4 Powerful Reasons To Quit Drinking Diet Sodas Now
Are you still not convinced that artificially sweetened soft drinks are unhealthy? Prepare to change your tune! I'm going to give you five compelling reasons to stop drinking diet soda right now. I don't know what will make you ditch the diet drinks and start drinking more water if these studies don't.
Remember when I said that drinking one diet drink per day could triple your risk of dementia and stroke? The article sparked a lot of debate. While many people have weighed in in favor, others require more persuasion. Sure, more research is needed before we can be certain of the dangers of artificial sweeteners. Yes, it is also true that we must consider relative vs. absolute risk.
But one thing is certain: diet soda is not the fantastic real-sugar substitute that everyone believes it to be. Many experts, in increasing numbers, are now telling you how bad these drinks are for your health and why you should stop drinking them. And I believe we should pay attention to them.
People believe that diet drinks are healthier because they do not contain sugar, but the truth is that diet soda may be free of calories, but not of consequences. Artificial sweeteners can be just as bad as sugar. The word "artificial" alone suggests that it cannot be the best option for you.
This is why I'm sharing some previously conducted studies with you. These, in my opinion, are five compelling reasons to stop drinking diet sodas right now.
Diet drinks have the potential to cause major problems throughout your entire body, from interfering with your fertility to altering your mood. Here are five of the more shocking ways they harm your health. You can learn more about the studies by clicking on them.
1. Diet Drinks Have the Potential to Change Your Mood
The mood-food connection is becoming more prevalent. According to some studies, aspartame (a common artificial sweetener) can wreak havoc on your brain, especially if you suffer from anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. According to an American Academy of Neurology study, “drinking sweetened beverages, particularly diet drinks, is associated with an increased risk of depression in adults...”
A similar effect was discovered in a 2014 study published in Research in Nursing & Health. According to their findings, “when participants consumed high-aspartame diets, they had more irritable moods, more depression, and performed worse on spatial orientation tests.”
Did you also know that Aspartame is on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list of potentially hazardous chemicals that contribute to neurotoxicity? Is that something you really want to consume?
2. Diet drinks may contribute to weight gain
Surprisingly, the drink you use to lose weight can actually cause you to gain it. The American Psychological Association made headlines in 2008 when it revealed that “the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it more difficult for people to control their intake and body weight.” It was confirmed by a 2014 University of Colorado study, a 2015 Wiley study, and a 2017 Imperial College London study.
Finally, according to a 2019 George Washington University study, children and teenagers who drink diet soda do not save calories.
Still not convinced that diet soda will not help you lose weight? Do you need more research to back it up? What about this? Maybe this one? Perhaps this one will suffice! Seriously, out of all the compelling reasons to stop drinking diet soda, the effect on your weight has been the most thoroughly researched and documented. In other words, it's as close to irrefutable as science gets.
3. Diet Drinks Can Affect Fertility
According to research, women who drink diet soft drinks on a regular basis may reduce their chances of becoming pregnant. A recent study of 524 patients discovered a link between artificial sweeteners, such as those found in “diet” sodas, and lower fertility rates, whereas sugar in soft drinks and added to coffee was linked to poorer egg and embryo quality.
Professor Adam Balen, Chairman of the British Fertility Society, commented on the study, saying, "This is a very interesting study that suggests the false promise of artificial sweeteners found in soft drinks and added to drinks like coffee may have a significant effect on the quality and fertility of women's eggs, which may further impact on the chances of conception."
In other words, if you're having trouble conceiving, cut out the diet soda. While it may not completely solve the problem, it certainly can't hurt to try.
4. Diet drinks may slow down your kidneys.
Diet drinks appear to be your worst enemy if you want to stay healthy. According to a Harvard Nurse's Health Study, these drinks can also harm your kidneys, with just two servings of diet soda per day causing a "2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women." Surprisingly, there was no link between sugar-sweetened sodas and decreased kidney function. Of course, they have their own set of issues, so don't use that as an excuse to go back to regular soda!
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