How's everybody doing this evening? By a show of hands, who drinks diet soda? It's ok if you do, don't be shy. Nobody is going to make fun of you, I promise. Well, for ya'll diet soda drinkers out there...Unfortunately, I have some bad news. According to recent data presented at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Scientific Sessions, it is suggested that diet drinks may actually contribute to weight gain and that the artificial sweeteners in them could potentially contribute Type 2 diabetes. Who would have thought? right. I mean the term 'diet' is usually perceived in terms of moving towards better health and increasing your overall well-being. In most cases, that statement does hold true but with regards to soft drinks it does not. So...what do we do with this information? you may ask. Well, hold that thought. Let's view the facts for a second.
In one study, researchers from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, looked at aggregate data from 474 older adults in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, or SALSA. At the time of enrollment and at three follow-up exams thereafter, all participants reported their diet soda intake and were measured for height, weight and waist circumference. The researchers wanted to track any association between diet soda drinking and body fat over time.
What they found was that all participants saw their waistlines expand, but those who reported drinking diet soda had 70% greater increases in waistline growth than non-drinkers 9.5 years later. Among frequent drinkers — those who consumed two or more diet sodas a day — waistline growth was 500% greater than among non-drinkers. Researchers said their results were adjusted for other contributing factors like diabetes status, leisure-time physical activity level and age.
The data didn't say why diet sodas might play a role in weight gain, but previous research suggests it has to do with the disconnect between the taste of artificial sugars and their lack of calories. The brain is wired to expect a big load of calories when foods taste sweet or fatty. But because diet foods fail to deliver, it throws the brain out of whack. Studies in animals suggest that artificial sweetener consumption may lead to even more eating and weight gain, perhaps in part because it triggers the body to start storing more calories as fat.
Excess weight, especially around the belly, as measured in the SALSA participants, is a risk factor for a variety of ills, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
With that being said, perhaps it's time to switch to water. What do you think? I always say: "There ain't nothing like some ice cold water a.k.a. that cool refreshing drink, lol.
And For all those 'water haters', perhaps you should try Perrier. Maybe that will help you savor the flavor, hehe. True story. At any rate, I hope everyone enjoyed this post and found it informative. Have a wonderful evening. This is 'thedoc' and I'm signing out. Peace, Love, and God Bless.
P.S.
Fore more info on this topic, refer to Studies: Why Diet Sodas Are No Benefit to Dieters. Laters!
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