Most people know that soda is not a nutritious beverage and can cause weight gain and other health problems. However, a recent study published in JAMA has now linked all types of soda (regular and diet) to early death. Researchers found that participants who drank two or more glasses of soft drinks per day had a higher risk of mortality than those who consumed less than one glass per month.

When working on making diet changes with my patients, I often start with eliminating soda. Simply cutting all soda from our diets and replacing it with water is one small change that we can make that can have a huge impact our our overall health and well-being. If you find that after cutting out soda, you miss that fizzy feeling, you can try drinking carbonated water drinks. Just make sure you choose ones that are not loaded with real or artificial sugar. Down with soda and cheers to water!