Surprisingly Unhealthy Foods and Drinks to Avoid

Most of us know that Twinkies and french fries do not make a balance diet. But it's not always so obvious what other foods to avoid, or exactly how they harm our health. Whether you're watching your weight, battling disease, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your children, its important to know what you're putting in your body. Stay informed and check out this list of common foods that are surprisingly bad for you.

Diet Soda

Most of us who are watching our weight think that diet soda is a better alternative. Most brands have no calories, they're full of caffeine, and they can fill you up between meals. But the problem with diet soda is that because its calorie free, most of us don't feel any need to moderate our intake. We drink it instead of water, which is not only bad for the kidneys but a great way to pick up a highly addictive habit.

So what's so bad about being addicted to diet soda? Well, there are several reasons. First, diet sodas often contain caffeine, a diuretic substance which promotes water retention. Secondly, many diet sodas contain aspartame which in large enough amounts (say, a few cans a day for a few years) can cause cancer. But, according to the folks at Mercola, inc., it can also cause other side effects that most diet soda drinkers would never associate with their favorite drink like: headaches, dizziness, nausea, depression, insomnia and tinnitus.

Red Bull

I was actually a little sad to read this on about.com. Red Bull got me through a lot of long nights of studying in the library. For those of you that are unfamiliar with it, it is a super-sweet, super-caffeinated (80mg) drink that gives you a burst of energy. But, as it turns out, recent studies have proven that Red Bull is actually pretty harmful. It turns out that drinking it makes your blood "sticky" in the same way as that of people with cardiovascular disease. And it may actually increase your risk for that disease as well as stroke. In fact, several countries have outlawed the drink because of the associated health risks.

Soy

Surprised? Me too. But, according to an article from Healthy and Green Living, soy has high levels of phytoestrogen, a molecule that is very similar to human estrogen. Studies are currently being conducted to see if over-consumption of soy can be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. And, until conclusive results can be reached, many doctors advise that women who are at high risk for breast cancer eliminate soy beans, tofu, soy sauce and the like from their diets. Plus, as an additional warning, the article advises that soy is a highly allergenic food that can cause stomach and gastrointestinal problems.

Blue Foods

Yup, blue foods. M&M's, candies, slushies, icing. Ever wonder where that blue dye comes from? The guys at Scientific American have and they came up with some frightening answers. Turns out, there are two different kinds of blue food dye out there, and they both come from unexpected places: Blue dye No.1 comes from coal tar or synthetic oil depending on the manufacturer. Blue dye No. 2 is exactly the same dye that they use to color commercial blue jeans (that's right, pants). Although these dyes have not been linked to any life threatening illnesses, it has long been argued that they are linked to attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Source: www.mercola.com, about.com , www.care2.com, Scientific American