When it comes to your health, small day-to-day habits can make a big difference. Like limiting sugary soft drinks. If you enjoy the occasional soda, you’re hardly alone. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults drink at least one sugary drink a day. In fact, sugar-sweetened drinks are the top source of added sugar in the American diet. 

Trouble is, soda doesn’t just supply lots of empty calories. Research has shown that consuming as little as one sugar-sweetened drink per day can increase the risk of premature death, especially from heart disease or cancer.  What’s more, when one study tried to quantify how much certain foods and drinks impact a person’s lifespan, researchers found that each daily can of soda a person drinks could cost them 12 minutes of “healthy life” (aka disease-free life expectancy). 

How does this happen? To find out, we asked dietitians how limiting sugary soft drinks can help you live longer (plus their top tips to kick the habit!). Here’s what they told us. 

How Limiting Soft Drinks Can Help You Live Longer

You May Reduce Your Chronic Disease Risk

Enjoying the occasional soda won’t derail your health. However, sipping this fizzy beverage frequently supplies lots of added sugars. Just one 12-ounce can of sugar-sweetened soda contains about 10 teaspoons of added sugar. That’s nearly as much as (or, in some cases, more than) most of us should have in an entire day. To put that into perspective, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10% of daily calories, or 12½ teaspoons for someone consuming 2,000 calories per day. 

Why are added sugars such a problem? “Eating too many added sugars can contribute to health issues like unwanted weight gain, heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” says Jamie Nadeau, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and owner of The Balanced Nutritionist., Turns out that sugary drinks are so problematic that some cardiologists recommend avoiding them entirely.

That’s not all. The negative health impacts of soda are also due, in part, to what it lacks. “You don’t get much bang for your buck from a nutritional standpoint,” says Laura M. Ali, M.S., RDN, LDN, a culinary nutritionist based in Pittsburgh. “Aside from adding lots of added sugar and calories to your day, sodas have little nutritional value.” So what can you do? Opt for beverages that offer health-promoting nutrients, like milk or unsweetened tea or coffee. They’re free of added sugars and provide nutrients like vitamins, minerals or antioxidants, which may lower your risk of chronic disease and increase longevity.

You May Maintain a Healthy Weight

Ditching sugar-sweetened soda in favor of calorie-free beverages may also help you live longer by helping you maintain a healthier weight. That’s because our bodies don’t recognize the calories in a soda versus those from food the same way. “Liquid calories from sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda, don’t fill you up, [so] it’s possible to overcompensate with more solid food for appetite satisfaction,” says Pennsylvania-based registered dietitian Beth Stark, RDN, LDN. “Over time, these excess calories can lead to weight gain and a host of other health conditions.”

You’ll Support a Healthier Gut Microbiome

Increasingly, science is finding that gut health is linked to almost every aspect of our overall health. And excess added sugar from things like sugary beverages can negatively impact your microbiome. For example, one study found that people who consumed more sugar-sweetened beverages had more unfavorable gut bacteria, particularly the kind linked to diabetes. Additional research has found an association between high sugar consumption and changes in gut bacteria that may trigger inflammation, a key driver of many chronic diseases.

Your Oral Health May Improve

Another perk of reducing your sugar-sweetened soda intake is better oral health. That’s because these drinks provide the perfect storm of sugar and acid that increases the risk of dental caries and tooth decay. And the more of them you drink, the more likely your dental health is to suffer. So, ditching these drinks in favor of water or other unsweetened beverages can be a boon for your oral health. Beyond caring for your teeth, your oral health is also closely related to your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, which, in turn, also impact longevity. 

Drinks to Focus On Instead

• Seltzer: When you’re craving fizz, reach for this sugar-free drink. And it doesn’t have to be bland and boring. “You can find unsweetened seltzer water in a huge variety of flavors to get the carbonation you’re looking for without the sugar,” says Nadeau. 
• Infused Water: If plain water doesn’t excite you, there are plenty of strategies to add flavor to your H2O without the sugar. Stark is a big fan of making spa-inspired infused water with fresh fruit like berries, melon or citrus combined with herbs such as mint, basil or thyme. “The water will gain a light flavor essence from the fruit and herbs it’s infused with yet remain free of calories and added sugar,” she says.  
• Unsweetened Iced Tea: If you usually drink soda for a caffeine kick, try brewing a pitcher of unsweetened iced tea instead. Green, white and black teas offer multiple health benefits while quenching your thirst. And herbal teas are packed with flavor. For natural sweetness, try our No-Sugar-Added Raspberry Iced Tea.
• Coffee: A cup of coffee is another caffeinated soda alternative. In addition to delivering a caffeine fix, coffee is loaded with antioxidants. Plus, research has found that, unlike sugary soda, coffee may actually help you live longer. Just be wary of added sugars from sweeteners and flavored syrups. 

The Bottom Line

It’s OK to enjoy a little bit of everything in moderation as part of a healthy eating pattern. Even the occasional sugar-sweetened beverage. However, if sugary soda is a staple in your day-to-day routine, it could be harming your long-term health and could even shorten your life. That’s why dietitians say sugar-sweetened soda is the most important drink to limit if you want to live longer. The good news is there are lots of flavorful—and even fizzy—alternatives that can help you kick the habit. Try swapping out soda for infused water, flavored seltzer, unsweetened iced tea or a robust cup of coffee. You’ll quench your thirst and age more gracefully while you’re at it!