Diet soda isn't so sweet after all
Feeling thirsty? Perhaps a bubbly carbonated
beverage will quench your thirst. As you
think about the crisp sound of a cold can of
pop opening, you think, "Wait, I want to
make a healthy choice: Diet Coke it is!"
Notice in the previous statement the term 'healthy' was associated with Diet Coke. A variety of people have this incorrect assumption as well.
A regular 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 143 calories, whereas a regular 12- ounce can of Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero contains one calorie or less. If just considering calories (a quantity of food capable of producing energy), the diet soda appears to be a healthier choice. However, how healthy is this beverage if it has virtually no nutritional value? You're probably thinking, "So what? I get nutrients from many other sources in my diet." Although this may be true, many possible health effects have been associated with drinking diet soda.
First of all, individuals usually choose diet soda for its calorie-free quality to help them lose weight and reduce belly fat. Unfortunately for those individuals, researchers at the American Diabetes Conference have proven otherwise. Drinking diet soda can actually increase belly fat and cause you to gain weight. They conducted a study on 474 diet soda drinkers for 10 years and found that their belt size expanded 70 per cent more than those who avoided diet soda. Furthermore, according to a 2011 article from Gizmodo.com entitled "Diet soda may be as bad for you as regular soda," as little as two diet sodas a day caused the waistline of the soda drinkers to grow five times more than non-diet soda drinkers.
You're probably wondering, "How does this happen? Isn't diet soda supposed to be 'diet'?" Diet soft drinks use artificial sweetener, like aspartame, instead of sugar to reduce the number of calories they contain. However, when you drink something sweet, your body expects to obtain the calories associated with that sweet taste. When this does not happen, a signal is sent to your brain, triggering your appetite and causing you to overeat to make up for the energy boost your body was expecting, according to a Men's Health article entitled "The truth about diet soda." Also, aspartame is 180 to 200 times sweeter than sugar. Drinking this sweet a beverage can cause you to crave other sweet goods, which can also contribute to weight gain, especially in the abdominal region. The problem with excess weight around this area is that it increases your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, noted "Why diet sodas are no benefit to dieters," an article published on Time.com's Healthland section last year. In fact, a study conducted by Jennifer Nettleton, Ph.D and colleagues in the Diabetes Care journal concluded that individuals who drank one diet soda per day had a 67 per cent increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not drink diet soda at all (you can read the full study at tinyurl.com/dietsodastudy-2009).
Additionally, a 2011 article published on FitSugar.com noted that diet soda consumption has been linked with a higher risk of decreased bone density as the chemicals within this beverage can actually block your bones' absorption of calcium. Speaking of chemicals, let's take one last look at diet soda's main ingredient: aspartame. This chemical has many side effects when consumed in large quantities over a long period of time. Some of these include headache, dizziness, joint pain, addiction, blindness, menstrual changes and irritability.
After considering all of the negative physical effects this beverage can have on your body, let's consider it from an economic standpoint. One 591mL bottle of diet pop costs approximately $2.50. If you drink just one bottle of pop a day, it equals $17.50 per week. On a larger scale, that's $70 a month, meaning $840 a year! How about saving that $2.50 a day and spending that $840 on a dream of yours?
So ask yourself: Is it really worth drinking diet soda? What is it that you like about it? Is it the carbonation, caffeine or the sweet taste? Let's replace that craving with a truly healthier option. For instance, if you enjoy the carbonation, try club soda with a kick of lemon or lime to spice it up. The best part about this choice: you're still skipping out on the calories! Or perhaps it's the caffeine you enjoy. Let's replace that with a nice warm cup of green tea. Perhaps fulfill your sweet tooth cravings with a juicy piece of fruit, like oranges, pears, apples or strawberries.
Need a nice cold drink to wash down that sweet treat? How about water? You will stay hydrated, and best of all, it's free!
Shenleighanne Devereux is a Fitness and Health Promotion student at Fanshawe College.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Notice in the previous statement the term 'healthy' was associated with Diet Coke. A variety of people have this incorrect assumption as well.
A regular 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 143 calories, whereas a regular 12- ounce can of Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero contains one calorie or less. If just considering calories (a quantity of food capable of producing energy), the diet soda appears to be a healthier choice. However, how healthy is this beverage if it has virtually no nutritional value? You're probably thinking, "So what? I get nutrients from many other sources in my diet." Although this may be true, many possible health effects have been associated with drinking diet soda.
First of all, individuals usually choose diet soda for its calorie-free quality to help them lose weight and reduce belly fat. Unfortunately for those individuals, researchers at the American Diabetes Conference have proven otherwise. Drinking diet soda can actually increase belly fat and cause you to gain weight. They conducted a study on 474 diet soda drinkers for 10 years and found that their belt size expanded 70 per cent more than those who avoided diet soda. Furthermore, according to a 2011 article from Gizmodo.com entitled "Diet soda may be as bad for you as regular soda," as little as two diet sodas a day caused the waistline of the soda drinkers to grow five times more than non-diet soda drinkers.
You're probably wondering, "How does this happen? Isn't diet soda supposed to be 'diet'?" Diet soft drinks use artificial sweetener, like aspartame, instead of sugar to reduce the number of calories they contain. However, when you drink something sweet, your body expects to obtain the calories associated with that sweet taste. When this does not happen, a signal is sent to your brain, triggering your appetite and causing you to overeat to make up for the energy boost your body was expecting, according to a Men's Health article entitled "The truth about diet soda." Also, aspartame is 180 to 200 times sweeter than sugar. Drinking this sweet a beverage can cause you to crave other sweet goods, which can also contribute to weight gain, especially in the abdominal region. The problem with excess weight around this area is that it increases your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, noted "Why diet sodas are no benefit to dieters," an article published on Time.com's Healthland section last year. In fact, a study conducted by Jennifer Nettleton, Ph.D and colleagues in the Diabetes Care journal concluded that individuals who drank one diet soda per day had a 67 per cent increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not drink diet soda at all (you can read the full study at tinyurl.com/dietsodastudy-2009).
Additionally, a 2011 article published on FitSugar.com noted that diet soda consumption has been linked with a higher risk of decreased bone density as the chemicals within this beverage can actually block your bones' absorption of calcium. Speaking of chemicals, let's take one last look at diet soda's main ingredient: aspartame. This chemical has many side effects when consumed in large quantities over a long period of time. Some of these include headache, dizziness, joint pain, addiction, blindness, menstrual changes and irritability.
After considering all of the negative physical effects this beverage can have on your body, let's consider it from an economic standpoint. One 591mL bottle of diet pop costs approximately $2.50. If you drink just one bottle of pop a day, it equals $17.50 per week. On a larger scale, that's $70 a month, meaning $840 a year! How about saving that $2.50 a day and spending that $840 on a dream of yours?
So ask yourself: Is it really worth drinking diet soda? What is it that you like about it? Is it the carbonation, caffeine or the sweet taste? Let's replace that craving with a truly healthier option. For instance, if you enjoy the carbonation, try club soda with a kick of lemon or lime to spice it up. The best part about this choice: you're still skipping out on the calories! Or perhaps it's the caffeine you enjoy. Let's replace that with a nice warm cup of green tea. Perhaps fulfill your sweet tooth cravings with a juicy piece of fruit, like oranges, pears, apples or strawberries.
Need a nice cold drink to wash down that sweet treat? How about water? You will stay hydrated, and best of all, it's free!
Shenleighanne Devereux is a Fitness and Health Promotion student at Fanshawe College.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
