Stop drinking soda. No, really. We mean it. Just stop.

Soda is very high in sugar. Consuming too much sugar causes weight gain and makes it difficult to lose weight. Excess sugar causes a host of health issues. Consuming too much sugar places strain on the pancreas, making it more difficult for the body to produce insulin. For this reason, drinking just one or two sugary drinks like soda per day increases your risk of diabetes by a whopping 25%. In addition to sugar, soda is also high in calories. The calories in soda are empty calories, meaning they have no nutritional value and won’t help you to feel full. It would take the average adult more than one hour of walking just to burn off the calories from a single can of Coke. Is it really worth it?

Even “diet” sodas are harmful. A Harvard Medical School study found diet cola doubles your risk for kidney decline. The artificial colors and flavors used in most sodas have been linked to lung, liver, and thyroid cancer, leukemia, and vascular disease. Diet sodas tend to be especially high in artificial sweeteners and other harmful chemicals. Many sodas contain caffeine, which acts as a diuretic. Diuretics cause you to urinate more frequently, which can lead to dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, it has difficulty absorbing nutrients properly. Soda cans are lined with a chemical called BPA, which disrupts the endocrine system and has been linked to reproductive issues, heart disease, and obesity. Researchers have even found that drinking diet soda significantly increases your risk of being overweight; it may sound like a paradox, but it’s true.