The anti-straw movement must gain momentum, more than ever before. Though there have been various movements that have sprung up for the cause, like ‘ No to Plastic’, ‘No Straw Challenge’ and ‘Straw Free’, the debate has engulfed the globe lately. Plastic is notoriously harmful to the environment and yet, if environmental factors are not immediately compelling for you, there are many, many health reasons too that are cited against plastic straws.
Below are five reasons, why plastic straws are bad for your health.
Dental Damage: Physics explains that when you suck on sugary or acidic drinks with a straw, the straw acts like a hose and thus, the liquid hits just a specific area of your teeth, exposing it to concentrated sugar, hence leading to the damage of your tooth enamel.
Gas and bloating: Gas isn’t just a personal discomfort as it can also make you socially uncomfortable. When you sip from straws, it also delivers air along with what you are sipping. This leads air to reach your digestive tract, leading to bloating and gassiness.
Can make you consume more: While the jury is still out in this, it has been noted that sipping a beverage via a straw can lead you to gulp down more quickly than when you are having it directly through the cup or the glass. Experts believe that when one sips through a straw, they lose their accuracy of estimation. Hence, you are more prone to intake excessive sugar or alcohol when it is a straw with which you are sipping.
Chemicals: Did you know that straws are made primarily of polypropylene and when you suck on a liquid through a straw that’s made of petroleum, it exposes your body to chemicals. Polypropylene, though considered safe by FDA in certain amounts, has been proven to leach chemicals in the liquid you are sipping. These chemicals are adverse for your health and can impact your hormones, especially estrogen. The leach is higher when you are sipping while exposed to heat and UV and the beverage is acidic.
Cause of Wrinkles: If you are more of an aesthetics person, here’s one reason for you too to ditch that damn straw. Just like the ‘pucker lines’ caused by smoking on a pipe, drinking from a straw frequently can give you wrinkles the same way.
Think again before using one.