Diet soft drinks flavored with artificial sweeteners add no calories to your daily diet. MayoClinic.com indicates that diet cola and other artificially sweetened beverages aren't harmful to you when consumed in moderation. However, artificially sweetened beverages may tantalize your palate into craving real sugar -- chocolate, cookies, pies, candy and other sweet treats.
Artifical Sweeteners
The sugar substitutes used to sweeten diet cola are usually acesulfame-K and aspartame. Acesulfame-K and aspartame are classified as food additives by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says MayoClinic.com, and both are deemed safe for consumption. Artificial sweeteners add sweetness to your beverage because they're 160 to 13,000 times sweeter than ordinary sugar, says Harvard Medical School's publication "Healthbeat," so manufacturers need only use a small amount. Additionally, your body doesn't absorb the calories from artificial sweeteners, making them appear -- at least in theory -- the perfect way to cut calories from your diet.
Artificial Sweetener Fall-Out
One problem with consuming diet cola and other artificially sweetened beverages and foods is that they may trigger food cravings. Sugar and carbohydrates make your body release a mood-enhancing hormone called seratonin. Artificial sweeteners don't invoke the same response, and diet drinks and foods make you crave the real McCoy: sugar itself.
Research
The June 2010 issue of "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine" published a review on the correlation between artificial sweeteners and obesity from Yale University researcher Qing Yang. Yang describes the propensity of dieters to reach for artificially sweetened foods as "intuitive." However, Yang's review of several clinical studies suggests that artificial sugar consumption is associated with obesity in both children and adults. Yang concludes, "... artificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence." The Cleveland Clinic further explains that artificial sweeteners "trick" your brain into thinking that you're eating real sugar without actually raising your blood sugar levels, which accounts for why you might desire foods with real sugar.
Diet Drink Tips
With evidence that suggests that diet drinks can make you crave chocolate and other sugary treats, it's best to drink these in moderation. Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky states that although a diet cola or two a day isn't harmful to you, consuming more than one soft drink, either diet or regular, may increase your risk of weight gain and obesity and, subsequently, your risk for serious health complications such as type 2 diabetes. Zeratsky suggests drinking a healthier no-calorie beverage: water. Splash some of your favorite juice into sparkling water, or drink nonfat milk with meals. Satisfy your need for something sweet with a small glass of 100 percent fruit juice.
References
- "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine;" Gain Weight by "Going Diet?" Artificial Sweeteners and the Neurobiology of Sugar Cravings; Q. Yang; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Diet Soda: Is It Bad for You?; Katherine Zeratsky; Nov. 14, 2009
- Canadian Diabetes Association: Sugar Substitute Content
- AskDrSears.com: Sugar
- "Healthbeat"; Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe?; March 30, 2005
- Cleveland Clinic; Eating Too Much Sugar? It's Time to Tame Your Sweet Tooth; Melissa Ohlson; December 2009
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