People often choose diet pop, also known as diet soda, when they want to enjoy a sweet and bubbly drink without the worry of taking in too many calories. Diet pop manufacturers use artificial sweeteners to add the sweetness to this drink. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners can confuse your body and cause many negative effects. The other ingredients in diet soda may also affect your health.
Metabolism
The artificial sweeteners used to enhance the taste of diet pop -- such as sucrolose, aspartame, acesulfame K -- and saccharin may slow down your metabolism. The sweet taste provided by these sweeteners causes your body to think you are consuming calories. The intake of calories initiates a response that speeds up the metabolism through a feedback loop involving the brain, stomach and hormones. However, when you drink diet soda, your body does not receive the calories it expects. If this happens too often, your body loses its ability to gauge the number of calories you typically consume and it slows down your metabolism to ensure it has enough energy to function, explains Barbara M. Mendez, a nutritional consultant and registered pharmacist based in New York, New York.
Metabolic Syndrome
A study performed by the American Diabetes Association shows that people who consume 12 oz or more of diet soda on a daily basis were 34 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health conditions, including increased waist circumference, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and high fasting blood sugar levels that increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The exact cause of these risk factors is not known, but they could stem from either the artificial sweeteners in diet pop or the lifestyle habits of people who tend to drink diet pop.
Bone and Dental Health
Diet soda contains high amounts of phosphoric acid. Regular consumption of acidic compounds leads to enamel erosion on the teeth and may cause dental caries, explains Sharon Richter, a certified dietitian and nutritionist based who runs a private practice in New York, New York. Richter goes on to explain that the phosphorus component of this acid also leaches calcium out of your bones.
Appetite Control
The artificial sweeteners in diet pop, particularly aspartame, may increase your cravings and cause you to eat more. Rania Batayneh, the owner of Essential Nutrition For You in San Francisco, states, aspartame decreases your serotonin levels and increases symptoms of depression such as overeating and cravings for comfort food." She advises that if you want to lose weight and insist on including pop in your diet, do not drink diet soda. For weight loss and health, "it is better to drink two regular sodas each day than it is to drink six diet sodas," Batayneh advises.
Healthier Options
The health effects of diet soda may cause you to look for healthier options for your drinks. If you want something sweet that contains fewer calories, consider watering down some regular pop, drinking water flavored with fruit juice or drinking water that has an actual piece of fruit floating in it, such as a slice of watermelon, strawberry, kiwi or cucumber, advises Mendez, Richter, and Batayneh.
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