7 totally awful reasons why diet cola is horrible for your health

The main reason people switch to diet or sugar-free soda is because it is calorie free. Instead of sugar, diet soda contains artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, and sucralose. The sugary taste doesn’t necessarily mean that these sweeteners are healthy for you. In fact, diet soda, as a replacement for regular soda, is a whole new problem in itself! 

Keeping the sweet taste aside, the problem lies in the long-term consumption of diet soda. So, next time if you choose diet soda over regular soda, be aware of the fact that it could lead to health issues.

Here’s how diet soda may impact your health
1. It can lead to weight gain 

Most of us make the switch from regular soda to diet soda because it is considered to help us in weight loss. The fact that it is calorie free, doesn’t make it an effective weight loss tool. In fact, as per a study, diet soda may end up increasing your appetite by stimulating hunger hormones, altering sweet taste, and triggering dopamine responses in the brain. 

So, while the link between diet soda and weight gain isn’t direct, it can still trigger a higher intake of sweet or calorie dense foods, resulting in weight gain.

2. It can increase your risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes

In 2014, a review of several studies, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, revealed that people who drink diet sodas raise their risk of type 2 diabetes by about 13 per cent for each 12-ounce can they drink each day.

Don’t compromise your health for the sake of taste. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

According to a study published by American Diabetes Association, diet soda also increases the risk of metabolic syndrome because of a decrease in enzymes, and greatly increases your risk of developing diabetes. 

3. It may interfere with your gut health

According to a recent study published in the journal Molecules, artificial sweeteners that are included in diet soda may adversely affect the good gut bacteria in your stomach, reducing their count and potency. Good gut bacteria boosts immunity, aids absorption of iron, and promotes oral health.  

4. Over consumption may cause kidney damage

Diet soda has been linked to an increased risk of kidney diseases, according to the 2017 study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Over consumption may increase the production of free radicals in renal tissues, which could cause damage to the kidneys. 

5. It can erode your teeth

Artificial sweeteners do not guarantee good dental health. Just like sugar, diet soda is associated with dental erosion because of its acidic pH level. 

Diet sodas may not contain sugar, but they typically cause the same dental erosion. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
6. It may increase the risk of a heart attack

A University of Miami study found that regularly drinking diet soda can significantly increase your risk of heart problems, including heart attacks, heart diseases, and/or congestive heart failure. Artificial sweeteners are your main culprit here, as they cause obesity and high blood pressure in the long term, leading to cardiovascular issues. 

7. It can affect bone density

Diet soda is associated with bone mineral density loss in women. Lower bone mineral density can lead to osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle.

So, ladies, it’s time to reconsider your liking for diet soda and seriously think about quitting it for better health and wellness.