The Planet Hates Soda and So Do Your Kidneys

We all know that soda isn't the best thing for us. Josh wrote about how soda is a huge source of empty calories. You can drink a bottle of sweet-tasting soda and still have room to down a sandwich or something, and the soda will have as many calories as the entree. Not only is soda bad for you, it's bad for the planet considering that cans and plastic bottles are hugely wasteful. Even though they can be recycled, it takes energy to recycle them.

Now there's another reason to give up this syrupy mess. According to a study done at Loyola University Health System women who drink two or more cans of soda a day are more than twice as likely to show signs of kidney disease. The study examined data from a representative sample of 9,358 US adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. These are pretty extreme statistics if you ask me.

But if you do decide to indulge in a soda once in a while, fill up a thermos or a mug with soda. This will cut on waste and packaging.