Tags
artificial sweeteners, Diet soda, false advertising, food industry, Gatorade, health and wellness, health compromise, healthy beverages, high fructose corn syrup, media, Minnesota Public Radio, Pepsi, Pepsi Next, predatory advertising, Soft drink, sucralose, sugar, Sugar substitute, water, weightloss
A long time ago, I gave up soda entirely. The amount of sugar in regular soda exceeds most desserts, and the artificial sweeteners in diet soda wreak havoc on the body. Either choice of beverage is like introducing your immune system to a battle with every single sip. Over time, the regular consumption of soda presents your body with a war it cannot win.
That being said, I was intrigued by an advertisement I saw the other day while I was pumping gas at a gas station that has television screens at the pumps. Pepsi Next, a new soft drink scheduled to hit shelves at the end of March, promised to be a compromise between those concerned with the amount of sugar in regular soft drinks, and those concerned with the artificial sweeteners in diet soda. While I have no intention of returning to soda, this ad sparked in me some hope for those who regularly drink it. Perhaps, I thought, our culture’s shift toward a more natural approach to health and wellness is starting to sink in with major corporations. Perhaps, much like how Clorox came up with a line of green cleaning products, Pepsi is attempting to win back customers who want to be informed about what they are putting into their bodies.
After some research, I’m a bit sad—although I can’t say terribly surprised—to say apparently not. If you get a moment, check out this article by Minnesota Public Radio. If you don’t have the time to read the whole thing, here’s the part that needs to be called out. About half-way through the article, it reads:
Pepsi says its latest stab at an in-between soda uses a different formula to more closely imitate the taste of regular soda. In addition to sugar, Pepsi Next is made with a mix of three artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup.
High fructose corn syrup? REALLY???? This is their attempt at a compromise? A highly volatile, “all natural” ingredient that is known to cause liver damage because the body does not recognize it as food? And what about the “mix of three artificial sweeteners” that Pepsi is not willing to list? What are we to make of that?
It seems Pepsi’s intention is crystal clear: use taste, above all else, to win back customers who hopefully will not notice or care that they will be pumping their bodies full of poison.
With a heavy sigh, I apologize for stepping away from what I fully intend to be a positive, love-filled blog. I do hop on my soap box from time to time. Suffice to say the deceit in the advertisement I saw inspired me to pass on a warning. If you’re a soda drinker, don’t be fooled by Pepsi’s new “compromise.” You’d be better off drinking regular soda. Sure, it has more calories and a higher sugar content, but you won’t be pumping your body full of artificial and dangerous ingredients. If you’re concerned about health, and have been thinking of laying off the soft drinks, consider switching to Vitamin Water Zero. Its taste and electrolyte boost is similar to Gatorade, but it has zero calories. Here’s the great part: it’s sweetened with an herb called stevia, which is 100% natural and easy to digest, and has no caloric content.
And, because I simply can’t sign off without saying this, please love yourself enough to drink water! The benefits of pure H2O cannot be stressed enough, especially if you do drink other beverages that contain questionable ingredients. Water, along with countless other benefits, will aid your body in flushing out what does not belong there. Okay ‘nough said. Now that I’ve gone and added water, my soap box is all sudsy. And with that truly awful joke, I bid you adieu.