Drinking Habits That Are Shortening Your Life, According to Science
When you start a diet and begin monitoring your nutrient intake, you most likely spend a lot more time focusing on what to eat, rather than what you drink. We even hear talk of all the good home juicing and a daily smoothie can do when it comes to losing weight or "detoxing." Even if we pay far less attention to what drinks enter our body on a daily basis, this element of nutrition can't get swept under the rug and forgotten about, which is why if you're not careful, you could be creating drinking habits shortening your life.
Trying to figure out which drinks really run your health into the ground might surprise you, but have no fear! As long as you avoid these drinking habits shortening your life, you should be on track to lead a long, healthy life!
Read on to learn which drink habits to avoid, and for more tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.
Drinking four or more cups of coffee a day.
If you love coffee, you might have to reign it in if you want to live a long, fruitful life. While a good handful of studies have found some notable benefits about consuming a daily coffee, extreme amounts of coffee can do some serious bodily damage. According to The Journal, the Mayo clinic found that those who drank over 28 cups of coffee a week had a 21% higher risk of dying prematurely, with men facing a 50% higher risk than women.
This amount adds up to at least 4 cups of coffee a day. If you love coffee and just need it to keep going, make sure to roll back your drinks, or else you might have some terrible problems down the road. Here are the Ugly Side Effects of Drinking Coffee Every Day, According to the Mayo Clinic.
Regular excess drinking of alcohol.
You have heard countless times that overindulging in alcohol on a daily basis can do some serious damage, and science continues to back up these claims. According to the BBC, a study found that anyone who had 18 or more drinks in a week should expect their life to significantly shorten. No one should have over 14 drinks in a week, whether these come in the form of shots or pints of beer.
Even if you don't overdo it with your alcohol consumption, don't think you have got away scot-free. According to CNN, another study found that even seven drinks a week could significantly shorten your life. If you love to kick back and relax with a cold one, it's time to take stock of your drinking habits—they have been doing some serious damage to your health and you might not have even known!
Instead, focus on these 8 Healthy Drinking Habits for Weight Loss.
Drinking a daily soda.
Too much sugar can ruin any diet, and the same holds true when you consume too much of it in drink form. According to the New York Times, a study found that a daily soda led to a 7% increased risk of death, making this drink a very potent and lethal drink, especially if you love grabbing a daily coke.
Even if you don't have a daily soda, don't assume you are out of the woods. According to a study through the Cleveland Clinic, soda and diet soda consumption leads to an increased risk of death. Even if you occasionally have a soda, make sure to reign in this drinking habit, or else you can do some terrible long-term damage to your health.
Here are 10 Side Effects of Drinking Soda Every Day.
Drinking juice every day.
If you thought juice could provide a healthy alternative to soda while packing in a ton of nutrients, it's time to rethink your nutrition plans. Even though juice may come from fruit, the drink contains a ton of sugar, and according to CBS, drinking too much juice can raise the chance of death. Drinking more than 8 ounces of juice a day can significantly increase your chances of obesity and coronary disease, leading to an increased mortality chance by up to 42%.
According to a study from UC Davis, a daily glass of juice still might lead you down a very unwholesome road. Juice may contain a variety of heavy metals, including lead, making it a significant danger to your health. Make sure to cut juice out of your life, or else this daily drink habit could lead you to an early grave.
Here are 5 Reasons You Should Stop Drinking Juice, According to Dietitians.
Downing three glasses of milk a day.
Milk has a very wholesome image, but if you love a few glasses of milk a day, we have some bad news. According to CBS, an increased level of milk consumption results in a significant increase in death. The good news is that you probably need to increase your milk consumption. 3 glasses of milk a day leads to a 10% increased chance of death in men, and 44% of women have an increased chance of contracting cancer if they down three or more glasses of milk a day.
You might think you get away with stronger bones, but a ton of milk a day can only do the opposite. According to the Cleveland Clinic, three or more glasses a day doesn't just decrease your life expectancy, it deteriorates your bones! Don't make the mistake of overdoing it on milk—you will definitely regret it.
Drinking too many protein shakes.
If you want to bulk up, drinking protein shakes just seems like an easy way to do so. However, according to a study featured in The Independent, these drinks may have the opposit effect. Increasing your protein intake to super-high levels in a day decreases your quality of life in later years and leads to an early death. The risk of mortality stems from added BCAA supplements, meaning that if your drink gets made with this type of powder, you are inadvertently putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
According to the Harvard Medical School, no one should get more than 10% of their calories from a protein source. If you have been overdoing it on your protein shakes after a day at the gym, make sure to break this habit before it lands you in an early grave!
To break any existing bad eating habits that might complement these treacherous drink routines, check out 15 Ways to Break The Bad Eating Habits Behind Your Weight Gain.
