You're probably familiar with the Atkins Diet program's approach: you're allowed very few carbohydrates while following the plan, but can fill in the gaps with virtually unlimited protein and fat. However, if you enjoy diet soda, you'll be glad to know that you can continue to drink it while you're following the Atkins diet.
Significance
The Atkins Diet program attempts to alter your metabolism so that your body is set up to burn fat instead of glucose, or sugar, according to the Atkins website. To do this, the program states, you need to drop almost all carbohydrates and instead get all your nutrition from fat and protein sources. In the beginning of the diet, you're limited to just 20g of carbs per day. Although the Atkins diet flies in the face of the diets backed by traditional nutritionists, no study has found evidence of long-term harm from the Atkins approach, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Function
Fortunately, many forms of diet soda contain few carbohydrates - one popular brand lists zero grams of carbohydrate on its label. Therefore, you can drink as much of that zero-carb soda as you wish while following the Atkins diet plan, even during the very restrictive Induction phase of the diet.
Warning
You need to read labels carefully, however, because not all diet sodas are created equal - or equally low-carb. Some brands of diet drinks do contain some carbohydrates, according to Atkins.com. Although the count per serving likely will be low, if you guzzle down diet soda at a fast rate and drink multiple bottles each day, you might wind up boosting your carbohydrate count above what's allowed on the diet.
Warning
There may be reason for caution if you're looking to diet soda to replace other beverages, and wind up drinking large quantities of it while following the Atkins program. A study reported in the April 2009 edition of Diabetes Care, led by Dr. J.A. Nettleson, found that people who drank diet soda every day had a higher risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Considerations
Since the Atkins diet already restricts your food choices, it may seem tough to give up diet soda, which, after all, is allowed on the program. But you may want to consider substituting some of your diet soda with flavored seltzer water, or with club soda augmented with a slice of lemon - both are allowed on the Atkins diet plan.
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