Diet soft drinks account for about 30 percent of the $70.1 billion U.S. soda market, according to the American Beverage Association. Because it's a well-known fact that sugary drinks such as regular sodas can contribute to overweight and diabetes, it seems logical that switching to diet drinks would promote a healthy weight. However, some experts are now saying that diet soda may do the exact opposite and actually cause weight gain.
Identification
In 1879, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University discovered saccharin after noticing that a derivative of coal tar he'd accidentally spilled on his hand tasted sweet. Saccharin quickly became a food sweetener, and diet drinks using saccharin were developed in the 1950s. After the FDA proposed a ban on saccharin due to studies that suggested it may cause cancer, other artificial sweeteners soon came on the market, leading to a boom in diet drinks. As of 2010, artificial sweeteners used in drinks include saccharin, aspartame/NutraSweet, acesulfame potassium/Sunett, sucralose/Splenda, neotame, stevia/Truvia, xylitol and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol.
Effects on Weight Gain
Studies are mixed on the regular consumption of diet drinks and weight gain, with some showing no effects and others showing a direct link. An eight-year study published in 2008 in the journal "Obesity" found that people in the study group of 3,700 residents in San Antonio, Texas, who averaged three or more artificially sweetened beverages a day were more likely to have gained weight than those who didn't drink artificially sweetened beverages. Another study at Purdue University in 2008 found that rats eating food sweetened with saccharin ate more calories and gained more weight than rats fed sugary foods. On the other hand, research published in October 2002 in the "Journal of American Clinical Nutrition" found no link between artificially-sweetened food and weight gain.
Other Weight-Related Effects
Most diet drinks don't raise blood sugar, although sugar alcohols can actually increase your blood sugar level. Research such as the long-term Framingham Heart Study have found that if you drink diet soda daily, you have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes as well as metabolic syndrome, a term used to describe the combination of high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid levels, insulin resistance and excess abdominal fat.
Cause
Your brain responds to sweetness with signals to eat more, then slow down and stop eating. But if you provide a sweet taste without any calories, it may confuse the complex feedback loop between your brain, stomach, nerves and hormones, throwing off your body's ability to accurately gauge how many calories are being consumed.
Recommendations
The Harvard University School of Public Health recommends that you consume diet drinks in small amounts for a short period of time as a transition from sugary drinks. Jeannie Moloo, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says it all comes down to moderation, and that you shouldn't substitute diet drinks for healthier alternatives such as water, low-fat dairy and antioxidant-rich tea and coffee.
Warning
Even foods containing artificial sweeteners other than sugar alcohols can still affect blood sugar due to other ingredients in the foods, such as carbohydrates. Also, in a study of more than 3,000 women at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, researchers found a link between women who drank two or more artificially sweetened soft drinks a day and declining kidney function.
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