Top 10 Reasons You Must Avoid Diet Sodas

Photo credit: bigstock

Diet sodas sound like a good idea, don’t they? They can save you from ingesting tons of sugar, tastes good, seems to satisfy a sweet tooth, and saving you up to 200 calories or so on average, per glass! So what’s all the fuss about?

Unfortunately it seems that sometimes in life, the things we like the best are the ones that can harm us the most. Sure the caffeine rush is good, and it can dull the appetite for a while, but there are other things that can give your body what it needs without endangering your health. There are many problems with diet sodas that no one is telling you about.

There are literally hundreds of studies showing that this little mix of chemicals is anything but good for you. Some dieticians have even called diet soda, “Liquid Satan.” Here we will list just the top ten reasons, although there are many others.

1. Linked to Asthma

All sodas, including diet sodas, have an ingredient called sodium benzoate, a preservative. Studies have linked this chemical to both asthma and painful, itchy rashes of the skin.

2. It has no nutritional value at all

Although you are not ingesting any calories when you drink a diet soda, but you aren’t getting anything out of it either. At least with water your body receives an essential liquid with minerals. ( and also has no calories)

If you love the fizziness of diet soda, replace it with sparkling water.

3. Diabetes

People who consume large quantities of diet soda increase their risk of Type 2 diabetes by 80 per cent. 80 per cent! That’s a huge number when you are talking about your health. Read of the bitter truth about diabetes.

4. Headaches

Studies done on the artificial sweeteners aspartame show that it can trigger headaches for most people, including migraine headaches. If you suffer from frequent headaches, stop drinking diet soda and see if the problem is solved.

5. Heart Disease

The artificial sweeteners in diet soda have been shown in studies to increase your risk of developing heart disease and/or diabetes. Heart disease is currently one of the leading causes of death in America. Find out top 10 death causes in the USA.

Continue to Page 2

Photo credit: bigstock

6. Depression

The American Academy of Neurology recently presented a study done over the course of 10 years that showed that people, who drank more than 4 cups of any kind of soda, regular or diet, were 30 per cent more likely to have depression.

Although this was true of regular and diet sodas, the researchers noted that the risk appeared to be greater for those who mostly drank diet sodas or “fruit” punches.

7. Obesity

Although no calorie drinks are supposed to avoid weight gain, just the opposite appears to be true. Diet sodas have a strong association to obesity.

People who drank diet sodas have a more than 70 per cent chance of gaining weight, mainly around the waist, and those who drink it heavily, up to a 500 per cent chance.

8. Bad for your Bones

Women over 60, or those that are post-menopausal, are at a greater risk than men for osteoporosis. Researchers at Tufts University discovered that drinking sodas, including diet, makes the problem that much worse.

Females who drank colas had a 4 per cent lower bone density in the hips than non-soda drinkers.

9. Kidney Troubles

All sodas, including diet, contain phosphoric acid, in very high quantities. This amount of acid can lead to the formation of kidney stones or other types of damage to your kidney function. Damaged kidneys can mean dialysis or possibly even a transplant.

10. Carcinogens

Almost everything found in a diet soda is a known carcinogen. From the aspartame, to the artificial caramel coloring, from formaldehyde, to potassium benzoate. Studies have shown that everything listed has been linked to some type of cancer. Read more about other cancer causing foods.

Although withdrawal, especially from the caffeine, might be a bit uncomfortable, you can wean yourself off diet sodas without too much pain over the course of 2 weeks or so. Then, you can take comfort in knowing that you are made a healthy choice for your body’s sake.

Sources:

Prev Next