Acidic Beverages and Your Health

It's no secret that acidic beverages wreak havoc on the teeth's enamel. But, did you know consuming highly acidic drinks can also harm your health in other ways as well? Frequent consumption of highly acidic drinks, such as coffee, tea, sodas, and juices, can cause numerous health complications all over your body, not just in the mouth. While it's ok to consume acidic drinks, it's best to only consume them in moderation.

Dangers to Your Teeth

We all know that consuming acidic drinks is harmful to our teeth but do you know why? Consuming highly acidic drinks frequently can cause the teeth to turn yellow. The high levels of sugars and acids in the drinks weaken the enamel of the teeth because the teeth become smothered in the enamel eating ingredients. Overtime, these harmful ingredients strip away the teeth's enamel, which cannot be reversed. As the protective enamel layer of the teeth begins to disappear, the teeth are left vulnerable to developing cavities and many other dental problems.

Energy drinks are among the most harmful of acidic beverages to consume. If you placed a tooth in an energy drink it would dissolve entirely overtime. The reason energy drinks are so harmful is because they contain citric acid, which causes enamel to dissolve quicker than other acidic drinks. If energy drinks and other acidic drinks are consumed frequently and for a prolonged period of time, the teeth can actually begin to crack and decay.

Dangers to Your Health

Consuming acidic drinks are harmful to people who suffer from acid reflux. People who have acid reflux and consume acidic beverages on a regular basis put themselves at risk for other health complications. By consuming acidic beverages with acid reflux can damage the esophagus and the lining of the stomach.

Acidic beverages also cause damage to the bones, increasing the risk for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. This occurs because caffeine within the acidic drinks cause the bones to lose calcium. As calcium levels are depleted the bones begin to weaken, becoming soft and brittle. This causes an increased risk for broken bones and fractures.

Reducing the Dangers

While the only way to fully prevent the dangers that can occur from consuming acidic drinks is to avoid them completely, you can decrease the amount of damage that is caused. There are steps you can take to decrease the dangers you face while consuming highly acidic beverages. It's best to consume acidic beverages in moderation. To avoid submerging the teeth in the harmful acidic ingredients, drink through a straw and rinse the mouth well with water after drinking or brush your teeth. Whenever possible, substitute an acidic drink with water.

References:

"Juices, Tea, and Energy Drinks Erode Teeth" CNN.com

"Commercial Soft Drinks" AGD.org

"Improper Consumption of Acidic Foods" Science Daily