We know soda is bad news. It’s loaded with sugar and contains pretty much zero nutritional benefits. But when you still crave the taste of soda (not to mention those carbonated bubbles), it can be tempting to turn to diet soda for relief. At the very least, it’s free of sugar and calories, right?
But, despite its status as a calorie and fat-free beverage, diet soda is terrible for your health. There are no less than 11 reasons you should never drink diet soda, like ever. Here are the top reasons to swap it for water.
1) Aspartame and artificial sweeteners are bad for your health — Diet sodas replace sugar with artificial sweeteners like aspartame. Even though aspartame is the number one most popular sweetener on the market, and is approved by the FDA, many health experts link it to cancer, seizures, depression, weight gain, dizziness, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.
2) Researchers who followed 2,000 people over 10 years found that those who consumed diet soda on a regular basis were more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack.
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Reasons You Should Never Drink Diet Soda
3) Your risk of metabolic syndrome is 36 percent higher and you have a 67 percent higher risk of getting Type 2 diabetes if you drink diet soda on a regular basis, according to a 2009 study published in Diabetes Care.
4) It's not your imagination — if you find yourself feeling down after consuming diet soda on the regular, here's why: it's linked to depression. Consuming more than four cans of diet soda a day ups your chances of getting depression by 30 percent.
5) Your teeth will suffer — the sugar (yes, even fake sugar) in diet soda contributes to the erosian of dental enamel.
11 Reasons You Should Quit Diet Soda
6) Drinking any kind of soda increases your chances of developing asthma and symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Who knew a drink could decrease your lung capacity.
7) One study that followed diet soda drinkers over the course of 20 years found they experienced a 30 percent greater reduction in kidney function.
8) Because aspartame is hundreds of times sweeter than natural sugar, it confuses the body and dulls our ability to react to naturally sweet foods like fruit. In time, you may require unnaturally sweetened foods to get the same satisfaction you might have from a slice of apple.
11 Reasons You Should Never Drink Diet Soda
9) Diet sodas are marketed as a weight loss gimmick, when in reality, they spike your insulin levels and can actually cause weight gain. The boost in insulin forces your body to store more fat, which leads to more weight gain.
10) It's a lot more tempting to indulge in fattier, less healthy foods when you're drinking a diet soda with them. And researchers from the University of Texas found that, over the course of 10 years, diet soda drinkers, experienced a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference.
11) And, finally, drinking diet soda gives your body absolutely nothing back in return. Sure, calories have been stripped from regular soda, but you aren't adding hydration, vitamins, or minerals to your body. Replacing that can of diet soda with a tall glass of water will make a huge difference in your health and well being.