College Health TV
Being healthy is a concern for many people. With that in mind, there are a lot of diet trends out there that may seem healthy but aren’t. One trend that has been around for many years involves replacing regular soda with diet soda. Regular soda drinkers often think that replacing the sugary drink with the diet drink will help them lose weight. They also assume that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda are less harmful than sugar, but that may not be the case. There are several misnomers about this trend, and there are four good reasons to ditch your diet soda habit today.
Drinking Diet Soda May Lead to Weight Gain
Several experts have determined that the artificial sweeteners found in diet soda may lead to weight gain. Even drinking as few as one or two diet sodas a day may cause you to pack on the extra pounds. There are two reasons for this: the first has to do with tricking the brain into thinking it has had something sugary when it hasn’t, which may cause an insulin response. That can cause an increase in fat storage. The second reason is a psychological one, as many people eat more as a result of thinking they have extra calories to eat because they aren’t drinking calories. That is why many find themselves gaining weight despite switching to diet soda.
Drinking Diet Soda May Cause Heart and Brain Disease
Significant studies completed in the last couple of years have concluded that people who drink even one can of soda a day versus those who drink none are more prone to heart disease. Other concerns have to do with research indicating that regular diet soda consumption also can cause Alzheimer’s and stroke. That is why more and more doctors are counseling patients who drink diet sodas regularly to cut back significantly. Anyone who isn’t able to drink diet soda in moderation would benefit from quitting the drink altogether.
Drinking Diet Soda May Lead to Psychological Disorders
While there isn’t as much conclusive research on the psychological impact diet soda may have with regular consumption, there are some doctors who believe diet soda is hard on the brain. Caffeine, excitotoxins, and the high acidity of diet sodas may contribute to cell damage in the brain and body. Some neurologists believe that drinking regular or diet soda can add to depression and anxiety and that it’s best to avoid these drinks if you are dealing with these common mental illnesses.
Drinking Diet Soda is Hard on the Bones
The phosphoric acid in diet soda can wreak havoc on your body, which is especially true for your teeth and bones. Drinking large quantities of diet soda will likely do some damage to your teeth by wearing away the enamel. Enamel is not something your body can replace or repair. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Not only that, but a high concentration of phosphoric acid depletes your bones of calcium. Calcium is what keeps your bones healthy, and prevents bone disease such as osteoporosis. Many diet soda drinkers notice problems in their bones and teeth after a few years of daily drinking. It’s difficult to give up the bubbles of soda, but both diet and regular soda are unhealthy to drink unless they are only had once in a while. It is worth the sacrifice to stop drinking soda, especially if you have noticed a decline in your overall mental or physical health. By drinking more water and other healthy drinks, you’ll likely see a big difference in how you feel. Being healthy is worth giving up a drink you love.
