dietary habit associated with the problem and can make room for healthier choices.
7. Gout is another reason to watch sugary drinks
Gout is a painful form of arthritis associated with high levels of uric acid in the blood.
Frequent intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has been associated with gout. For people who already suffer from the condition, reducing sugary drinks can be part of a broader dietary approach recommended by a healthcare professional.
It should not be confused with treatment for an acute gout attack. Someone experiencing repeated attacks still needs proper medical assessment.
8. The teeth face less sugar and acid
The mouth can also benefit when soft drinks disappear from the daily routine.
WHO says dental caries affects about 2.5 billion people worldwide, making it one of the most common health conditions globally. Free sugars in foods and beverages are a major risk factor for tooth decay.
Soft drinks can create an additional problem because many are acidic. Frequent exposure to acidic drinks can gradually wear away tooth enamel.
Dr Edmond Hewlett, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, explained the concern clearly: “The more acidic the drink, the greater the risk of tooth erosion with frequent consumption.”
Dental erosion is different from ordinary tooth decay, but both can become serious oral-health problems. Once enamel is lost through erosion, the damage cannot simply be reversed.
9. Water can become the normal drink again
For some people, quitting soft drinks is less about giving something up and more about changing what they reach for when they are thirsty.
Water contains no added sugar or calories and can meet the body’s need for fluids without adding another source of sugar to the diet.
Keeping water nearby can make the change easier. Chilled water, plain sparkling water or water flavoured with slices of lime, lemon or cucumber can also provide variety without turning every drink into a sugary one.
10. Very sweet drinks may become less appealing
People who regularly drink highly sweetened beverages can become accustomed to that level of sweetness.
After reducing them, some may find that ordinary water and less-sweet drinks become easier to enjoy. A drink that once seemed normal may eventually taste excessively sweet.
That change can make it easier to reduce sugar elsewhere in the diet. WHO advises limiting free sugars rather than relying on non-sugar sweeteners as the main solution.
The change does not have to be extreme. Someone who drinks soft drinks several times a day does not necessarily have to change everything overnight.
Reducing the number of bottles, avoiding sugary drinks between meals and making water the first choice when thirsty are practical ways to begin.
It is also important to look beyond ordinary soda. Fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas, flavoured waters and some coffee beverages can also contain considerable amounts of added sugar.
The important question is not whether a person has ever taken a soft drink. It is whether a sweetened drink has become such a regular part of the day that its sugar and calories are no longer being noticed.
For someone with that habit, removing soft drinks can lower sugar intake, reduce liquid calories, support better weight management and improve the overall quality of the diet. It can also reduce repeated exposure of the teeth to sugar and acid.
The change is simple, but the effect depends greatly on what replaces the drink.
If soft drinks have become an everyday habit, replacing them with water or another suitable unsweetened drink is one practical way to reduce unnecessary sugar. The healthier choice is not simply what is removed from the bottle, but what takes its place.
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