I have to keep reminding myself why I’m trying to give up sodas for good. I have been drinking the diet stuff for years now and it’s time to give it up.

So here’s 9 reasons why we should all stop drinking soda:

1. Soda is absolutely useless. There aren’t any benefits from drinking sodas. Even diet sodas are mostly filtered water and artificial sweeteners.

2. It increases the risk of Osteoporosis. If you drink a lot of soda, it can increase your risk of getting Osteoporosis because people aren’t getting the same amount of calcium in their diets. Once upon a time, kids were drinking several glasses of milk a day and now, they aren’t drinking nearly as much so they have weaker bones early in life.

3. Obesity. If you’re drinking the sugary stuff, you’re getting a lot of empty calories and many people forget about the calories in a drink. Drinking a can of soda every day can translate into over a pound of weight gain every single month. If you think you’re safe by drinking sugar-free diet sodas well, you’re wrong there too. Many studies are now saying that the diet sodas are causing people to actually eat more because the diet sodas make them hungrier.

4. High blood pressure. Typically the heavier you are, the more likely you are to have high blood pressure. Also, scientists are saying that consuming too much fructose can lead to higher blood pressure.

5. Soda can lead to heartburn. This one I know from experience. Whenever I was having gallbladder problems, I thought at first it was really bad heartburn (because that’s what the hospital initially told me) and they told me to stop drinking soda.

6. Dental erosion. Soda contains acids that eat away at enamel, more than that sugary sodas also end up causing cavities.

7. Aspartame is a toxin. The artificial sweetener in most diet sodas is not only 200 times sweeter than regular table sugar, it also breaks down into three different kinds of chemicals: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Methanol ends up converting into formaldehyde and formic acid, which are both carcinogens.

8. Dehydration. Caffeine and sugar both cause dehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic and drinking a caffeinated drink can actually cause you to be thirstier.

9. You can get more nutrition from other drinks. Herbal teas, green tea, and even regular tea all have antioxidants in them and can help you ward off health problems. Milk is full of calcium and vitamin D, both of which we don’t get enough of.

There is a huge market right now for energy drinks. When it comes to growth in the carbonated and non carbonated beverages markets, the only things causing growth is energy drinks and diet sodas.

Since energy drinks are so insanely popular right now (I’ll go ahead and blame it on the fact that no one is getting the amount of sleep they need and are working longer hours), here are some things to watch out for with your favorites.

*Remember, if you can, go for the Sugar Free or “Low Carb” versions of the drinks, they nearly eliminate calories and you won’t get that weird sugar rush.*

5 Hour Energy
The 5 hour energy shot claims to give you five hours of energy without crashing or jitters and it’s sugar free!

While it isn’t published exactly how much caffeine is in one of these 2 ounce shots, the company claims it’s about as much as a cup of coffee. In my opinion, this is a better alternative to coffee because I have a very coffee-intolerant stomach. If you’re a coffee drinker or an energy drink fan, like myself, then the caffeine in one of these should be just enough to give you a quick pick me up, but you may not feel the effects for the full five hours.

Red Bull (The 8 ounce can)
The regular version of this drink has 110 calories and 27 grams of sugar. It also contains 76 mg of caffeine, which is less than most restaurant coffees. It also comes with Taurine and B-Vitamins. B-vitamins are supposed to help boost the metabolism, but reports say that taurine work against that effect (and sugar definitely doesn’t help in the fight against calories).

Red Bull has been deemed safe by a 2008 research study that was presented to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. There were no negative side effects on those who drank a can.

Red Bull is my particular favorite. I keep a 4-pack in my fridge at all times. In my opinion, the sugar free version of this drink is better than the regular version and you aren’t left with that awful “I just drank syrup” taste in your mouth.

AMP
This is the energy drink that is supposed to be from Mountain Dew. The 16.9 ounce can has 220 calories, 58 grams of sugar, and 142 mg of caffeine. If these numbers are discouraging, there is also a sugar free version of this drink.

This can be considered a big Red Bull, except it tastes very different in my opinion. It has all the same supplements like taurine, ginseng, and guarana. From personal experience, if you like this drink it is typically cheaper in the four packs than Red Bull because it comes in a can that’s twice the size.

Sobe Energy Adrenaline Rush
This has been deemed the “Worst Energy Drink” due to it’s 260 calories, 66 grams of sugar, and 152 mg of caffeine in a 16.9 ounce can. It contains D-ribose, L-carnitine, and taurine which are natural compounds that your body uses to maintain its metabolism.

Due to the high levels of sugar in this drink, there is a higher risk for a fairly massive sugar crash afterward. This drink has the same amount of sugar as 5.5 scoops of Edy’s slow churned Rocky Road ice cream.

I remember when Adrenaline Rush came in the smaller 8.9 ounce cans. It was the very first energy drink I ever had. I honestly can’t stand the way they taste now and their sugar free version leaves something to be desired.