Diet soda is a widely consumed beverage among individuals wanting to reduce their weight. It contains significantly fewer calories than regular soda. This often is due to the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is found in many diet sodas. The controversial artificial sweetener may have a hazardous effect on your health and may even lead to side effects, such as hair loss.
Background Information
According to Harvard Law School, the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1974, only to be rescinded in 1975 due to several scientific studies that found health risks associated with aspartame consumption. FDA scientists were divided on whether aspartame posed a valid health risk, and in 1981, three of six FDA scientists advised against the approval of aspartame. By 1983, Dr. Mark Novitch, an FDA commissioner, approved the inclusion of aspartame in carbonated beverages. Despite the FDA's approval of aspartame, organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to inform consumers of the risks of aspartame consumption.
Health Risks
The FDA compiled an extensive list of 92 symptoms associated with the consumption of aspartame. The list includes symptoms such as anxiety attacks, depression, insomnia and seizures, as well as thinning hair and baldness. Although researchers are unclear about how aspartame contributes to hair loss, Janet Starr Hull, M.Sc., Ph.D., established a forum in which aspartame users reported symptoms of hair loss. Furthermore, individuals who had reduced their intake of diet soda reported a noticeable improvement in hair loss. Hull notes that aspartame contains methanol, which inhibits the growth of healthy hair, but further research is required to validate these claims.
Remedies
Although a reduction in diet soda intake is the obvious solution to prevent further hair loss, Mayo Clinic also suggests a nutritious diet rich in protein and iron as well as over-the-counter treatments, such as Rogaine. Rogaine stimulates hair growth while preventing further hair loss. In addition to a well-balanced diet and over-the-counter medications, treating your hair gently may also help prevent hair loss. Avoid habits such as compulsively twisting or pulling your hair, and opt for loose hairstyles rather than tight hairstyles, such as buns or ponytails.
Considerations
Although there have been multiple reports of individuals experiencing hair loss due to consumption of diet soda, scientific evidence connecting hair loss with aspartame intake is lacking. Mayo Clinic suggests that moderate amounts of artificial sweeteners are generally safe and the National Cancer Institute found no association between artificial sweeteners and serious health conditions, such as cancer. However, Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky states that consuming more than one soda each day, either regular or diet, may contribute to health complications such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Hair Loss Prevention
- World Natural Health Organization; FDA List of 92 Symptoms on Aspartame; Betty Martini, M.D.; April 2007
- National Cancer Institute: Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer
- Ask Dr. Hull; Aspartame Hair Loss Forum; Janet Starr Hull, M.Sc., Ph.D.
- Mayo Clinic: Artificial Sweeteners
- Mayo Clinic; Diet Soda; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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