How Soda and Sweet Tea Impacts Your Urological Health

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Have you ever wondered if your diet has an impact on your urinary health? This simple answer is yes; more specifically, what you drink affects your bladder. Find out more about how soda and sweet tea can lead to bladder problems below.

How Sweet Tea and Soda Affect the Bladder

Sweet tea and soda have a couple of things in common that can lead to urinary problems. First, they both cause frequent urination. Caffeine, which is present in both drinks, acts as a natural diuretic. The caffeine stimulates the bladder, so you use the restroom more often when you drink either of these two beverages. Studies show that women who drink large amounts of caffeine are 70 percent more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence.  

Other potential concerns include:

  • Tea tends to be acidic, which may cause irritation in the urinary tract.
  • Carbonated drinks like soda irritate sensitive bladders.
  • Both artificial and natural sugar can cause irritation in the bladder as well.

The biggest obstacle is that if you drink a lot of soda or sweet tea, then you are probably not drinking enough water. The human body consists mostly of water; it makes up more than half of your body weight. It is necessary to transport oxygen in the blood, to support immune system functioning, to maintain proper body temperature, and to remove waste.  In general, you should try to drink up to eight glasses of water daily for optimal health.

How to Make Better Beverage Choices

A little soda or sweet tea is not going to hurt you, but you are better off making sure you get the necessary amount of water per day first. An easy way to make water your priority is to count how much water you drink daily and refuse to drink anything else until you meet the necessary quota. Once you have the recommended amount, then you can have a glass of your favorite drink as a reward.

Now is good time to think about your calorie intake as well. The beverages you drink factor in weight management; in fact, these beverages make up about 20 percent of total calories for most people. Once you realize how your calorie intake is impacted by the beverages you consume, you’ll see how fast the calories add up if you drink even just a few glasses of sugary soda or tea.

Make this the year you promise to pay attention to your urinary health. Drinking more water and less soda or sweet tea is a great way to start. If you have any questions about how your diet impacts your urinary health, contact Dr. Scott Miller or call at (404) 705-5201.