10 reasons why you never want to drink diet soda again
Diet sodas may not be the lesser evil: Some argue that they are actually worse than regular sodas.
1. Heart failure
Those who consumed diet soda were 43% more likely to have cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack, than those who drank regular soda.
2. Obesity
Artificial sweeteners can cause increased consumption of high-calorie foods – they simply make you crave fatty foods – leading to glucose intolerance and weight gain. Artificial sweeteners may not be natural, but they are sweet, and as such encourage sugar cravings and addiction.
3. Dementia
Diet sodas sweetened with artificial ingredients — unlike sugar-sweetened drinks; lead to a higher risk of dementia. People who drank at least one diet drink a day were almost three times more likely to develop dementia. The results were the same after accounting for gender, overall diet, smoking and level of physical activity.
4. Stroke
Daily consumption of diet drinks was associated with increased risk of stroke over a 10-year period. Older studies have also shown a link between low-calorie soft drinks and a significantly higher risk of stroke.
5. High blood pressure
High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, among other chronic health conditions. Diet sodas are linked to high blood pressure possibly because people who drink artificially sweetened beverages tend to be overweight or obese.
6. Diabetes and blindness
The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can lead to insulin spikes, which worsen insulin sensitivity over time. They can also increase appetite, encouraging a sweet tooth.
7. Stomach problems
Non-caloric artificial sweeteners can be harmful to the gut microbiome. Gut changes that have been observed have included higher levels of systemic fatty acids, which have been linked to obesity and gluconeogenesis (the body’s synthesis of sugar from non-carbonate sources).
8. Liver problems
The artificial sweetener commonly used in diet sodas, Aspartame, seems to be a major culprit. The intestines absorb it and then the liver metabolizes it, but the process has been shown to cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which is the root of many diseases, and ATP depletion, which can lead to fat accumulation in the liver.
9. Osteoporosis
Both regular and diet sodas hurt your bones because they contain phosphoric acid. Too much phosphorus in your body can decrease calcium absorption, weakening your bones.
10. C.a.n.c.e.r
Sweetener can cause various c.a.n.c.e.r.s in both male and female rats, but only in male rats.
Source:usatoday.com
