When your employees get thirsty or tired at work, there’s a good chance they turn to soda for a sugar or caffeine boost to get them through the day. But this midday sugar rush is not only addictive, it’s a short-term energy solution that often results in a crash.
Because of this, it’s more important than ever for organizations to help their workforce slash soda and sugary drinks from their diet. This is a boon to their long-term health and, as a result, your bottom line. Read on to learn the full impact of soda on your workers’ well-being and the value of providing sparkling water as a workplace alternative.
Despite a wider recognition of the consequences of a soda habit, a majority of Americans continue to consume at least one sugary drink on a given day. And, while sales and consumption of beverages with added sugar are down, Healthy Food America reports that soda is still the dominant sugary drink, making up 65% of total sales.
A soft drink might seem like a fun, refreshing treat at work, but the influence of soda and sugar on your stomach is considerable. So, what does soda do to your stomach? The most notable consequences are as follows:
Stomach pain from carbonation: It’s common to feel sharp stomach pain after drinking soda due to the carbonation: which causes a buildup of gas and leads to bloating, cramping, and discomfort.
Acid reflux symptoms: While there’s not a persistent link between soda and acid reflux, carbonated soda can slightly alter pH levels in your body and add air to your intestines — commonly resulting in acid reflux symptoms.
Disrupted gut health: If you think diet soda is a healthier substitute — think again. Your upset stomach can often be attributed to aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in diet soda. This sweetener disrupts your gut’s microbiome, which is essential to keep your body functioning properly.
Increased stomach acid production: A carbonated beverage can serve as an acid load, which can raise your gastric acid volume. This wreaks havoc on your stomach lining and often results in heartburn and further acid reflux symptoms.
At the end of the day, an ongoing soda habit is detrimental to your workforce’s gut health, which has wide-reaching impacts on their overall well-being and performance. What’s more, stomach pain isn’t the only problem that sugary carbonated drinks can lead to: In fact, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, drinking soda has also been linked to:
Type 2 diabetes
Weight gain
Fatty liver disease
Tooth decay
Obesity
An increased risk of heart disease and cancer
Alternatives To Consider — Making the Switch To Sparkling Water at Work
Attempting to get your workers to opt for tap water over a soda can be difficult, but considering the switch to a sparkling water alternative might do just the trick! Sparkling water, also commonly referred to as carbonated water, seltzer water, and fizzy water, is typically calorie-free and available in a variety of flavors. By minimizing (or completely removing) added sugars, a carbonated replacement does remarkably less damage to your stomach, teeth, and overall health. This water is not only better for your employees’ health but Healthline reports that this soda substitute is just as hydrating as tap water.
Overall, sparkling water is significantly healthier than its sugary counterpart while being considerably more exciting than regular water — promoting greater levels of hydration throughout your workforce long-term.
The Benefits of Opting For a Healthier Substitute
As your workforce makes the switch to carbonated water and hydration improves, your business can expect to see a host of valuable benefits that include:
Decreasing Soda Intake in Your Workplace With a Bottleless Cooler From Quench
Help your employees ditch soda at work by introducing fresh, filtered sparkling water with a bottleless cooler from Quench. Organizations can explore our broad range of sparkling and specialty products, including plain sparkling water machines and our Bevi machine, which offers flavored sparkling water on demand. Or, workplaces can optimize their hydration with a combined still and sparkling water machine — so your employees, guests, and customers have access to an endless supply of both regular and sparkling water as needed.
If you’re ready to drive health and hydration in your workplace with a bottleless water cooler, get a free quote to get started.
So, what does soda do to your stomach? The most notable consequences are as follows: Stomach pain from carbonation: It's common to feel sharp stomach pain after drinking soda due to the carbonation: which causes a buildup of gas and leads to bloating, cramping, and discomfort.
For some people, drinking too much sparkling water can induce gas and bloating, making them uncomfortable. Patients with acid reflux, gastroesophgeal reflux disease (GERD), or gas who are drinking mostly carbonated water should switch to non-carbonated beverages, like plain water.
Side Effect of Carbonated Drinks: Belching and Heartburn
Consuming carbonated soft drinks may cause repeated belching as your stomach stretches from the accumulation of carbon dioxide gas. Food and stomach acid may come up your food pipe as you belch, causing heartburn and a sour taste in your mouth.
The addition of carbon dioxide to water creates carbonic acid. In the short term, seltzer water's carbonation and acidic pH could lead to gas, bloating and acid reflux. In the long term, drinking too much seltzer water may also cause dental erosion.
“Because of the fact that it is carbonated, it can cause gas and bloating in some people.” That said, if you sip seltzer and feel totally fine, you're free to drink away. If you do experience any digestion issues, though, consider flavoring still water instead to get the best of both worlds.
Kenneth Brown, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Texas. On the whole, the experts we spoke with agreed that for most people, drinking sparkling water shouldn't cause any problems. “Sparkling water has the potential to cause reflux symptoms, gas or bloating in anyone,” said Dr.
Thankfully, sparkling water can prove to be a much-needed lifeline. This water can relieve constipation by improving gallbladder emptying, increasing stool volume, and softening stools. It can also help ease bloating and gas, two other causes of constipation.
A 2018 study found carbonated water could negatively effect tooth enamel. In general, both dietitians say that drinking sparkling water every day is not going to negatively affect the body—as long as you keep it in moderation.
How does carbonated water affect your body? Primarily, carbonated water simply hydrates your body just like regular water. However, carbonated beverages introduce bubbles to your stomach that can make you burp. Some people find that the effect of the bubbles in the stomach aides in relieving stomach aches.
Drinking soda every day can cause a lot of damage to your health because it contains so much sugar. Excessive intake can cause chronic health issues, from obesity to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart diseases. Even drinking diet soda or other sugary juices every day has negative side effects.
It is typically the result of food moving through the digestive system or in the case of hunger, muscle contractions changing, moving air or liquid through voids.
Liquids leave the stomach faster because there is less to break down: Plain water: 10 to 20 minutes. Simple liquids (clear juices, tea, sodas): 20 to 40 minutes. Complex liquids (smoothies, protein shakes, bone broths): 40 to 60 minutes.
Symptoms that you may be drinking too much soda may include: Chest pain, heartburn and regurgitation for those with digestive issues. Indigestion, inflammation, nausea, diarrhea and bloating caused by high amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Increased urine output and dehydration due to caffeine and sugar.
No evidence suggests that carbonated or sparkling water is bad for you. It's not that harmful to dental health, and it seems to have no effect on bone health. Interestingly, a carbonated drink may even enhance digestion by improving swallowing ability and reducing constipation.
While it won't cause IBS, carbonated water may cause bloating and gas, which can lead to IBS flare-ups if you are sensitive to carbonated beverages. The bottom line: if you have stomach issues and experience flare-ups after drinking carbonated water, you may be better off eliminating them.
So, what does soda do to your stomach? The most notable consequences are as follows: Stomach pain from carbonation: It's common to feel sharp stomach pain after drinking soda due to the carbonation: which causes a buildup of gas and leads to bloating, cramping, and discomfort.
Since sparkling water contains CO2 gas, the bubbles in this fizzy drink can cause burping and bloating symptoms, and Dr. Ghouri also points out the brands that contain artificial sweeteners may cause diarrhea and even alter your gut microbiome.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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