If calories are the only thing you’re worried about, diet soda is technically a better choice than regular soda. However, it’s definitely not a healthier choice. What diet soda makes up for in a lack of calories, it loses in a number of unpleasant side effects.
From increasing the risk of tooth decay and heart attacks to altering hormones and increasing the risk of depression, diet soda is not a smart choice for the health-conscious person.
Here are 10 reasons why it is beneficial to give up both diet and regular soda for good.
- Its artificial sweeteners send the body into fat storage mode – The sugar substitutes used in diet soda have been shown to have the same effect on your body as real sugar. Sweeteners trigger the body to produce insulin, which sends it into fat storage mode, and eventually can lead to weight gain.
- Diet drinkers aren’t losing weight – Just because diet soda is calorie free doesn’t mean frequent drinkers are going to lose weight. In 2015, researchers from the University of Texas discovered that over the course of 10 years, people who were drinking diet soda had a 70% greater increase in the circumference of their waist when compared to those drinking none.
- It increases the risk of developing diabetes and vascular issues – A 2009 University of Minnesota study found that people who drink at least one diet soda a day have a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome, which can include a number of conditions like high blood pressure, high glucose levels, high cholesterol and a large waist. All of these things can also increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.
- Diet soda has no nutritional value – People may think they are being smart by choosing diet soda because it contains zero calories. However, in reality, the best zero-calorie beverage is water, a drink that is essential for a number of bodily functions. For those who drink soda for the fizz, try drinking sparkling water instead.
- It may be lower productivity or make you nauseous – Multiple studies have shown that diet soda’s artificial sweetener, aspartame, can cause negative side effects, such as headaches, dizziness, depression and attention deficit disorder.
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- Frequent drinkers experience the same level of tooth erosion as drug users – This is caused by the ingredient citric acid, which weakens and destroys tooth enamel over time. In a three-person case study published in the journal General Dentistry, researchers looked at the mouths of a cocaine user, a methamphetamine user and a diet-soda drinker. All three participants came from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, but researchers found the same amount of tooth erosion among the three of them.
- Mixing liquor with diet soda can increase alcohol absorption – For some people, this may be a good reason to use diet soda as a cocktail mixer. However, for those who aren’t aware, it could make drinking more dangerous. A 2013 study from Northern Kentucky University found that combining diet soda with alcohol gets a person drunk faster. This is because the bloodstream is able to absorb artificial sweeteners quicker than real sugar.
- It increases the risk of developing depression – A 2013 study from the American Academy of Neurology found that over a period of 10 years, people who drank more than four cans of soda (diet and regular) per day were 30% more likely to develop depression than those who stayed away from any kind of sugary drink.
- Diet soda weakens bones – In 2003, researchers at Tufts University found that drinking more than three servings of cola per day (diet and regular) led to a 4% lower bone mineral density in women compared to those who consumed less than one serving per day.
- It raises the risk of stroke or heart attack – According to joint research from the University of Miami School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center, consuming one diet soda per day can increase your risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack by 43%. The study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that habitual diet-soda drinkers were more likely to have heart issues, high blood pressure and diabetes compared to people who consumed no drinks.
