Drinking soda is like drinking liquid candy. Seriously. Sodas are sugary calorie bombs that have contributed to the obesity epidemic in our country -- and our soda habit has also been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, premature aging and hormone disruption.
Most sodas contain high fructose corn syrup (which is where all the calories come from), food dyes, preservatives and other sketchy ingredients. And your soda habit isn't just making you fat; it's also linked to cavities and tooth decay. Some sodas also contain an ingredient called brominated vegetable oil (BVO); BVO is supposed to keep the artificial flavors and the rest of your soda from separating -- and it also keeps plastics flame retardant and is linked to memory loss, nerve disorders and skin conditions. Diet soda drinkers also need to worry about the impact of artificial sweeteners on their health, which we'll go into detail on next.