Could Diet Drinks Make You Fat?
Studies Linked Drinking Diet Drinks To Poorer Health Compared With Those Who Don’t Drink The Beverage
People who drink two or more diet drinks a day experienced waist size increases. Which is six times greater than those of people who didn’t drink diet soda. According to researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
A second study that found the sweetener aspartame raised blood sugar levels in diabetes-prone mice.
“Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised,” said study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, professor at the university’s school of medicine. “They may be free of calories, but not of consequences.”
by Greg Montoya
10 Reasons To Avoid Diet Soda:
Confuses Your Body
Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain.
Leads To Weight Gain, Not Weight Loss
Diet soda is calorie-free. But, these drinks won’t necessarily help you lose weight. Researchers from the University of Texas found that over a decade, diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers.
Associated With An Increased Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Drinking one diet soda a day has been associated with a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This is from a University of Minnesota study.
No Nutritional Value
You’re not taking in any calories when you drink diet soda. And worst of all, you’re not swallowing anything that does your body any good, either. Early studies on aspartame and anecdotal evidence suggests that this artificial sweetener may trigger headaches in some people.
Ruins Your Smile Over Time
Excessive soda drinking could leave you looking like a Breaking Bad extra. This is according to a case study published in the journal General Dentistry. The research compared the mouths of a cocaine-user, a methamphetamine-user, and a habitual diet-soda drinker. They found the same level of tooth erosion in each of them, from habitual use.
Makes Drinking More Dangerous
Using diet soda as a low-calorie cocktail mixer has the dangerous effect of getting you drunk faster than sugar-sweetened beverages. This is according to research from Northern Kentucky University. Also, the study revealed that participants who consumed cocktails mixed with diet drinks had a higher breath alcohol concentration. Surprisingly, this is more than those who drank alcohol blended with sugared beverages. The researchers believe this is because our bloodstream is able to absorb artificial sweetener more quickly than sugar.
Associated With Depression
A study was presented at the American Academy of Neurology. It found that over 10 years, people who drank more than four cups or cans of soda a day were 30% more likely to develop depression. This is less than those who steered clear of sugary drinks.
Not Good For Your Bones
Women over 60 are already at a greater risk for osteoporosis than men. According to Tufts University researchers which found that drinking soda, including diet soda, compounds the problem. As a result, they discovered that female soda drinkers had nearly 4% lower bone density than women who didn’t drink soda.
Could Damage Your Heart
Just one diet soft drink a day could boost your risk of having a stroke, heart attack or vascular death. Noted from researchers at the University of Miami and Columbia University. Their study found that diet soda devotees were 43% more likely to have experienced a vascular event than those who drank none.
Read more on the dangers of diet soda:
The Detrimental Connection Between Diet Soda And Stroke
What’s Safer…Drinking A Dissolved Mouse Or A Can Of Soda?
References:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/health/06real.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/diet-soda-teeth-similar-to-meth-photos_n_3348158.html