It is not uncommon knowledge that soda leads to weight gain. The empty calories and large amount of sugar make this a no brainer. So dieters who love soda have turned to diet soda to ease their cravings while not consuming calories. Shortcuts rarely work in construction projects or dieting. Weight loss by replacing your daily soda with diet soda is not supported by research. In fact, the opposite has been discovered yet not conclusively proven. As someone who thinks diet soda and regular soda are not fit for human consumption this research is meaningless to me. However, I know many who drink diet soda and allow their children to drink it in an attempt to stay trim. Oddly, most of the people I know who drink soda, diet or otherwise, are hardly trim.
Diet soda contains fake sugars. Fake sugars are just plain bad for your health. It is debatable that replacing high fructose corn syrup with aspartame is better for you. It is simply trading in one poison for another. Does it really matter if you decide to consume rat poison as opposed to furniture polish? Yet, for some even the trade is worth it if it results in a smaller waistline. But does it?
Research has showed that the diet soda drinkers had waist circumference increases of 70 percent greater than non-diet soda drinkers. And according to the study, people who drank at least two diet sodas a day had a waist circumference increase of 500 percent greater than people who didn’t drink any diet soda. In addition, those who drink diet soda had increased glucose levels and increased chance of heart attack or stroke. Those who drink diet soda can have an increased taste for sweets in general.
While there may be no conclusive evidence on either side of the coin it is apparent that soda should not make the grocery list of anyone trying to live a healthy lifestyle.