By Dean L. Jones<\/p>\n
Aiding and abetting is a legal principle related to the guilt of someone who assists or helps in carrying out a crime, even if they are not the principal offender.\u00a0 Luckily for many people it is not a crime to promote, advertise or sell heavily sugar-laden foods and beverages that can seriously damage or slaughter a person’s health.<\/p>\n
Accordingly, drinking a Pepsi soda (& competing sodas) can seriously damage the body, making it somewhat reasonable to have at least some shame fall upon those that knowingly make and\/or assist in the sale of a sugary-filled product.\u00a0 Since, the intense sweetness of a Pepsi soda is a direct result of its high processed sugar content that would induce vomiting as soon as it enters the body, if not for the phosphoric acid ingredient that dulls the sweetness, enabling it to be endurably swallowed. \u00a0[Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, processed sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid natural flavor]<\/em><\/p>\n Drinking cola soft drinks increase blood sugar levels within 20-minutes of ingesting it, thereby causing a burst of insulin. \u00a0The liver organ then turns the high amounts of sugar circulating the body into fat.\u00a0 Within 40-minutes, the body has absorbed all of the caffeine from the cola, causing a dilation of pupils and an increase in blood pressure. \u00a0By this point, the adenosine receptors in the brain have been blocked, preventing fatigue.<\/p>\n Five minutes later, production of dopamine has increased and negatively impacted a neurotransmitter that helps control the pleasure and reward centers of the brain. \u00a0An hour after drinking the beverage, a sugar crash will begin, causing irritability and drowsiness. \u00a0In addition, the water from the cola will have been cleared from the body via urination, along with nutrients that are important for good health.<\/p>\n Colas commonly have elevated amounts high fructose corn syrup, plus they come packed with refined salts and caffeine, whereas with constant high consumption of these ingredients can lead to higher blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.\u00a0 Health damaging is not unlike a standard criminal activity and therefore association with the sale of a harmful commodity should warrant a type of prosecution.<\/p>\n Speaking of which, Janelle Mon\u00e1e was the featured personality in this year’s Grammy Awards’ Pepsi commercials being shown guzzling from a glass Pepsi bottle.\u00a0 Mon\u00e1e joins a an extensive list of celebrities that have accepted Pepsi’s advertisement commissions, including The Jacksons, Ray Charles, Beyonc\u00e9, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Tina Turner, Ludacris, Aretha Franklin, Melanie Fiona, Deion Sanders, Shannon Sharpe, Jerry Rice, Marshawn Lynch, Teddy Bridgewater, Kyrie Irving, Baron Davis, Ray Allen, J.B. Smooth, and even the newly popular Fox television series Empire.<\/p>\n Applying the aiding and abetting criminal principle to selling a sugary-laden product is perhaps somewhat unsophisticated.\u00a0 Nonetheless, good ethical principles do involve living SugarAlert!<\/p>\n