The health benefits of drinking diet soft drinks are hotly debated. Some bloggers, nutritionists and media health commentators have claimed that diet soft drinks pose a health risk, while others contend that high-calorie drinks are the true danger. Look at the evidence, consider your own personal health and choose for yourself.
Increased Cardiac Health Risks
One of the possible hazards of drinking diet sodas is an increased risk of cardiac health problems. As a part of the ongoing Framingham Heart Study, researchers analyzed soda intake levels and found that individuals who drank sodas in amounts as low as one per day, including diet sodas, were 44 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than individuals who did not drink sodas. While researchers associated with the study were not unanimous in the reasons why diet sodas and other sodas caused the problem, and more research is needed, if you are worried about your heart, avoiding diet sodas may be prudent.
Premature Birth
Noting that artificially sweetened diet drinks are often promoted as healthier than full-sugar drinks, researchers in the Netherlands examined the effects of artificially sweetened drinks, such as diet sodas, on the country's pregnant women. Their findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed a link between drinking diet soda and premature birth. Although the total percentage was small--just under a 2 percent greater chance of preterm delivery--researchers called for more studies to further determine how artificially sweetened drinks like diet sodas may cause premature birth.
Cancer
According to Health Canada, people have made allegations that aspartame, a key ingredient in diet soft drinks, causes cancer. However, in examination of longitudinal studies, Health Canada was unable to find scientific support for this claim. The Food Standards Agency of Britain concurred with this finding, noting that multiple kinds of cancer could not be linked to diet soda or aspartame consumption.
References
- ABC News: Study Links Diet Soft Drinks With Cardiac Risk
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Intake Of Artificially Sweetened Soft Drinks And Risk Of Preterm Delivery: A Prospective Cohort Study In 59,334 Danish Pregnant Women
- Foods Standards Agency: Aspartame
- Health Canada: Food and Nutrition: Aspartame
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