What makes diet soda sweet

These ingredients are full of unnatural chemicals that can cause your body to crave more high-calorie and sugar-laden foods. Artificial sweeteners may also confuse your body into miscalculating the number of calories you are actually consuming which can then cause your metabolism to slow down, making it more challenging to burn off calories and lose weight. Think diet soda is safe for diabetics due to the lack of sugar? Think again. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can actually cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels which in turn can lead to diabetic shock for those who have already been diagnosed with diabetes.

Diet soda may greatly increase your risk of developing type-2 diabetes. As previously mentioned, diet soda can cause weight gain and a lower metabolism rate. Although diet soda has no calories, sugar, or fat, it has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in several studies.

However, this was still half the risk associated with regular sugary drinks. Other studies have observed similar results 24 , 25 , 26 , Conversely, a recent review found that diet soda is not associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Also, another study concluded that any association could be explained by the existing health status, weight changes, and body mass index of participants 28 , Other studies have found similar results 30 , 31 , Additionally, one study has linked diet soda to a small increase in the risk of stroke, but this was only based on observational data Because most of the studies were observational, it may be that the association could be explained another way.

Observational studies have linked diet soda to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of stroke. They may be due to preexisting risk factors like obesity. A recent study analyzed the diets of 15, people and found that the risk of developing end-stage kidney disease increased with the number of glasses of diet soda consumed per week.

Compared with those who consumed less than one glass per week, people who drank more than seven glasses of diet soda per week had nearly double the risk of developing kidney disease A suggested cause for the kidney damage is the high phosphorus content of soda, which may increase the acid load on the kidneys 36 , However, it has also been suggested that people consuming high amounts of diet soda may do so to compensate for other poor dietary and lifestyle factors that may independently contribute to the development of kidney disease 36 , Interestingly, studies investigating the effects of diet soda on the development of kidney stones have found mixed results.

One observational study noted that diet soda drinkers have a slightly increased risk of kidney stone development, but the risk was much smaller than the risk associated with drinking regular soda. In addition, this study has not been supported by other research Another study reported that the high citrate and malate content of some diet sodas may help treat kidney stones, particularly in people with low urine pH and uric acid stones.

However, more research and human studies are needed Observational studies have found an association between drinking a lot of diet soda and the development of kidney disease. If diet soda does cause this, a potential reason could be increased acid load on the kidneys due to its high phosphorus content.

Drinking diet soda while pregnant has been linked to some negative outcomes, including preterm delivery and childhood obesity.

Earlier Danish research supports these findings. Drinking diet soda does not provide any direct health benefits. However, it may offer some people a way to reduce their consumption of sugary beverages. People who wean themselves off sweetened sodas by drinking diet sodas can significantly reduce their sugar intake. They can then begin to transition to more healthful drinks, such as sparkling water.

Some analysts, especially those with ties to the soda industry, insist that there is no compelling evidence directly linking soda to poor health. Others insist that diet soda remains a healthful alternative to traditional soda, despite the evidence to the contrary. The authors of a analysis noted that 26 studies found no link between soda consumption and worse health outcomes. However, those studies had received funding from companies in the soda industry.

To cut down on diet soda, a person needs to understand why they drink soda and then find a viable alternative. For some people, soda offers a quick caffeine jolt. Switching to coffee or tea may be a good alternative as both of these drinks provide several health benefits. The best choice is unsweetened coffee or tea. Milk can offer some sweetness without the extra sugar.

People who like bubbly carbonated drinks can find the same fizzy quality in seltzer water, or carbonated water. Unflavored, unsweetened seltzer waters do not contain artificial sweeteners and are typically calorie free.

If the appeal of soda is in its sweetness, a person can try indulging in natural foods instead. Sweet whole fruits, such as peaches, mangoes , apples, and berries, offer a quick dose of natural sugar without many of the health risks of soda.

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