Diet soda contains substances that may increase your risk of kidney disease, including salt, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, phosphoric acid, caramel and other chemicals. Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that diet soft drink users experience increased waist circumference and an elevated risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic conditions, according to their presentation at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego in June 2011. Individuals who consume diet soft drinks may also increase the risk of kidney disease. Consult your doctor about diet sodas and risk of kidney disease.
Salt
Diet soda contains sodium, a mineral and type of salt that may increase your risk of kidney disease and complications. Kidney disease is a chronic condition characterized by the inability to filter out waste from your body and increasing the risk of toxin buildup in your blood. Diabetes and high blood pressure are risk factors for developing kidney disease. Kidney disease can also increase complications that involve high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to heart attacks, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Eating a low-sodium diet can help to reduce the risks of high blood pressure and kidney disease.
Artificial Sweeteners
Diet sodas may include artificial sweeteners that are sweeter than sugar on a gram-to-gram basis. These sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, sucralose and neotame. Research by scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts and published in "Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" in January 2011 discovered that consumption of two or more servings per day of artificially sweetened soda was associated with a two-fold increase in odds for experiencing a decline in kidney function.
Caffeine
Diet colas and other diet sodas may contain caffeine, a substance that can increase your blood pressure and risk of kidney disease. Research by scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in November 2005 found that diet cola is associated with high blood pressure. The results demonstrate that coffee consumption is not associated with increased risk of blood pressure, but both sweetened soda and diet soda are associated with it.
Phosphoric Acid
Drinking diet soda can increase your risk of kidney stones. Research by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and published in "Epidemiology" in July 2007 reports that cola sodas, in particular, contain phosphoric acid, a substance associated with urinary changes that promote kidney stones. The results demonstrate that consumption of sugar sweetened and diet colas both increase the risk of chronic kidney disease, whereas noncola carbonated beverages are not associated with chronic kidney disease.
References
- American Diabetes Association (Conference in San Diego, June 29, 2011); Diet Soft Drink Consumption Is Associated with Increased Waist Circumference in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging; Sharon Fowler; June 29 2011
- American Society of Nephrology; Help Your Kidneys: Pass on Salt and Diet Soda; October 31 2009
- National Kidney Foundation; Chronic Kidney Disease 2011
- Havard School of Public Health; Sugary Drinks or Diet Drinks: What's the Best Choice?; 2011
- "Clin J Am Soc Nephrol"; Associations of Sugar and Artificially Sweetened Soda with Albuminuria and Kidney Function Decline in Women; Julie Lin; Jan 2011
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Habitual Caffeine Intake and the Risk of Hypertension in Women; Wolfgang Winkelmayer, et al.; Nov 9 2005
