Why Diet Soda is not a Healthier Alternative

Personally, I am of the opinion that soda in general can be just as dangerous and poisonous to the body as other drugs and stimulants. Especially when consumed in the massive quantities that Americans do on a daily basis. The per capita consumption of soda in American is fifteen ounces per day, with twenty-one percent of our daily sugar intake coming from these beverages. It has been well established that soda is toxic to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, teaming with empty calories and excess sugar. But what about diet drinks? Many people think of these as a much better alternative to the standard fare, however they can be just as harmful, if not more so than any regular soda.

The number one issue with diet sodas is that the sugar is replaced by the artificial sweetener aspartame. This sweetener has been associated with a myriad of side effects, including headaches, dizziness, adverse skin reactions, mood swings, ulcers, and shifts in menstrual cycles.  There have also been studies that have linked aspartame to much more severe conditions such as different cancers and Alzheimer's, but none of that information has been conclusive.  Aspartame is a man-made chemical, and when we ingest that into our bodies that chemical alters what our normal functions are.

Another huge issue with diet soda is that although many people use it for weight loss, it has actually been shown to lead to weight gain. In a recent study the findings showed that those who drink two or more diet sodas a day actually were five-hundred percent larger than those who did not. Many have surmised that this is because the artificial sweetener in the diet soda actually "fools" your body into expecting calories because of the sweet taste of the drink. However, because diet drinks are zero-calorie, the body then thinks that there is something wrong with the digestive mechanisms in the stomach. So later on, when you actually do consume something with real sugars the body will cling to these more than it would normally, which can lead to weight gain.

Although a diet soda may sound refreshing at times, the health risks seems to be getting greater and greater. A better idea may be switching to an iced or hot tea to get a refreshing and caffeinated drink.