The Health Risks Of Diet Pop

Diet soda is marketed as though it is helpful for dieters who want to lose weight. Evidence shows that diet soda containing artificial sweeteners may cause health risks. According to The Dr. Oz Show, diet pop has several health risks, including weight gain. Diet pop is making the masses "sick and fat."

Weight Gain

Dieters may assume that because diet soda has no calories, their efforts to lose weight will be easier with diet sodas and may outweigh the drawbacks of consuming a chemical product. Diet sodas have an addictive and stimulating effect on your body if they are not labeled "caffeine free." The addiction occurs because your body is misled into thinking that it will receive the calories that your esophagus and stomach sense when they are exposed to the artificial sweetness. Yet, because no energy or calories are provided to your body, you are left feeling unsatisfied and tend to eat more food, thus gaining weight. Weight gain usually leads to health issues such as diabetes. To break the addiction, lower your intake and eat foods that are good sources of the amino acid L-glutamine, which reduces sugar cravings. Foods rich in L-glutamine include beans, fish and eggs.

Metabolic Syndrome

No matter if your soda is diet or not, reports from ShareCare state that you have a 44 percent increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome if you drink one soda daily. The MayoClinic.com explains that metabolic syndrome is a combination of a few different conditions, such as increased insulin levels, hypertension, higher-than-normal cholesterol levels and extra body fat around the waist, creating an apple-shaped -- instead of a pear-shaped -- torso. This syndrome may lead to diabetes, stroke or heart disease.

Brain Tumors and Multiple Sclerosis

Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon, speaker, educator and author, explains that Searle Laboratories conducted research on the effects of aspartame on rats. Tests resulted in the death of rats from malignant brain tumors. The tumors were removed from the rats and not reported as significant information. Searle Laboratories are directly affiliated with Searle Pharmaceuticals, who invented aspartame. Dr. Blaylock also reports studies that correlate the use of aspartame with multiple sclerosis and increased confusion.

Sudden Cardiac Death

As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 460,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac death. Sudden cardiac death has been noted as a potential health risk, especially in athletic youth who eat junk food that has monosodium glutamate and drink soda containing aspartame. The research shows that young athletes who consume these products and are depleted of magnesium levels and exercise in extreme heat conditions are at a higher risk of heart failure, because the aspartame further depletes their magnesium levels. Under these conditions, calcium supplements may further encourage a sudden cardiac death.

Premature Babies

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports findings that pregnant women who drink four diet sodas per day have an 80 percent increased risk of giving birth prematurely.

Long-Term Risks

Long-term risks may include impaired vision, genetic disorders, immune system problems and neurological damage due to the reaction of aspartame converting to formaldehyde and then to formic acid. No long-term tests have been performed, but the National Research Council states that chronic exposure to an extremely small amount of formaldehyde must be avoided, especially by children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, first established a recommended maximum intake of 20 mg per day; however, in 2010, the average intake is 150 mg per day. ShareCare explains that saccharin caused cancer in the following generation of the rats who ingested it. The FDA was warned by the FDA Advisory Panel that saccharin produces significant negative effects on mood and behavior and that it should not be approved until it was proven to be a safe product; however, the FDA approved it in 1981.