Although soft drinks are often the culprit for a series of health issues, they are, admittedly, vital vehicles of a balanced diet. After intensive work out, soft drinks are quicker absorbed than water providing to human body hydration and energy, while replenishing all the key vitamins and minerals that the body loses during exercising. Soft drinks typically complement fast food meals or pre-packaged foods, but the can also complement a healthy diet and be real catalysts to health and fitness. Besides, their balanced taste of sweet and acid, matched with their variety of pleasant flavors makes soft drinks appealing to all ages of consumers.
Being well aware of the effect that soft drinks have on consumers and the direct effect of advertising on them, soft drinks corporations and large beverage companies target from elementary school children to elder individuals aiming to meet their tastes and increase their profitability. From their point of view, soft drink corporations have a ‘competitive advantage’ over consumers in terms of being aware of the nutritional significance of soft drinks. Although they often exaggerate in the context of promoting their products and achieve highly profitable operations, still they have a point when they stress the nutritional value of soft drinks.
Without aiming to eliminate the negative effects of the soft drink consumption on our health, we have to be able to recognize any of the following positive effects that are derived from three major areas:
Energy: the formula of soft drinks is made in such a way to deliver a quickly assimilated energy that boosts the body. Soft drinks derive nearly 100 percent of their food energy from the high amount of fructose corn syrup they contain. In fact, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly misunderstood sweetener. There is no doubt that as a sweetener it is harmful if over-consumed. Particularly, as one of the main ingredients of soft drinks along with carbonated water and caffeine, high fructose corn syrup can be really harmful to human health. However, HFCS is quickly metabolized, almost as quick as regular sugar and therefore, it doesn’t have any greater impact on human metabolism, feeling of hunger, blood glucose levels or the energy intake than sugar. Besides, soft drinks contain high amounts of carbohydrates and are easily digested, while keeping the body’s energy in high levels. Carbohydrates maximize the body’s performance by fueling the muscles and ensuring their proper functioning.
Hydration: soft drinks replenish the fluids lost through sweating while working out. All those vitamins and nutrients that are lost through sweat cause the body to be dehydrated. However, our body needs these fluids in order to control its temperature and transport oxygen as well as other vital nutrients to its cells. Given that we lose water even without exercising, through breathing and through urine, it becomes evident how important it is to replenish all the fluids we lose after intense exercising. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (IOM), adults should consume 11 to 16 cups of total fluids per day, while the requirements for children range between 9 to 14 cups per day. Soft drinks can replenish these fluids that are vital for the proper functioning of the human body.
Low calorie intake: some soft drinks are formulated to low calorie intake coupled with key vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber.
Overall, soft drinks are not considered human health’s best friends, but admittedly, they have some nutritional value provided they are consumed moderately and within certain limits. The overconsumption that occurred between 1988 and 2004 when Americans consumed two 12-ounce cans of soda per day was an extreme phenomenon that resulted in obesity becoming a national epidemic in the United States, among other severe health conditions. However, this should not undermine the nutritional significance of soft drinks, which can be exploited with moderate consumption and a balanced diet.
