You may have heard in the news over the past year about studies linking diet soda intake to the risk for diabetes. The studies looked at the link between drinking one or more diet sodas per day and an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of health problems that lead to diabetes.
So are you at risk of developing diabetes if you drink diet soda? We can't say for sure but thinking about these 5 questions will give you some guidelines to help you make choices for your own personal diabetes prevention.
1. How many diet sodas are you drinking now per day?
We don't know for sure if diet soda is bad for us but we do know there is nothing in diet soda of nutritional value that will benefit our health. We know regular soda has 10 teaspoons sugar in a 12 ounce can but I get severe stomach ache when I drink any drink that sweet. I do like the sweet taste of a diet soda occasionally so I try to live by a rule that I do not buy 12-packs but I grab a single can or bottle at the store 2-3 days/week.
2. What other fluids are you drinking?
If you are drinking several cans of diet pop daily then you are likely missing the water and other beverages that do have nutrients you need. Milk, coffee, tea and juice all have healthy nutrients. When we drink diet pop we tend to have it with a snack food, pizza or a restaurant meal. When we drink milk we usually have it with a meal at home. Are we eating healthier when we drink milk and less healthy foods when we drink diet soda?
3. Does diet soda make you hungry? or satisfy your craving for something sweet?
One of the theories is that artificial sweeteners interfere with our normal hunger signals and may cause us to overeat. I haven't yet figured out how diet soda affects my eating but it is something to be aware of.
4. Do you have any sensitivity to artificial sweeteners?
I have had several people tell me they notice headaches or body aches from artificial sweeteners. Sugar alcohols can also cause some problems - most commonly diarrhea. Xylitol and sorbitol are common sugar alcohols found in sugar free candy and gum. People newly diagnosed with diabetes often think they need to go out and buy sugar free foods but really it is not necessary if you can use regular sugar in moderation and still control blood sugars.
5. How safe are the artificial sweeteners and additives in diet soda?
For example, I drank a diet soda today with the ingredient listing of: filtered carbonated water, caramel color, sodium benzoate, aspartame, natural and artificial flavors, acesulfame potassium, malic acid.
Do we know how any of those affect our health long term? Well, as I am writing this post I referred back to my favorite reference for food additives and 4 of those are on the caution or avoid lists. This list is published by Center for Science in the Public Interest and they havea nice newsletter called Nutrition Action. Check out the list. It's very helpful.
After reviewing this list again I will definitely think twice before I buy my next diet soda! I welcome your thoughts on the diet soda dilemma.
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