Soft drinks have been around for decades. They’re a staple drink at parties, restaurants, and in many homes. Unfortunately, soft drinks are extremely bad for your health and they’re highly addictive. Not only do soft drinks contain caffeine, but are usually full of sugar. Even diet soft drinks, although have sweeteners instead, are incredibly unhealthy.

In fact, they’re so bad for you, that they wreak havoc on your entire body, but if you can kick the craving and give up soft drinks for good, amazing things will happen.

1. You will enjoy your food more.

Soft drinks have so much sugar in them that they overwhelm your taste buds, and diet soft drinks are even worse. Most sweeteners are 400 to 8000 times sweeter than sugar! In fact, they are so sweet that they actually alter the sweet receptors in your brain, making you crave sugar even more! By giving up soft drinks, your taste buds will go back to normal and food will once again be flavorful.

2. You decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Drinking soft drinks regularly will increase your chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 26% according to a study in Diabetes Care done in 2010. In fact, diet soft drinks aren’t any better. The same study found that drinking two-thirds of a diet soft drink before a meal prepared the pancreas to release insulin. By giving up soft drinks, you’ll decrease your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

3. You will lose weight easier.

The easiest way to lose weight is to stop drinking soft drinks. A single 12-ounce can has 39 grams of sugar, and 90 calories! Switching to water will save you an serious amount of calories and sugar throughout your lifetime. Even a diet soft drink, although has zero calories, causes insulin to be released, increasing the amount of belly fat you have.

4. You will be helping out your kidneys.

Studies have found that giving up soft drinks can help save your kidneys from risk of disease and failure. When you drink soft drinks, you are also at a higher risk or developing kidney stones according to a 2013 study.

5. You will have a healthier heart.

A 2012 Harvard University study found that soft drinks, among other sugary drinks, increased risk of chronic heart disease. Consuming soft drinks raises your blood pressure. To improve your heart health and decrease your blood pressure, stop drinking soft drinks!

6. You will have a whiter smile.

According to a 2013 study, drinking a lot of soft drinks will corrode your teeth so much that it’s comparable to a meth abuser! Needless to say, soft drinks ruin your teeth. The citric acid in soda eats away at tooth enamel, which increases risk of cavities and yellowing. For a whiter, healthier smile, stay away from soft drinks!

7. You will be smarter.

Quitting soft drinks can make you smarter because consuming sugar for a long period of time can have a negative effect on your brain. Once you quit, you will be able to think more clearly, focus easier and improve your memory. If you think you’re safe by drinking diet soft drinks, you’re wrong. Chemicals found in aspartame may alter brain chemicals and nerve signals, and cause headaches, anxiety, and insomnia.

8. You will use the bathroom less.

Soft drinks are a diuretic and bladder irritant. That means, you will need to pee more often. Soft drinks also irritate your bladder, and can intensify bladder infections and urinary tract infections.

9. You will improve your immune system.

Diet soft drinks are especially bad for you because artificial sweeteners affect your healthy gut bacteria, which can affect your blood sugar levels, weight management, and illness contraction. The acidity in all soft drinks is also bad for your digestive system.

10. You will have more energy.

Just like with coffee, soft drinks have caffeine, which is why a lot of people drink it – they want that pick me up. However, drinking too much caffeine only makes you more tired!

11. You will have healthier bones.

Studies have shown there is a link between soft drinks and osteoporosis. A study done in 2014 actually found that consuming soft drinks regularly increased the chance of hip fractures for postmenopausal women by 14%.

12. You will live longer.

By giving up soft drinks you will improve your health overall, and potentially increase your lifespan!