A HEART DOCTOR'S WARNING ABOUT DRINKING SODAS, POPS, WHATEVER YOU CALL THEM

Note: This post is originally from 2013.

"Most of us grew up with the idea that soda in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. But science is now telling us that those who drink just one serving a day have an increased risk of a heart attack. A can of regular soda packs the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of sugar, and unlike the white stuff in solid foods, liquid sugar in soda is absorbed by the body immediately. That's one reason why drinking soda regularly results in low levels of HDL, the protective cholesterol that prevents heart attacks. "If friends or family members still drink regular soda, I tell them to quit it." --Jeff Ritterman, M.D., cardiologist in Richmond, CA