Bubble Trouble
I know you are a fan of artificial sweeteners, but I wonder what you think of the recent study that linked no-cal sweeteners to weight gain?
How can a no-cal beverage such as diet soda do that?
A study from Purdue University published in February 2008 did connect no-cal sweeteners with weight gain – in rats. The investigators speculate that the sweeteners change the way a rodent’s body regulates food intake and that this effect might apply to humans, too.
Here’s what happened in the Purdue study: the researchers were looking for indications that the artificial sweetener they used (saccharin) affected the lab rats’ ability to regulate their food intake.
They measured this by assessing the animals’
(1) caloric intake;
(2) weight gain and
(3) ability to reduce their intake to compensate for what they had been eating.
(4)They also measured the animals’ core body temperature, which rises as metabolism revs up at mealtime.
The rats fed yogurt sweetened with saccharin had a much smaller rise in core body temperature after eating than did the ones that got sugar-sweetened yogurt.
The investigators explanation is that the lower core temperature response in the saccharin group led to overeating and made it harder for the animals to burn off the calories they consumed.
We don’t know that this occurs in humans, but earlier evidence shows that people who drink more diet drinks are at higher risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome.
I’m sure this study isn’t the last word on the subject. Other researchers have found a connection between artificially sweetened foods and beverages and weight loss, but in many of those cases, other weight loss measures were employed as well. I find the Purdue findings thought-provoking. I have long advised people to stay away from artificial sweeteners for various reasons, and I do not believe they are an effective strategy for losing weight. In fact, evidence is accumulating that they make it harder to do so.
Is diet soda bad for you? Specifically, does it actually help you lose weight?
Long story short, no. In fact, a Purdue researcher says public health officials should tell people to avoid diet soda much like they do with regular, sugar-sweetened soda.
About 30 percent of American adults and 15 percent of American children ingest artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, sucralose and saccharin.
Artificial sweeteners seem to confuse the body’s natural ability to manage calories based on tasting something sweet. People tend to them overeat even if they drink diet soda. And get this: People who consume artificial sweeteners are twice as likely to develop metabolic syndrome, too.
Is Diet Soda Bad for You?
Beyond that, there’s lots of research linking diet soda drinking to all sorts of health troubles.
Depression
Drinking more than four cans a day of soda is linked to a 30 percent higher risk of depression. On the flip side, drinking four cups of coffee a day seemed to offer protective effects, lowering depression risk 10 percent. The risk appeared to be greater for people who drank diet soda compared to regular soda.
Kidney Damage
Harvard researchers found long-term diet soda drinking causes a 30 percent greater reduction in kidney function. The study looked at people who regularly consumed diet soda over 20 years.
Type 2 Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome
A 2009 study published in the journal Diabetes Care found drinking diet soda daily is linked to a 36 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to non-diet soda drinkers.
In fact, the artificial sweeteners may tamper with the gut-brain connection. This can lead to brain trickery that leads to “metabolic derangements.” Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel researchers were surprised when they found diet soda actually alters gut microbes in a way that increases the risk of metabolic diseases. When researchers fed mice zero-calorie sweeteners found in these drinks, including saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, they developed glucose intolerance.
Cardiovascular Disease
University of Miami and Columbia University researchers followed more than 2,000 adults for 10 years and found that those drinking diet soda daily were more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack. They were also more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. This increase risk remained even when researchers adjusted for smoking, exercise, weight, sodium intake, high cholesterol, and other factors that could have contributed to the difference.
Compromised Lungs
Drinking soda, including diet soda, increases your risk of developing asthma and COPD symptoms. The more soda a person drinks, the higher the risk. (That’s called a “dose-response relationship.”)
An Australian study found that 13.3 percent of surveyed participants with asthma and 15.6 percent of those with COPD drank more than two cups of soda each day.
A Less Protected Brain
Aspartame, a common artificial sweetener in diet sodas, seems to chip away at the brain’s antioxidant defense system. The results of an animal study found long-term consumption of aspartame leads to an imbalance in the antioxidant/pro-oxidant status in the brain, mainly through the mechanism involving the glutathione-dependent system.
Aspartame is also linked to:
migraines & headaches
depression
anxiety
short term memory loss
multiple sclerosis
fibromyalgia
hearing loss
weight gain
fatigue
brain tumors
epilepsy
chronic fatigue syndrome
birth defects
Alzheimer’s disease
lymphoma
diabetes
arthritis (including rheumatoid)
chemical sensitivities
ADHD
Parkinson’s
Final Thoughts: Is Diet Soda Bad for You? (Yes.)
Diet soda is not a healthier alternative to regular sugar-sweetened soda.
Diet soda does not promote weight loss, contrary to popular belief.
Diet soda is linked to metabolic damage, heart disease, weight gain and other health problems.
If you’re in the mood for a fizzy drink, consider a much healthier option: kombucha.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha has been around for millennia, touted as a miracle health elixir (particularly by the Chinese).
While nothing is a “miracle cure” for disease, kombucha has a large number of benefits — due to the live cultures it contains.
I prefer unpasteurized kombucha, as pasteurized kombucha no longer contains the probiotics that make it so beneficial.
The powerful antioxidants in kombucha contribute to its anti-inflammatory, gut-healing and even potential anticancer properties.
Due to the way kombucha supports a healthy gut, it can help to relieve gastrointestinal issues, improve mental health and fight dangerous bacterial infections.
Drinking kombucha may help in managing diabetes, protecting the liver and maintaining a healthy heart.
Making your own kombucha is a simple and cost-effective way to enjoy the benefits of kombucha every day.
To avoid any negative side effects, it’s recommended that you start by drinking very small amounts of kombucha and work your way to larger quantities. Most people prefer between eight to 16 ounces per day.
Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your dose!
For any queries or questions please leave your comments below or you can also email me on insiya1793@gmail.com. Please do leave your suggestions on any topic that you would like me to write on.
Your Well-wisher,
Dr.Insiya
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Sources:
Should You Rethink 0-Calorie Drinks? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20739512,00.html#it-s-associated-with-depression-0