By now you’ve probably heard that the idea of diet soda being healthier than regular soda is nothing more than a myth. Sure, regular soda is far from healthy, but diet soda could be even more dangerous. This news is mind-boggling for most and may leave them wondering “why?” or “how?”
The Truth About Diet Soda
Fortunately, we have the truth about diet soda and what makes it so dangerous.
It leads to more weight gain
Before recent studies were released on the dangers of diet soda, many individuals who wanted to lose weight would swap their regular soda for diet. You can only imagine their surprise when they not only failed to lose weight, but actually ended up gaining more!
So, how exactly does diet soda contribute to weight gain? It’s simple: while diet soda doesn’t contain real sugar or calories it does contain a lot of additives and artificial ingredients including sweeteners. These ingredients are full of unnatural chemicals that can cause your body to crave more high-calorie and sugar-laden foods. Artificial sweeteners may also confuse your body into miscalculating the number of calories you are actually consuming which can then cause your metabolism to slow down, making it more challenging to burn off calories and lose weight.
It has been linked to type-2 diabetes
Think diet soda is safe for diabetics due to the lack of sugar? Think again. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can actually cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels which in turn can lead to diabetic shock for those who have already been diagnosed with diabetes.
Don’t have diabetes? You’re not out of danger, either. Diet soda may greatly increase your risk of developing type-2 diabetes. As previously mentioned, diet soda can cause weight gain and a lower metabolism rate. These two elements alone can be the beginning of a recipe for diabetes in the future.
It can cause heart problems
There have been countless studies performed that all link diet soda to an increased risk of heart problems including congestive heart failure, heart disease, and/or heart attacks. The main culprit? Once again, it’s artificial sweeteners including aspartame. Other health conditions that can be developed from the consumption of diet soda like weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, and diabetes can also contribute to heart problems.
It can increase your risk of having a stroke by nearly 50%
Back in 2011, the American Heart Association presented a paper at the International Stroke Conference that showed how drinking diet soda could increase your risk of having a stroke by 48%. Their study has shown that this risk is mainly caused by a large consumption of sodium which can cause an increase in their heart rate and blood pressure which can then in turn cause blood clots in the brain. The amount of sodium that a can of diet soda contains depends on the flavor and the brand. On the low side, you can expect to drink 12 milligrams of sodium and on the high side that number can be more than 5 times as high. Since it is recommended to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, 1 can may seem harmless. However, those who drink multiple cans a day can quickly reach and go over their limit, which can greatly impact their health.
Next time you’re out to eat or craving something sweet, put down the can of diet soda and instead grab a healthier alternative such as a glass of water sweetened with natural fruits.