Soda contains sugar (in the form of High Fructose Corn Syrup), caffeine, phosphoric acid, carbonated water with some flavours added to give them their distinctive taste.

Liquid Calories

You are essentially consuming liquid calories and generally speaking we do not adjust our food consumption to account for these added liquid calories, in short drinking soda increases your calorie intake and can contribute to weight gain when you consume more calories than your body requires.

A study presented in 2005 to the American Diabetes Association showed from over 8 years of collected data that there was a link between soda consumption and the risk of obesity. If you drink soda you have a higher risk of developing obesity, this is true for both regular and diet soda products.

A Short Term Boost Leading To Overeating

The sugar in your soda will give you a quick boost of energy as your blood sugar level rises. On seeing your blood sugar level rise so quickly your body will produce insulin to reduce your blood sugar level, this action overshoots the mark and in the longer term, you'll feel low on energy. Many people in this instance will either drink more soda or consume some food due to the feeling of hunger created by the reduction in your blood sugar level.

Although it may give you a pick me up at the time, your soda is making you consume more calories due to its high Glycemic Load.

Does Soda Make You Feel Bloated?

Many people may find they develop a bloated feeling after consuming soda; this can be for a number of reasons.

The carbon dioxide added to give soda it's characteristic fizz, can become trapped in the stomach, unable to pass back up through the mouth or through the intestines to the rectum, in short you stomach feels swollen and uncomfortable. Due to the rather addictive nature of the drinks, they can be consumed too quickly causing an effective trapping of gas in the stomach.

The sorbitol which is used as a sweetener in diet sodas has also been found to cause bloating in individuals. In short, there is much about soda which will cause you to feel bloated. If you do decide to have a soda, drink a little slowly, guzzling a super-size coke through a straw will only lead to later discomfort.

Other than tasting good, soda provides no real nutritional benefit. If you are looking for a simple health tip, cut out soda to reduce your calorie consumption, maintain a more consistent blood sugar level and prevent bloating.