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Today’s topic is about a “drug” that nobody wants to admit is a drug. No it’s not alcohol. Not Nicotine. Not the ones that go up your nose or in your arm.

This one is handed out like candy.

 It has the most recognizable sound, The Crack. The opening of an ice cold “soda” can.

For a lot of people , this is the sound of relief, safety, and comfort, a treat. A pick me up. A moment of happiness.

Everyone is talking about the effects of drinking Alcohol, and what it does to your brain, but I am not hearing as much about the effects of soda& diet soda on the brain & body. Unlike alcohol, we hand soda to kids at birthday parties, we get it at the movies, with fast food, at lunch, and  on road trips, no questions asked.

Soda is the habit we do not question- its everywhere, its woven into our culture. Soda is one of those things that people think is no big deal. It’s fun. Its everywhere. And because it's legal, and  it tastes great  we don’t think of it as a substance that changes the chemistry of our brain.  But that is exactly what it does.

But what if I told you that this innocent everyday drink has been quietly affecting your brain, your joint health, bones and organs more than you every realized.

Today on the Aging Mask, we are taking a look underneath that delicious bubbly surface- not to judge or shame, but to understand how these seemingly harmless everyday drinks affect your brain, your bones  and your body, and why quitting can feel as hard- if not harder- than quitting smoking or alcohol.

Millions  of people drink soda every single day- multiple times a day. And the long term cost of it is hardly ever spoken about. The danger of drugs and alcohol are all over everywhere, you hear it daily, even vaping has made headlines, where are the headlines about the danger in soda? 

Many kids are being given soda every single day and sometimes as early as age 5- and we don’t realize that this harmless treat” acts on their body like a drug. It affects their developing brain, weakens their bones, stresses their kidneys and sets the stage for life long health problems. Parents are not doing this intentionally- and teens and young adults are not drinking soda to intentionally cause health issues- nobody knows-it’s not talked about loudly. But once we know, we can do better.

If you are thinking that “diet soda is a free pass”  because there is no sugar, think again.Your brain cannot tell the difference between sweetness from sugar and sweetness from artificial sweeteners.

Your brain gets the “sweet” signal- but your body doesn’t get the calories, and your brain hates that. It feels tricked- and in response, it demands food- usually salty, fatty, and sugary foods, and it craves bad food because it’s trying to balance the false signal it just got.

This is why so many Diet Soda drinkers have intense cravings. It’s not weak willpower-it's brain chemistry. And this tells  you why Diet soda is even harder for some people to quit than regular soda-your dopamine center becomes tethered to that sweetness, that routine, that hit. 

Soda is a BILLION dollar industry and they are excellent at selling happiness- but your real happiness doesn’t live in a can.

Your brain clarity

Your stronger bones

Your energized mornings

Your calm joints

Your future memory And your stable mood are all the things that make your life good, you deserve a body and brain that feel good today and in the years to come.

If something is hard to quit, gives you withdrawals, and changes your brain chemistry we need to put it on the table as a genuine addiction- an addictive drug.

Enjoy!

Joanne Demers

The Aging Mask- A lifestyle Medicine

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