Diet Soda...Zero Calories Does Not Equal Zero Impact.
It still astonishes me that even with all the information we have regarding the use of artificial sweeteners and soda in general, that I still see many individuals continuing to drink Diet Soda Beverages. I know that the fact that these beverages contains zero calories is a big draw for many to drink the products....truly believing that they will have no impact on weight gain., but the truth of the matter is that diet soda beverages have never been shown scientifically to aid in weight loss and the negative impact of these beverages is indeed proven.
Diet Sodas may still cause WEIGHT GAIN
Emerging research is showing that the consumption of sweet foods and drinks (even if artificially sweetened and non-caloric) increase our desire for sweets in general.
In 2005, Sharon Fowler and her colleagues from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio presented eight years of research data that explored the link between obesity risk and soft drinks. According to the WebMD summary of the study:
Fowler’s team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64.
Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person’s risk of obesity went up 41%.
In 2008, researchers have found a correlation between consuming diet soda and METABOLIC SYNDROME. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and elevated blood pressure.
The scientists gathered dietary information on more than 9,500 men and women ages 45 to 64 and tracked their health for nine years.
The risk for metabolic syndrome was 34 percent higher among those who drank one can of diet soda a day compared with those who drank none.
I haven't even touched on the negative impact of artificial sweeteners (yes, splenda is included here as well!) (headaches, seizures, digestive problems, immune and nervous system disorders, ect.) or the fact that the phosphates in soda leech calcium from your bone and can lead to bone weakness and osteoporosis.
It's time....drop the artificial sweeteners and the diet products.
Lakeshore Wellness Center: Naturopathic Medicine and Acupuncture in Chicago.
http://www.lakeshorewellnesscenter.com/
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Diets and diet aids do not help anyone. The only way to successfully lose weight and get the body that you want is by using the right information. This information can be found in the book Lose Weight Using Four Easy Steps. Everyone who has gotten a copy of this book is now healthier.
Anon, you make an excellent point about dieting and diet aids, though I think it's a stretch to say that "everyone" who has gotten a copy of any particular book is now healthier. Blanket statements like that simply sound like the writer is a press agent or the author.
Lose Weight Using Four Easy Steps is written by T.S. Weiler, and here is some of what the summary of the book says:
"Four simple ideas are combined into effective, healthy weight management. First; read all food nutrition labels, second; limit your daily sodium intake, third; regular exercise should be easy, enjoyable, and looked forward to, and fourth; drink plenty of water each day ... Lose weight for a lifetime by eating healthy, feeling good about your body, and getting moving."
A good premise, for sure, and all of the top nutrition and weight-control programs are based in the same principles. This author's biography says that he "is an avid science fiction aficionado, who is very good with math and enjoys figuring out different types of mental puzzles. He lives in east central Wisconsin, near Green Bay. During free time, in addition to honing his writing skills; he busies himself by working on different sorts of handyman type projects, both on the car and around the house."
So while it's based on what sounds like solid principles, it is not written by a doctor or a medical expert.
Good point, Diane! I'm really curious to know if "Anon" is actually T.S. Weiler.......
Diet sodas have been as much a part of my diet as coffee (often with artificial sweeteners). I have headaches every day and drink lots of diet soda and coffee. Now, I'm thinking this is something I don't really need to include in my diet (or budget). Maybe carbonated water (San Pelligrino) and added lime or lemon would be a better choice than the soda. (Grrr, I'm NOT ready to give up my coffee but, maybe the fake sweetener.) Since my husband has been developing problems with his kidneys, he has been told to eliminate sodas from his diet. Also, since I have now gone from pre-diabetes to Type II with medication, I am sitting here thinking, no, deciding, that it's time for me to ditch the diet drinks. I wonder if the fizzy water is still a good option or not. Anyone with suggestions? Thanks for listening, Linda (lslassiter)
Good for you, Linda! I'm proud of you!! I don't know about the fizzy (carbonated) water -- I'll leave that to our experts to comment on. But I just wanted to say that you're making a very important and extremely health decision to give up sodas! I don't even allow them in my house and maybe a couple of times a year, like at a party, will I let my kids have them. They're so unhealthy. Especially the diet sodas containing artificial sweeteners.
Has your doctor recommended any alternatives that you could add to your coffee instead of an artificial sweetener?
Giving this stuff up is pretty hard. I guess it's like any other habit. As for alternative sweeteners, I'm using small amounts of locally-produced honey. I've used stevia in the past but it is soooooo sweet. I'm thinking about making a fizzy water mix with some orange juice for sweetener. After all, Coke owns citrus farms in Florida for it's secret ingredients!!! Thanks for the encouragement, Linda
I was at a Sprouts store yesterday and saw a whole line of flavored bottled waters, including orange, lemon, peppermint, etc. They weren't carbonated, but the flavors looked interesting.