Kara Varricchio

Professor Jennifer Joyner

ECON 202

June 28, 2022

Soda Consumption Interview

In order to complete the Soda Consumption Interview, I sat down with my grandfather

and asked him the following 3 questions: 1. How many sodas are consumed in a week? 2. What

was your consumption of sodas five years ago? Ten years ago? 3. What if anything has

changed your consumption? My Grandfather’s response was: 1. 4 per week 2. 15 per week 3.

Soda is bad for my digestive health. Therefore, over the years, I have decreased the amount I

consume weekly. I still love the taste of soda, so I limit the amount I consumer per week.

After gathering my grandfather’s results, I compared them to mine: 1. 1 per week 2. 5 per

week 3. Soda does not settle well in my stomach. I have digestive issues to begin with a

drinking soda over time has made my gut health worse. I only drink 1 per week and that is

only if I truly have a craving for a soda. Based off my grandfather and I, you can conclude

soda consumption has declined over time. To further support my claim, I have found two

articles that support my claim of the decline of soda consumption, but also show how it has a

negative effect of your gut health. Author Morey states, “Diet soda causes changes in the

natural gut microbiota of your body…This causes issues with digestion and hormone regulation,

which can cause a wide variety of other health issues.”, providing us a special detail on how soda

can change the gut itself. Additionally, author Scribner states that soda can “impair the gut

barrier, leading to a ‘leaky gut’ and access to the gut immune system causing intestinal

inflammation” which then can lead to digestive diseases too. Having soda in your diet is not a
Kara Varricchio

Professor Jennifer Joyner

ECON 202

June 28, 2022

beneficial thing for your body. Therefore, we can see a decline in soda consumption over the

years, especially with someone who it concerned for their gut health like my grandfather and me.

Work Cited

Morey, Elizabeth. “10 Things Diet Soda Does to Your Body If You Drink It Regularly.” The
Diabetes Site News, 29 July 2021, https://blog.thediabetessite.greatergood.com/diet-soda/.

Scribner, Herb. “Does Soda Lead to Digestive Disorders? Yes, According to a New Study.”
Deseret News, Deseret News, 6 Sept. 2019,
https://www.deseret.com/2019/9/6/20848932/soda-junk-food-sugary-drinks-soft-drinks-
study.