Story by Olivia Sullivan, Columnist

Photo courtesy of Canva

The overwhelming amount of fizz that hits your mouth after one sip of soda is probably the strangest feeling in the world. It is disgusting. I am not sure if it is the bubbliness that sets me off or the cringe-worthy ingredients that these drinks consist of. 

High fructose corn syrup, caramel color, and phosphoric acid are some of the first ingredients listed on a can of Coke. My question is, do these really sound so appealing? I can just picture what all of these ingredients are doing to the insides of my stomach or my teeth, the amount of decay or discoloration that they are causing. 

For those that say diet soda is the solution, multiple studies show what its ingredient, aspartame, can do to our brains. The unnatural chemical levels that this ingredient heightens, when overconsumed, can cause neurological problems that lead to diseases down the road. The impact that soda can have on our bodies is alarming. 

I haven’t had a can of soda since middle school. The alleged belief that soda “caused acne” made my decision very easy; I never wanted to see that on my face. On top of that, I learned that pop dehydrates you. As an athlete throughout middle school and high school, I knew that this drink would not be good for me. Making healthy decisions would help me to succeed. 

After years of choosing not to drink soda, I developed a distaste for it. Now when I take a sip, it is almost a shock to my mouth. It’s something I do not want more of. For about half of U.S. adults, soda is a daily drink. A study done by Yale University in 2011 found that the average American consumes about 45 gallons of pop each year. 

My dislike for pop could be seen as a very unpopular opinion. It is clear from the statistics that most Americans disagree with me, and enjoy drinking soda. Pop is something I haven’t enjoyed and do not see myself growing to enjoy in the future. I would much rather sip on a cold glass of lemonade, vitamin water, or lemon water than deal with the effects of soda.