Risks Of Diet Soda
Diet soda is touted as a healthier alternative to many aerated beverages. Here are the main side effects of drinking diet soda.
Many people opt for diet soda and many other 'diet' beverages and many give up on aerated drinks. The main purpose of this switch is to enjoy sweet and bubbly drinks without consuming hundreds of calories. But, there are several studies that have found a link between consuming too much diet soda and serious medical conditions such as diabetes, fatty liver disease, dementia, heart disease, and even stroke. Drinking diet soda may serve the purpose of reducing sugar intake, but it can also put a person at risk for other ingredients that can be harmful to their health. BrandsOk spoke to Nutritionist, Nutriples, to learn about the health risks of drinking diet soda.
Dangers of Diet Soda
Diet soda is made using artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin or aspartame, instead of sugar, to provide that same sweet taste. Drinking too much diet soda can cause many side effects as it can leave both long-term and short-term health effects. The 5 main risks of diet soda are listed below:
1. Affects Gut Health
The gut microbiome plays a major role in many parts of overall health, such as immune function, nutrient absorption, heart health, and more. Some research suggests that the artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas are not healthy for your stomach. Aspartame, which is one of the most common nonnutritive sweeteners present in diet sodas, has been directly linked to harmful effects on the human microbiome.
2. Slows Down the Metabolism
As soon as you sip a diet soda, your body starts producing hormones to start processing the sugar. It's part of a feedback loop that helps your body anticipate what's going on next. Diet soda induces weight gain by first lowering your metabolism. A poor metabolism is not able to maintain optimum body weight.
3. Teeth Erosion
Diet sodas may not contain a lot of sugar, but they cause the same amount of tooth erosion as most other sugary drinks. Both regular and diet soda can weaken and damage the enamel of your teeth, leading to uncomfortable symptoms such as changes in tooth sensitivity, chalky look, holes in the teeth and opacity. Diet sodas are highly acidic and can change the look and health of your teeth if you drink too much of it regularly.
4. Increases Risk of Heart Disease
Diet soda is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of metabolic-related conditions that can put you at greater risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. There are plenty of studies that support the observation that drinking too much diet soda can affect heart health. When we talk about its effects on a person's heart health, more research is needed to determine whether other factors are also contributing.
5. Causes Weight Gain
All types of carbonated drinks lead to weight gain, be it regular or diet. Even though it may not be overly sweet, soda causes bloating and triggers a balanced diet. However, more research is needed to know how diet soda may be linked to an increase in body weight. Instead of fighting an addiction later in life, it's best to quit diet soda on time.
In some cases, drinking a lot of diet soda in a day can cause a severe headache. Compounds such as caffeine and phosphoric acid can also cause bone loss. Therefore, consume this drink in moderation only. You can talk to your dietitian or doctor about consuming carbonated beverages.
