Introduction: Diet sodas are often perceived as a weight loss drink and are consumed mostly by people who are on a diet. However, while it is true that diet beverages are low in calories and sugarless, studies suggest that they are actually bad for your health. Some evidence advocates the point that diet drinks increase the chances for many conditions such as strokes, heart attacks, and obesity.
Diet soft drinks : Do they actually help you lose weight?
How do they affect weight?
Several long-term studies have been performed to study the relationship of diet soda and weight. One 10-year study measured the waists of about 500 participants. The results confirmed that those who drank diet soft drinks had a 70% bigger increase in waist circumference than those who did not. In addition, those who drank more than one diet drink per day had significantly larger waists than other participants.
Another 8-year study concluded that for every diet soda bottle you drink per day, you increase your risk of obesity by 40%.
How do they affect health?
Aspartame, which is the most common sweetener used in diet drinks, has been found to increase the risk of diabetes. In an experiment, two groups of mice were fed the same food, only one group had aspartame added to their food. At the end of the experiment, the group whose food was enriched with aspartame had higher glucose levels and lower insulin levels than the other group, which suggests a connection between diet drinks and diabetes.
Aspartame has also been linked to increased risk of severe headaches and migraines, bad teeth health, depression (with over-consumption of diet sodas), and heart events such as stroke.
While it is true that diet soft drinks do not contain any calories, their effect on health is detrimental, and they offer no nutritional value. So the next time you want a calorie-free beverage, why not reach for a heart-healthy cup of water instead?
