(Photo from UnSplash)
USA Today reported the following:
Most Americans drink at least one soda a day, which has been linked to gastric cancer
Cracking open that can of soda each day may be raising your risk of certain cancers, according to new research.
In the study, published Aug. 17 in the Gastro Hep Advances journal, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute researchers found that consuming at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day is associated with more than twice the risk of developing gastric cancer compared to rarely consuming them. The findings were based on decades of data from more than 100,000 people.
Across the United States, 63% of adults aged 18 or older reported drinking sugar-sweetened beverages one or more times daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the study, sugar sweetened beverages included regular soda, energy drinks and juice with added sugars.
Sodas are ultra-processed, generally have GMOs, and, in my opinion, their consumption can also increase one’s risk for obesity as well as other diseases such Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
Ultra-processed foods are highly consumed and are dangerous.
Yet, sports teams and others promote them and/or acceptance financial incentives from companies that make and sell sodas.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10)
Greed for money, not health, drives much of the food processing industry.
Now for full disclosure, I probably consume one soda every other year. There are no known health risks at that level of consumption.
The fact that most Americans consume at least one per day is distressing.
Self-control is something Christians should have (e.g. 2 Peter 1:6).
Sodas may look good, taste good, and seem convenient, but if consumed at all, should be a very small part of anyone’s diet.
Yet most in the West deceive themselves that they are not consuming too much of them or that they are fine. Plus there is a lot of advertising that promotes them. That brings to mind another warning from the Apostle Paul:
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, … 13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-2,13)
Because the negative effects take time, many are wrongly persuaded by advertisements and availability to consume too much soda. Many also deceive themselves into falsely believing that they cannot cause serious problems–yet they can.
The same is true for ‘diet sodas.’ I read something else last week that reported that consuming them seem to be associated with weight gain, not weight loss.
The following scripture came to mind:
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
So, since most people find consuming soda pleasurable, they overlook the fact that consuming a lot of them is harmful down the line.
GMOs should be highly limited or not consumed at all
The Bible teaches:
3 You shall not eat any detestable thing. (Deuteronomy 14:3)
Many sodas contain GMOs and potentially toxic chemicals–hence many truly are detestable.
God’s word also says:
2 … Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).
People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods.
Most sodas are not real food.
In 2022, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
1:11:59The Bible says to eat what is good. Does the Bible give any information on what to eat and not eat? What happened in the Garden of Eden? What about Noah? What are clean and unclean animals? Did early Christians avoid biblically-unclean animals? What are some of the health risks associated with eating pork, shellfish, and bats? Are pigs associated with the flu? Could bats have been involved related to the corona virus pandemic? Should humans consume blood? What are enzymes? Can raw foods aid in health? Is the typical US diet deadly? What about processed foods? Is eating refined sugar necessary? How were vitamins discovered? What about United States Pharmacopeia (USP) vs. food vitamins? Are most mineral supplements composed of processed rocks? What about genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)? What about sodas and other beverages? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.
Here is a link to the sermon: Let’s Talk About Food.
In addition to ultra-processed foods, we also now have genetically-modified foods as well as lab grown and other artificial meats–some of which are evil.
In 2023, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
Evil is Affecting the Food Supply
God gave humans food and said what He made was good. What about unclean animals? What about genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)? What about ‘bioengineered foods’? What about lab meat? What about human-cloned salami? What about ‘Piggy Sooy’? Are Christians supposed to eat what is good according to Isaiah 55:2? What should we eat? What should Christians avoid eating? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.
Here is a link to the following: Evil is Affecting the Food Supply.
There are personal costs for consuming too many things that you should not.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
American foods that gross out foreigners A study done in the Fall of 2014 found out which foods that non-USA Americans considered weird or gross that Americans eat. This video discusses those foods, ingredients in some of those foods, and warns against consuming ‘that which is not bread’ (Isaiah 55:2). Dr. Thiel also warns about synthetic vitamins and some of the issues associated with them. He also discusses something promoted by the late Seventh-day Adventist, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; two short videos are also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food? and COVID, Pandemics, and Unclean Meat.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods?
Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy Are there disadvantages to being overweight? Is junk food really bad for you? Does the Bible discuss overeating and/or obesity? Is overeating having an effect on the US military? What are the ramifications of personal and national health for overeating? What should you eat? This is a sermonette-length YouTubevideo.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here are some related videos: GMO Risks and the Bible and GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference? and Human-Monkey Embryos and Death.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.