Do you drink diet soda because you think it’s better or healthier for you than regular soda? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint but good marketing has you fooled. “Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity.” per Dr. Mercola1
With Diabetes on the rise, it is shocking to me that diet soda is one of the recommended beverages (along with water and unsweetened tea) by American Diebetes Association. They conveniently or blindly forget to mention that while sugar-free is better for diabetics, artificial sweeteners like aspartame are dangerous.
Aspartame has been linked to 92 health concerns
Many people think that just because something has been approved by the FDA, it’s safe. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Even the FDA has linked 92 heath concerns to aspartame poisoning that you can read about on my aspartame-free gum page. So, why is aspartame FDA-approved? That could be the topic on an entire blog or book!
“The longest-ever human aspartame study, spanning 22 years, found a clear association between aspartame consumption and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and leukemia in men; leukemia was also associated with diet soda intake in both sexes”2
According to Dr. Mercola’s “Sweetener lesson 101: Avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague. While the mechanisms of harm may differ, they’re all harmful in one way or another. This includes aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin(Sweet’N Low), acesulfame potassium, neotame, and others.
… there’s little doubt in my mind that artificial sweeteners can be far worse for you than sugar and fructose, and there is plenty of scientific evidence to back up that conclusion. Aspartame is perhaps the most dangerous of the bunch. At least it’s one of the most widely used and has the most reports of adverse effects. There are also hundreds of scientific studies demonstrating its harmful effects.”3
So if you’re a diet soda drinker, ask yourself why? Is it for the energy? Is it the taste? Is it the carbonation? Regardless of why you drink soda, you have so many healthier options than Diet fill-in-the-name-of-your-favorite-soda-beverage-here. Here are some of my go-to beverages:
- Add honey, stevia, xylitol to unsweetened tea. I love herbal teas.
- Squeeze some lemon or lime into your water. You can also add a few slices of strawberries or oranges.
- Add a couple drops of food grade essential oils like lemon or orange. I use Doterra Essential Oils that I get from health coach Sharon Otness.
- And WATER! It’s totally underrated but water is the foundational building block of our bodies. Our bodies are 98% water. Why not just drink water? When you’re used to drinking sweetened beverages, it may take a while to reacquire a taste for water but you’ll enjoy it. Note that not all water is created equal. Some have a great taste while others, well, not so much. I love Hydra Blue.
To your health! Please share your favorite healthy beverage of choice. I love to know!
Sources
(1) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/03/sugary-drink-consumption.aspx
(2) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/18/aspartame-toxic-effects.aspx
(3) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/07/sugar-substitutes.aspx
You might also like my latest blog about aspartame-free gum, a gum that won’t burst your bubble: