HELLO! I am a humble, effervescent liquid. Humble? Well, I am actually quite proud of myself. Allow me to brag a little. I fizz, sparkle, and bubble my way into thousands of people all over the World, every day!
I have much Power! I cause masses of Humanity to make beelines for snack dispensers everywhere. I stir men, women and teenagers to dash in their cars, even late at night, to their nearest 24 hour convenience store. I motivate others to root threw pockets or purses for last coins in exchange for me. The best thing about me is that I am Addicting! I am responsible for giving thousands of addicts their daily "fixes." This is because I often contain a substance called Caffeine.
It is a stimulant which makes their hearts beat fast, and their nervous systems work like crazy. But I am a sneaky double agent. I pretend to give people energy and a lift because of the Caffeine. But a few hours later they come crashing down, get shaky and then need me AGAIN, for another Charge. This plays havoc with their hearts and nerves, but they still look to me for relief day after day.
To give me an appetizing brown tint, I contain "caramel coloring," which has been proved to have genetic effects and a cancer causing suspect. I often have polyethylene glycol as one of my ingredients. Most of you don't know that glycol is used for antifreeze in autos, and an oil solvent.
The bubbles and fizz with which I potently burn your insides is caused by phosphoric acid and carbon dioxide. The phosphorus in the acid upsets the body's calcium-phosphorus ratio and dissolves calcium out of the bones and teeth. This can eventually result in Osteoporosis, and the weakening of the skeletal structure, making you susceptible to broken bones. The phosphorus also conflicts with the hydrochloric acid in your stomach and renders it ineffective. This promotes indigestion and also bloating in many individuals. Thus, I am a major cause of heartburn, when consumed with meals.
I am proud to announce that I offer a selection of 3 types of Sweeteners, according to my customers preferences. They are Saccharine or Aspartame in the diet type, or Sugar and Corn Syrup in regular drinks. Those substances enhance my appeal and are thought of as good. However, taste can be deceiving. Let me explain!
SACCHARINE, as an artificial sweetener,has proven to cause cancer in laboratory animals. There are warning labels on all my containers in which it is an ingredient.
ASPARTAME, mostly sold under the brand name, NUTRASWEET, has been linked by many case studies to convulsions, depression, insomnia, irritability, weakness, dizziness, headaches, mood changes, memory losses, and damage to the optic nerve.. (There is a Web Site set up where there are hundreds of case studies and Testimonials from affected persons dating back several years.)
SUGAR and CORN SYRUP can induce both Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)and Hyperglycemia(high blood sugar) in susceptible individuals. Hypoglycemia has been linked to mental illness and depression, while Hyperglycemia has triggered Diabetes. Specific studies done at the Univ. of Alabama have shown that when healthy volunteers drank 24 oz. of sugary cola drinks, it dramatically depressed their immune systems. The "good" blood cells, which attack harmful bacteria and viruses, were shown to greatly decrease, reducing the body's immunity to disease.
Sugar gives you a lift or burst of energy, then sends you crashing down with feelings of fatigue, like caffeine does. Then you drink more, to get another charge, and this pattern damages the adrenal glands. One of the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome is exhausted adrenal glands.
I am Gorgeous! I come dressed in a shiny metal can of various colors and tints. I beckon and dazzle shoppers as they pass me in the markets.
On a hot day, I am especially attractive. Many hands reach for cases of me to share with friends and family at picnics and parties. But I am very Tricky! My supposed thirst-quenching liquid which is alluringly encased in an aluminum can, contains traces of that metal. The acid in me eats away the aluminum, which floats around until you drink it. Aluminum is a very toxic substance and builds up in your body. It has a particular affinity for the brain, and has been linked to the degenerative senility affliction, known as Alzheimer's Disease.
I have another way to Trick you also! You think that you will lose weight by drinking me in the diet form, but this is not so! My high sodium content causes you to retain water, and often become "edemic." Your kidneys and bladder do not function properly after a long-time habit of soft drink intake. My ingredients destroy the beneficial flora in your colon, often causing constipation. This locks the toxins in your body so that they cannot be eliminated properly. Thus, the blood is impure and the cells are affected. In order to lose weight, fat must be flushed from the cells, by drinking lots of pure water.
The enzymes responsible for aiding the process of fat-release become paralyzed when they are poisoned, and so cannot do their job. People defeat their purpose when they try to lose weight drinking me!
In conclusion, I would like to brag that there is not a bit of humility in me! I am very egotistical, and am master over much of the decision making ability of the human race! You don't believe me? Look around you, on school campuses, in parks and beaches, at ball games, in all the business offices, at street corners----anywhere there are people--- SEE YOU AROUND!!!
Unfortunately, it is true. They are a part of our lives, and while drinking one occasionally (without caffeine) isn't all that bad, some people guzzle down more than a litre a day,--and that's another story!
