There's no sound more satisfying than the hiss and pop of a can being opened and, a few minutes after my first sip, I feel my heart flutter. I blame late nights spent studying for university exams when I needed regular swigs from a two-litre bottle to prevent me slumping over my desk. That was a decade ago and I still guzzle four or more cans of the stuff every day. I only buy cans. Plastic bottles don't keep it cold. Glass bottles can be difficult to find.
That means that in the past 10 years, I've drunk about 14, ml cans or almost 5, litres of the stuff. I figure that by the time I'm 60, I would have consumed the equivalent of a backyard swimming pool of bubbly, black liquid. It is not that I particularly like the taste. In truth, Diet Coke doesn't really taste like anything to me anymore. It almost tastes neutral, like water or milk.
I don't drink it because I want to lose weight, but I always figured that I might as well save calories on fizzy drinks so I can splurge on chocolate and cakes.
And since I don't drink coffee, I crave - really crave - the caffeine hit I get from a Coke. At best, I'm grumpy in the mornings before I've had my fix. At worst, boyfriends have been dispatched late at night in sheeting rain to find me a cold, silver can. There's nothing natural about caramel-coloured carbonated water - and you almost need a chemistry degree to read the ingredients on the label - so even the most devoted Diet Coke drinker is unlikely to argue it's good for you.
On the side of the can under "nutritional information per ml", there is the following list: "carbohydrates 0.
There's no mention of vitamins. Small wonder. In fact, drinking too much diet soda may be linked to several side effects and affect both long- and short-term health. Some research suggests that the artificial sweeteners found in diet soda might negatively affect your gut microbiome , which is the community of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract.
The gut microbiome plays a key role in many aspects of health, including immune function, nutrient absorption, heart health, and more 1. Another animal study showed that acesulfame K Ace-K , another type of artificial sweetener in some types of diet soda, negatively affected the makeup of the gut microbiome in mice 3. On the other hand, some other studies in humans and animals have turned up conflicting results 4 , 5.
Aspartame is one of the most common nonnutritive sweeteners in diet soda. Many studies have investigated its safety, but few have looked into its effects on the human microbiome 6. However, we do know that the body breaks down aspartame before it reaches the large intestine, where the gut microbiome mainly resides 6.
More large, high quality studies are needed to understand how artificial sweeteners and diet soda may affect gut health in humans. Some small studies in humans and animals suggest that artificial sweeteners could negatively affect gut health, but more research is needed. One test-tube study found that regular and diet soda significantly affected the surface roughness of tooth enamel, indicating that both can contribute to tooth erosion 7. Another study showed that, due to their acidity, both regular and diet soft drinks could damage the surface of the enamel, increasing erosion 8.
Yet, note that damage to dental enamel from acidity is not the same thing as an increased risk of cavities due to sugar content. However, this may be because soft drink consumption, in general, is correlated with poor oral health and other unhealthy eating habits According to some research, aspartame is linked to several side effects when consumed in high amounts.
Side effects may include 11 , 12 :. Some studies have also found that caffeine, which is present in some diet sodas, could cause headaches for some people, but research is mixed 13 , 14 , Diet soda contains several compounds that may negatively affect bone health and lead to bone loss. These compounds include caffeine and phosphoric acid 17 , Interestingly, one study showed that among women, drinking both regular and diet cola was linked to decreased bone mineral density, a condition that could increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures Another study including over 17, adults found that people who consumed soft drinks regularly had a higher risk of bone fractures over 5 years Keep in mind that this study did not look at how diet soft drinks, specifically, were related to bone fractures.
Some research suggests that high intakes of phosphorus have been linked to negative effects on bone health Both may increase your risk if you drink them in large amounts.
Some studies show that drinking diet soda could be associated with decreased bone density and an increased risk of fractures, possibly due to its phosphoric acid and caffeine content. This can run from the relatively harmless "one Diet Coke a day" up to the reported 12 cans a day consumed by President Donald Trump via The Washington Post.
While that is obviously on the high end, it is definitely beneficial to your health to know how many Diet Cokes you can safely drink each day. It is widely accepted that regular soda is not good for you, as it is made of processed sugar and has no nutritional benefits. However, diet soda could be a different story — but then again, it could have its own issues, too.
According to a recent study, though, consuming more than one glass of Diet Coke daily raises the risk of negative health effects via The New York Times. The study found that copious drinkers of artificially sweetened drinks, which would include Diet Coke, are 26 percent more likely to die prematurely compared to those who rarely drink artificially sweetened beverages.
For some people, soda offers a quick caffeine jolt. Switching to coffee or tea may be a good alternative as both of these drinks provide several health benefits.
The best choice is unsweetened coffee or tea. Milk can offer some sweetness without the extra sugar. People who like bubbly carbonated drinks can find the same fizzy quality in seltzer water, or carbonated water. Unflavored, unsweetened seltzer waters do not contain artificial sweeteners and are typically calorie free. If the appeal of soda is in its sweetness, a person can try indulging in natural foods instead.
Sweet whole fruits, such as peaches, mangoes , apples, and berries, offer a quick dose of natural sugar without many of the health risks of soda. Enjoying diet soda in moderation is less harmful than drinking it daily. People who cannot or do not wish to quit drinking diet soda can still reduce their risk of health issues by drinking less of it. Research has linked a wide range of health risks to drinking diet soda.
Despite it being a low or zero calorie beverage, it may still increase the risk of conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Diet soda offers no health benefits other than functioning as a tool that people can use to wean themselves off regular soda. While the precise relationship between diet soda and medical conditions is uncertain and requires more research, it is clear that people should not see diet soda as a healthful alternative to sugary drinks.
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