Americans love soft drinks, also called pop in some parts of the country. Regular soft drinks are high in calories and sugar, but diet soda is a zero-calorie, sugar-free alternative endorsed by the American Diabetes Association. Millions of people drink diet soda. However, diet soda also has some drawbacks, most of which center around the artificial sweeteners that make them calorie-free.
Weight Gain
Many people drink diet soda because it has zero calories, which allows them to enjoy a sweet beverage without the high calories associated with regular soft drinks. But diet sodas may actually cause more weight gain, according to a 2008 study titled "Fueling the Obesity Epidemic? Artificially Sweetened Beverage Use and Long-Term Weight Gain," led by Sharon Fowler, MPH, at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Fowler found that the more diet soda people drank, the more weight they gained, despite the fact that the drinks had no calories.
Artificial Sweeteners
All diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners used include aspartame and sucralose, more commonly known as NutraSweet and Splenda. Although artificial sweeteners are approved as safe by the government, many people report negative reactions to the ingredient. According to the Dartmouth University Undergraduate Journal of Science, heavy consumption of artificial sweeteners increases the risk of bladder cancer. Anecdotal reports have linked artificial sweeteners with headaches, fatigue and neurological problems.
Impact on Diabetes
Many people drink diet soda because they have diabetes or want to avoid the disease, but this practice may not have the intended effect. A study titled "Daily Diet Soda Consumption Linked to Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes," led by Jennifer Nettleton, Ph.D. at The University of Texas School of Public Health, found that people who drank at least one diet soda per day were 67 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank no soda.
References
- "Obesity"; Fueling the Obesity Epidemic? Artificially Sweetened Beverage Use and Long-term Weight Gain; Sharon P. Fowler, et al; August 2008
- Duke Health: Diet Soda: Too Good to be True?
- Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science: Artificial Sweeteners: The Truth and Lies about Diet Sodas
- "Diabetes Care"; Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA); Jennifer A. Nettleton; October 2008
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