Vegetable oil in soda? Ew!
Americans consume more soda than any other country in the world, with the average American purchasing as much as 170 liters of soda per year. That’s just under half a liter of soda per day, so that means we’re talking about a lot of calories, a lot of sugar, and a whole lot of god-awful chemicals that you probably have no idea are even in your soft drinks.
One of the worst things you’ll find in your soda is something called brominated vegetable oil, or BVO. You’ll find it in most citrus flavored sodas, though Mountain Dew is the primary culprit for containing BVO.
Did you know that BVO was actually originally produced as a fire retardant? It was supposed to stop fires from spreading, but someone decided that it would be a good idea to add into soda?! What the heck? Did you know that the chemical is also banned in both Japan and the ENTIRE continent of Europe? So why is it in our sodas?
What is BVO and Why is it Used?
Brominated vegetable oil is a form of regular vegetable oil, which is usually made from either soy or corn. The oil is then bonded with bromine, the chemical element, and it’s designed to thicken the soda. It stops the flavoring from separating from the soda itself, which is normal when you have juice or liquid that sits for long periods of time. You know how juices say “Shake before opening”? BVO means you don’t have to do with soda.
The FDA has placed a limit on BVO: 15 parts per million. That’s not too bad, all things considered, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a healthy addition to your soda.
READ MORE: Make Your Own Homemade Italian Soda
Dangers of BVO
What bromine does in this case is stops your body from absorbing iodine. The same receptors that detect and store bromine also deal with iodine, but too much bromine means that the receptors cannot pick up the iodine your body needs. Iodine is a chemical that your thyroid gland NEEDS in order to function properly, which means you could be causing thyroid problems. However, iodine isn’t just necessary for healthy thyroid function, but it affects all of your body’s tissues. Basically, without iodine, your body is going to start having some serious problems.
Where is BVO?
According to Mercola, there are quite a few places where you can find BVO:
- Mountain Dew
- Squirt
- Fanta Orange
- Sunkist Pineapple
- Gatorade Thirst Quencher Orange
- Powerade Strawberry Lemonade
- Fresca Original Citrus
Those are some of the most popular sodas and power drinks right there, not to mention some of the tastiest as well! Does that mean you need to give up soft drinks in order to avoid BVO?
The Truth About Soda
Take a look at the bottle of soda in your hand. It not only contains a WHOLE LOT of sugar–far more than is healthy for a human being–but it’s also loaded with chemicals that you ABSOLUTELY want to avoid. BVO is just one of the few things that sodas contain that are unhealthy, and you’ll find that it’s best to stay away from all of the myriad chemicals used to make soda taste good and last a long time.
It’s just not healthy to drink soda, even just a little bit. You’ll find that there are all kinds of dangers of sodas, so it’s in your best interest to stay away from them altogether. Stick with water as much as possible, and you won’t have to worry about awful chemicals like BVO!
