The American Diabetes Association reports that 25.8 million Americans are diabetic. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin or your body does not respond to the insulin produced. The dysfunction keeps glucose from moving out of the bloodstream to power the cells, resulting in excess blood sugar and little energy for the organs to function. Diabetes treatment includes a nutritious diet, one that leaves no room for diet sodas.
General Risk
Unhealthy levels of glucose in the blood mark diabetes, whether the sugar falls too low or rises above what the body needs. In 2009, the journal "Diabetes Care" published the results of a study that found that participants increased the risk of developing high glucose by 36 percent by drinking diet soda once daily. Therefore, diet soda poses a serious danger if your body already has problems regulating blood sugar levels.
Sugar Substitute Danger
Type 2 diabetes is often linked to obesity, says the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Diet sodas sweetened with aspartame, a sugar substitute, may give you the false impression you are not adding to a weight problem. But Emilia Klapp, a registered dietitian and author of "Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet," says that aspartame makes you crave sweets and it also increases your appetite. Without strong self-awareness of how much and what you are eating, you may end up overeating and raising your blood sugar. Klapp also says that ingested aspartame becomes formaldehyde -- a toxin -- which the body does not flush. Instead, it stores in its fat reserve.
Benzene Negative Effects
In more instances than not, diabetes is the cause of kidney failure, says the American Diabetes Association. Potassium benzoate added to soda, including diet, as a preservative may increase the risk of renal problems. Manufacturers might use toluene to make potassium benzoate. Toluene is a chemical strong enough to dissolve paint. Drinking diet sodas with toluene-based preservatives limits your kidney function. Since diabetes does the same, you intensify the strain on your renal organs.
Nutrient-leaching Phosphoric Acid
When you have a disease as debilitating as diabetes is, you need your body to absorb nutrients for strength, not to flush them out. Phosphoric acid, an ingredient added to diet soda drinks, is an impediment to that. The substance gives soda its characteristic acidic flavor, but phosphoric acid is so corrosive that it removes rust from metal. Inside your intestine, the chemical attaches itself to magnesium, zinc and calcium, keeping your body from assimilating the minerals. Once you urinate after drinking the soda, those nutrients go down the toilet.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Basics
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Diabetes Overview
- "Diabetes Care"; Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA); Jennifer A. Nettleton, Ph.D. et al.; 2009
- The Diabetes Club: About
- The Diabetes Club; Here Is Why Diet Drinks Are No Good Either -- Part 2; Emilia Klapp; July 22, 2010
- The Diabetes Club; Here Is Why Diet Drinks Are No Good Either -- Part 3; Emilia Klapp; July 23, 2010
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