Having One Diet Soda Per Day May Be Slowly Killing You
Diet soda has been linked to numerous health issues including stroke, heart attack and type 2 diabetes. In a recent article, Professor of Behavioral Science at Perdue University, Dr. Susan Swithers had this to say, “Right now, the data indicate that over the long term, people who drink even one diet soda a day are at higher risk for health outcomes that they are probably drinking diet sodas to try to avoid, like type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and stroke.” And it only takes one can a day!
Lots of people are addicted to soda. Brain scans have revealed that this is because sugar is just as addictive as cocaine; the more we drink it the more our bodies continue to crave it. What is unfortunate is that some people, in an effort to avoid these addictive properties, often switch from soda to ‘diet’ soda not realizing that it is also extremely unhealthy. This has to do with the artificial sweeteners that diet sodas contain and the way in which they interact with our brains.
What most do not know is that consuming artificial sweeteners, like stevia and sucralose, triggers the reward centers in our brains even more than normal sugar does. Calling it ‘diet’ is tremendously deceptive because although it may not be a bad as regular soda, there is certainly nothing healthy about it. Diet soda is low in calories, but it plays tricks on our bodies. When we drink it, the artificial sweeteners tell our brains that we’re ingesting more than we are; this can lead to long term appetite control issues. Ultimately, by consuming diet soda, you are putting yourself at risk for the same health issues you are trying to ward off by drinking it.
The simple solution to all this is to stop drinking soda in all its forms. There are many other healthy alternatives to choose from.
