Sports Drinks and Your Teeth

This year I have been a guest speaker to various Chamber of Commerce's and service clubs like the Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions and even private businesses like Mission Foods. Several times I covered the topic of health, water, sports drinks and other types of drinks such as vitamin waters. 

I have spoken largely against them because of the use of artificial sweeteners, deceptive food labels and the

misconceptions of their benefits to health and sports performance. Of greatest interest was the topic of BVO (Brominated Vegetable Oil) and it's use in sports drinks. Today's public is becoming more and more aware of what is being added to our food and/or food products as technology, social media and other avenues of spreading information has advanced. In an article by Men's Journal, PepsiCo., has chosen to address public concern of the use of certain ingredients like BVO by removing them from their products like Gatorade (Yes,   in case you didn't know Pepsi owns Gatorade and other drinks. Also, Coca-Cola Company owns drinks like Vitamin Water). 

Do you research and you will find that acidity has been linked to diseases like Kidney Stones, Osteoporosis and various Cancers to mention just a few. Sugar as we know has various detrimental effects to our health including tooth cavities. Research reported by NASM (National Academy of Sport Medicine) Insider Monthly Blog, published this conclusion: 

In agreement with the literature, it appears that fruit juices and energy drinks appear to have greater erosive potential versus sports drinks. However some in vitro studies (researchers immersing samples of human tooth enamel in sports drinks) demonstrates a potential to damage teeth. To mitigate such problems athletes should follow proper oral hygiene care and limit sports drink consumption to exercise sessions lasting 60 minutes or more. Physical activity lasting 60 minutes or less warrants the use of water to help keep athletes hydrated and minimize tooth enamel erosion.

When we talk about investing money into our future it may be a good idea to consider investing money into foods that protect and prolong our personal health. The Choice is Yours!