Adults who drink one or more servings of pop each day increase their risk of becoming overweight by 27 percent, according to a 2009 study conducted at UCLA. Unfortunately, diet pop does not increase your chance of losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight either, says Rania Batayneh, the owner of Essential Nutrition for You in San Francisco. The type of pop that is better for you depends on your habits and your health.
Calories
While a 12-oz. can of cola contains around 136 calories and a 12-oz. can of lemon-lime flavored pop contains around 148 calories, the diet versions of these pops contain virtually no calories, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Therefore, drinking diet soda can save you hundreds of calories each day, depending on how much pop you consume. Unfortunately, the artificial sweeteners used to give diet pops their flavor may confuse your body's hormone systems, resulting in cravings for high-calorie foods or a decreased metabolism, says Batayneh.
Sugar cravings occur due to your body expecting calories in the form of sugar, causing your pancreas to begin insulin production to prevent high blood sugar levels. When your insulin levels increase above your body's needs, your brain sends out signals for you to consume something sweet. Your metabolism slows because when you drink something sweet, your brain increases your heart rate and digestion rate in anticipation of calories. Unfortunately, when your body does not get the calories it expects, it has trouble gauging what to do with calories when it gets them. A slowed metabolism combined with sweet cravings, which can increase your calorie consumption, may result in weight gained from drinking diet pop, instead of weight loss as a result of drinking a zero calorie drink.
Sweeteners
A serving of regular pop contains between 35 and 45 g of sugar, whereas a serving of diet pop contains the equivalent of seven packets of artificial sweeteners, says Lisa De Fazio, a master's level registered dietitian and media nutritionist based in Los Angeles. The type of medical conditions and lifestyle habits you have play a role in which type of sweetener is better for you. If you have diabetes, it is safer for you to drink the diet pop, so you do not experience a sugar spike. However, if you have a medical disorder known as phenylketonuria, you should not consume anything that contains aspartame. Batayneh emphasizes that drinking diet soda regularly will not help you lose weight. However, if you want to lose weight while keeping pop in your daily diet, she suggests drinking a regular pop or two instead of drinking five or six diet pops.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of medical disorders that lead to heart disease, such as elevated cholesterol levels, increased blood pressure, diabetes and obesity -- may occur if you consume any type of pop on a daily basis. The reason people who drink pop have an increased risk for these disorders has yet to be determined, says Batayneh. She goes on to explain that the act of drinking pop may not lead to these disorders. Instead, she believes that it is the typical lifestyle and diet habits of people who drink pop daily that tend to lead to these disorders. In her experience, Batayneh has noticed that people who drink pop daily do not pay close attention to their diet and often do not exercise regularly.
A Better Choice
Pop provides you with a convenient, bubbly drink that helps quench both your sweet tooth and your thirst. However, pop does not contain any essential vitamins or minerals and may lead to dehydration. Pop may also fill you up quickly and decrease your chances of consuming nutrient-dense foods for your health. To help keep your body hydrated and healthy, you can drink water or sparkling water; water flavored with fruit juice or vegetable juice; or water with a piece of watermelon, lemon, lime, orange or cucumber in it.
References
- UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California; Susan H. Babey, et al.; September 2009
- Rania Batayneh, MPH; Essential Nutrition For You; San Francisco, California
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Rethink Your Drink; February 2011
- Lisa De Fazio, MS, RD; Private Practice Media Nutritionist; Los Angeles, California
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