Getting healthy has become a national pastime. It’s something we all strive for, and do all we can to get and stay in great shape.
Which is why many of us turn to diet sodas to attempt to take in fewer calories throughout the day.
Unfortunately, that may be doing more harm than good.
According to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, one study group showed that while only a little more than 5 percent of participants drank two or more diet sodas per day, that group had a 23 percent higher risk of stroke, and a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease over a 12 year period when compared to women that never drank diet sodas.
Diet soda drinkers who also had no previous heart disease were shown to be 2.44 times as likely of having a stroke caused by a blood clot over people that didn’t drink diet beverages. This was also shown to spike for African-American women, up to 3.93 times, while being slightly less for obese women, dropping to 2.03.
Taking in diet beverages does two things.
First, when you drink a diet soda, it’s easy to tell yourself you’re taking in low calories, so you’re more likely to drink more. Low calories still have artificial sweeteners, which adversely affects your health. Diet sodas have been linked to everything from weight gain to an increased risk of dementia. While you think you’re doing something good for your health, it turns out you could be putting your health in jeopardy instead.
Second, drinking diet sodas means you’re not consuming more healthy beverages that can do a body good. Like water. If you don’t like the taste of water, consider infusing your water with natural flavors. Put a pitcher of water in your refrigerator with berries, cucumbers, a few mint leaves, or citrus slices to give your water a better taste.
According to Brooke Alpert’s book The Sugar Detox, artificial sweeteners can even dull your senses over time, making naturally sweetened foods like fruit lose its flavor. That means you’ll want diet sodas more, and real foods less. Yet artificial sweeteners do something natural sweeteners don’t; they trigger insulin, which signals your body to store fat instead of shed it, which in turn leads to weight gain rather than helping you stick with your diet.
No matter what your health or weight goals are, your best bet is to stay away from diet sodas. They do nothing for your health, and may increase your risk for everything from weight gain to health problems. If you want to stay healthy, your best bet is to stay natural. Drink water, and enjoy.