On the surface, drinking diet soda may seem like a viable alternative to sugar-sweetened drinks. After all, the beverages are low-calorie and do not contain sugar, corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. The trouble is that as researchers learn more about the sweeteners used to flavor diet soda, they appear to be nearly as damaging to your health as sugar-sweetened beverages. Some diet beverages also contain caffeine, a stimulant that in high doses can affect your blood pressure.
Caffeine
Diet versions of some popular soda brands contain just as much caffeine as the sugar-sweetened version, about 23 to 54 mg per 12-ounce serving. Depending on how much total caffeine you consume each day, this may be an issue. Just 30 mg of caffeine can alter your mood or behavior and you may become physically dependent upon caffeine if you consume 100 mg or more per day. In doses of 200 mg or more, caffeine can also increase your blood pressure, although the effect is usually temporary.
Hypertension
In the November 9, 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston write that caffeinated diet soda increases the risk of a woman developing hypertension, but the risk is not as great as that of regular soda. Of particular significance is that coffee consumption was not associated with an increased risk of hypertension, although it did increase the blood pressure rates of women who drank it. This may indicate that caffeine is not the culprit but some other ingredient in soda. Behavioral causes cannot be ruled out either. It may well be that individuals who drink soda have other habits, such as eating salty foods with soda.
Weight
At the time of publication, the Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for five artificial sweeteners: sucralose, saccharin, neotame, aspartame and acesulfame-K. While the scientific evidence is inconclusive, some research indicates that prolonged use of artificial sweeteners may cause weight gain. An article published in the February 7, 2007 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reveals that in some studies, drinking diet soda caused study participants to consume more calories to make up for missing sucrose energy.
Metabolic Syndrome
Diet soda consumption is associated with a higher incidence rate of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is not a disease. Rather, it's a cluster of symptoms that place you at higher risk for developing disease. They include: having a large waist circumference, high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure. Coffee consumption is not associated with a higher risk for metabolic syndrome.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine Content for Coffee, Tea, Soda and More; October 2009
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center: Information About Caffeine Dependence
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine: How Does it Affect Blood Pressure?; Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.; November 2009
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Habitual Caffeine Intake and the Risk of Hypertension in Women; Wolfgang C. Winkelmayer et al.; November 2005
- Harvard School of Public Health: Sugary Drinks or Diet Drinks: What's the Best Choice?
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Intense Sweeteners, Energy Intake and the Control of Body Weight; France Bellisle, Ph.D. et al.; February 2007
- "Circulation"; Dietary Intake and the Development of the Metabolic Syndrome. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study; Pamela Lutsey, M.P.H.; January 2008
