Is it Soda or is it Pop?

Is it soda or is it pop? Depends on what part of the country you reside in, but it is all the same thing: carbonated goodness in a can that comes in all flavors, and sizes. We all enjoy one of these bubbly and sinfully good beverages on occasion because the taste of an ice-cold soda (or pop) can really hit the spot. There are many different varieties out there to try, such as root beer, grape soda, and orange soda. However, even though these tasty testaments to sugar and syrup have a place in many people's lives, they have many effects on our bodies.

Drinking too many carbonated beverages isn't just bad for your skin; it is also damaging to the stomach over a long period of time, which can cause ulcers, among other things. Most sodas produced in the United States all have one common ingredient in them: High-fructose corn syrup. I'm sure most of you have read about this throughout the years and how it has made its way into many of the foods and beverages we consume daily, but the next time you drink a can of soda, take a look at the ingredients and what you will spot is high-fructose corn syrup, well-positioned as the second ingredient. This component of the soda is what helps its sweetness, which is also much cheaper to produce than actual sugar. There is a lot of corn produced in this country, and it is big business for farmers and other companies making the actual syrup, so most of our sodas will contain this questionable substitute for sugar for the foreseeable future.

(Going off subject of soda for a moment, I wanted to mention a challenge about high-fructose corn syrup. I challenge you to look at labels of what you eat and read the ingredients. Does it contain HFCS? If you eat Ritz crackers, you bet it does. Ketchup? Yes, indeed. Don't forget about that Italian dressing, either.)

There are no real healthy sodas out there, even though some claim to have zero calories. What this does is it means zero taste. The market is big for these kinds of products because people want to lose weight and eat healthy, but they don't want to cut certain things out of their lives. If anyone is going to drink a soda, make it the classic and keep it in moderation because we don't want to have a bad acne and ulcer problem, now, do we? If you're serious about not wanting HFCS, try a Mexican soda. They don't contain HFCS and are made from real sugar. It's a hot summer, so enjoy a soda once in a while; I won't tell anyone.