Top Ten Facts about Diet Soda

There is a common misconception that diet soda is significantly healthier to drink than regular soda. It is true that diet soda typically contains less calories and less sugar than regular soda, but many of the other negative side effects still persist.

10

Dissolves Tooth Enamel

Diet soda does not directly cause cavities like regular soda does, however, the acid added to diet soda can cause enamel breakdown, which ultimately makes you more susceptible to tooth decay when sugar is consumed.

9

Contains High Amounts of Caffeine

A typical diet soda can contain between 25 to 55 mg of caffeine. When caffeine consumption ranges above about 500 mg daily, serious health problems can result. High caffeine consumption is also linked to headaches, general anxiety, and other potential health problems.

8

Removes Calcium From Bones

The phosphoric acid contained in diet soda increases the amount of calcium excreted in urine, which ultimately decrease the amount of calcium in your bones. If not kept in check, this can cause problems such as osteoporosis and overall bone frailty. To decrease your risk of these side effects be sure to get the recommended daily dose of calcium and vitamin D.

7

Increases Risk of Stroke

Recent studies have suggested that diet soda consumption has been linked to an increase in frequency of strokes and heart attacks. Nearly 61% of those who consumed diet soda on a regular basis were found to be at greater risk for strokes and heart disease.

6

Linked to Premature Birth

The risk of premature birth is known to be increased in individuals who have high blood pressure. Since diet soda has been tied to an increase in blood pressure, it ultimately increases the risk for premature birth as well.

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5

Causes Dehydration

Diet soda is a diuretic, which causes increased urination and calcium excretion. Depending how many much diet soda you consume and how much water you drink, you can be at risk for dehydration. Extreme amounts of diet soda consumption can cause a laxative effect and cause dehydration that way as well.

4

Encourages bad eating habits

It has been shown that people who drink diet soda often times feel like they can cut corners in other areas of their diet as a result. For example individuals think that they can order a burger and fries because the diet soda will offset it, instead of ordering a salad.

3

Causes Diabetic Complications

The artificial sweetener used in diet soda can pose a risk for people who are diabetic. The sweetener used in diet soda can also make it harder to control insulin levels.

2

Increases Risk of Developing Metabolic Syndrome

A lot of recent research has shown that consuming diet soda is linked to an increased probability of developing metabolic syndrome. For those who don’t know, metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that ultimately lead to an increased probability of heart disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes. Some of the symptoms include abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.

1

Causes Weight Gain

Despite the overall point of drinking diet soda, diet soda has been linked to overall weight gain. This is because the artificial sweeteners used in diet soda actually increase your appetite and food cravings. Additionally artificial sweeteners have been shown to be over 100 times more addictive than regular sugar, which makes it more likely to consume diet soda in the first place. It can also cause people to crave sweet food more in order to satisfying their cravings.