The Effects Of Diet Drinks

Diet drinks are artificially sweetened beverages marketed towards diabetics and health- or weight-conscious people. They are usually sweetened by one or more artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin and sucralose. Since artificial sweeteners hit the market, their effects on health have been controversial. While some research indicates a link between diet drinks and health risks such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancers and obesity, the link is not, as of 2010, confirmed.

History

Diet drinks first appeared in the 1950s in New York, with diabetics as the main marketing targets . The sweeteners used then were cyclamate and saccharin. In the 1970s and '80s, cyclamate and saccharin both came under suspicion as possible carcinogens. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned cyclamate in 1970, the Annals of Oncology website notes; saccharin regained some favor with the public after studies in the 1990s found little cancer risk. In the meantime, aspartame and sucralose emerged as replacements, and, as of 2010, remain the most-used artificial sweeteners in the United States, and are very common in diet drinks.

Features

Artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks carry no or few calories but are much more sweeter than sugar. For example, a 12-ounce can of regular Coca-Cola has 140 calories, while a can of Diet Coke has zero calories. Artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks do not spike blood glucose levels like regular sugar does. Although some people find that artificial sweeteners create bitter aftertastes, advanced technology has allowed for more sugar-like tastes.

Benefits

Since the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks are not drugs, they do not promote weight loss. However, they may help with weight control by substituting sugar with zero or few calories.
Since they are not sugar, artificial sweeteners help diabetics with blood-glucose control.
The American Dental Association noted that aspartame, unlike sugar, does not contribute to dental decay and is a good substitute for sugar.

Considerations

Opponents of artificial sweeteners argued that sweeteners might create faulty insulin response and thereby make the body crave more sweets, resulting in weight gain instead of loss.
People born with phenylketonuria, an inherited metabolic disease, should not consume products with aspartame. Aspartame breaks down into phenylalanine in the body, which people with phenylketonuria cannot metabolize.

Insight

You may only lose weight with diet drinks if you already habitually drink high-calories beverages. Otherwise, drinking diet drinks may only prevent you from gaining extra calories --- but not help you lose weight.
As with all other foods, the best way to enjoy diet drinks is in moderation; you should follow a balanced diet with regular exercise for good health.