Diet cola is an artificially sweetened, sugar-free, non-alcoholic beverage that has become increasingly popular over the past decades. Commonly sweetened with aspartame, otherwise known as NutraSweet, diet cola comes with pros and cons. However, groups such as The Global Healing Center, Earth Clinic and other organic-living advocates feel very passionate about the risks that come with artificial sweeteners, and they have blamed many health conditions on the over-consumption of diet cola.
Function
Artificial sweeteners found in diet cola confuse your body because the body associates sweet taste with calories which regulates blood sugar, writes Fooducate.com. Since artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than normal sugar, your sense of taste becomes distorted. Those who become used to the taste of artificial sweeteners cannot be satisfied with moderate amounts of regular sugar.
Considerations
According to AmericanHeritage.com, research shows that regardless of diet colas' toxic ingredients found in the artificial sweeteners, less than adequate advertising, and the increased health awareness in America, nothing has slowed down the demand for diet cola. This may be due to the tendency of diet colas to increase your craving for carbohydrates, states the article "Side Effects of Artificial Sweeteners" written by EarthClinic.com.
Risks
WomenToWomen.com describes diet cola as "a wolf in sheep's clothing," saying the health risks that come with diet soda are not worth it. Although diet cola lacks sugar and calories, it is saturated with chemicals that can harm the body. This is especially true for growing children, who are chemically sensitive. Children who consume diet cola in place of milk are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. Diet cola is also linked to weight gain, heart disease and diabetes, states PreventDisease.com.
Misconceptions
One common myth about diet cola is that it is harmful during pregnancy. Although a woman should limit her consumption of products containing any chemicals, there is no scientific evidence that diet cola harms the baby. Diet cola in moderation, no more than one can a day, will not affect an unborn baby, states HealthCentral.com in the article, "The Skinny on Diet Sodas."
Statistics
Statistics show that those who drink diet cola are more prone to weight gain and obesity than those that drink regular cola. According to GetFitSlowly.com in the article "The Dangers of Diet Soda," those who drink one to two cans of diet cola per day have a 54.5 percent chance of obesity as opposed to those who drink one to two cans of regular cola per day, whose chances of becoming overweight are 32.8 percent.
