Is soda bad for you?

Soda in both regular and diet varieties is associated with many risks to human health; it is linked to kidney damage, cancer, obesity and high blood pressure. Some studies suggest that drinking diet soda also increases the risk of stroke, according to WebMD.

Prevention.com notes that soda is bad for dental health, and it has been linked to cardiovascular disease that leads to premature death, as well as other diseases, including diabetes. A Yale University study found that the average American takes in around 45 gallons of sugary sweetened beverages annually; the addition of a can of soda to the diet daily can cause weight gain of 14.5 pounds in a year.