Switching from high-calorie sodas to diet drinks can help you cut calories, but it might not help you lose weight or maintain a healthier diet. Think of diet drinks and sodas as an occasional indulgence rather than adopting them as the staple beverage in your diet. Drinking one or more diet drinks every day can have unexpected consequences on your health.
Misconceptions
According to the National Cancer Institute, in the past, studies have linked aspertame--an ingredient often used in diet sodas--with an increased risk for cancer. However, the organization initiated research in 2006 that indicated that this is not the case and that, in fact, there is no link between artificial sweeteners and cancer.
Phenylalanine
Diet sodas may also contain phenylalanine and may make a special note separate from the ingredient list of this amino acid, states MayoClinic.com. It is found in many protein-rich foods and is not harmful unless you have phenylketonuria, a rare condition that prevents the body from processing phenylalanine. If you have this disease, you should not drink diet sodas.
Effects
People who regularly consume diet drinks may experience increased sugar cravings triggered by the drinks' artificial sweeteners, according to the Mayo Clinic. Though diet sodas contain fewer calories than regular sodas, they may encourage poor food choices in other areas. Soda drinkers accustomed to sugary-tasting drinks may begin to find non-sweetened foods bland.
Considerations
Diet drinks should not replace more nutritious beverages in your diet. For example, those who drink diet sodas regularly may drink less milk, according to the Mayo Clinic. Milk provides an important source of calcium, a nutrient that can help prevent osteoporosis. Diet beverage drinkers might also not drink enough water, leading to dehydration. Don't let diet drinks replace fruit juices, skim milk and water.
Expert Insight
Adults who drink one or more regular or diet sodas each day may face a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, kidney stones and chronic kidney disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Data from the Framingham Heart Study revealed a link between diet soda drinkers and heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the Cleveland Clinic points out. The author of the study, Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, suggests that regular and diet soda drinkers tend to follow diets high in fat and sugar and low in fiber. They also tend to lead a more sedentary lifestyle, suggests Vasan. Thus, some of the increased disease risks associated with diet sodas may have more to do with the dietary and lifestyle choices diet soda drinkers make than with the drinks themselves, according to the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic.
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