Soft drinks and health

Objective. To analyze published papers about soft drinks use, and to describe possible health benefits, risks, and damages related to soft drink consumption. Information source. A search was done in the MEDLINE compact disks, from January 1970 to January 1997, with the keywords soft drink, beverages, carbonated beverages, cola, Coca-Cola and sweetening-agents. Study selection. Ninety nine papers reporting health-related damages or benefits in clinical or experimental studies were reviewed. Data extraction. All articles with a clear description of at least one beneficial or harmful effect related to soft drink consumption were considered. Results. There were reports on 25 harmful effects and of 7 possibly beneficial effects. Data are classified in prophylactic and therapeutic uses, dental caries and other dental disorders, mineral metabolism disorders, acid-peptic disease, neoplasm, risk factors for cardiovascular disease, effects on central nervous system, reproduction, allergy, and miscellaneous. Conclusions. High prevalence of exposure and excessive consumption of soft drinks may represent a public health problem in Mexico. Data analysis shows that soft drink consumption may not be as harmless as generally believed. Many of the reports are anecdotal, without a suitable methodological design. A wide field for research is present in this area.