For those that read my blog, (thank you!!), you’ll know that over the last couple of weeks I have been embarking on a fizzy pop free lifestyle. Well I’m now 16 days into the challenge, (officially over the half way point), and I can honestly say I’m not missing pop as much as I thought. Not once have I found myself craving the sugary drink and in all honesty I have been quite happy with my water and no added squash alternatives. So to mark the two week point of being fizz free I decided to do a little research into what actually happens when you give up fizzy drinks, and in particular the benefits of saying no to diet soda. One quick search in Google and I was met with an abundance of articles all related to scientific research that heavily suggests I should give up the diet soda lifestyle altogether. And whilst I appreciate there will be counter arguments out there, and research to support the opposite, I have to say from the articles I have read I am far better without my fizzy drink accompaniment… You will finally shift the weight. Despite the promise of Zero calories and still the “same great taste” it has been suggested that regularly drinking diet soda can still contribute to obesity. Now without getting too technical this is all to do with the artificial sweeteners found in the drink. According to research the artificial sweeteners trigger insulin which in turn activates the body into “fat storage mode” thus leading to weight gain. You’ve heard it before if it sounds too good to be true it probably is! 2. Say hello to great teeth. It’s no surprise that all the artificial chemicals in diet soda will reign havoc on your teeth, leaving your dentist unhappy and your smile far from it’s best. So it almost goes without saying that you can expect the opposite when you put the diet soda down. 3. No more bloat. Ever felt incredibly bloated after a weekend of continuously drinking fizzy pop? You’re not the only one! With all that gas and lack of nutritional substance it’s no surprise that drinking excessive amounts of diet soda can leave you with a somewhat bloated appearance. 4. Prevent the onset of chronic conditions. Whilst there is no conclusive evidence out there, some researchers have suggested a link between regular consumption of diet soda and the onset of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. So cutting out diet soda could benefit your health in later life. And even if researchers are proven wrong about this link, many would argue that drinking diet soda, (or any fizzy drink), contain no nutritional benefits anyway. 5 Enjoy your food more. Without the presence of diet soda and artificial sweeteners our taste buds are able to do their job properly so we can really savour the food we are eating. Research has suggested that the artificial chemicals present in these diet drinks can “overwhelm” our taste buds and reduce the amount of satisfaction and enjoyment we feel when eating foods with naturally occurring sugars. 6. You can finally quench your thirst. Despite iconic diet soda advertisements suggesting otherwise, sugar free fizzy drinks DO NOT quench your thirst, in fact the caffeine present in these drinks can actually dehydrate your body rather than hydrate. So perhaps water was better after all… 7. Better bone strength. Some researchers have also suggested that those who cut diet soda out of their lifestyles completely have much stronger bones than those individuals who regularly indulge in the fizzy drinks. This in turn can reduce your risk of fractures should you ever fall! 8.You won’t be dashing off to the loo. Previous studies have suggested that those who have a diet high in low calorie carbonated drinks often find themselves needing to wee more frequently, and in some cases much more urgently. So switching to water at the cinema might just save you from missing out on the best bit! 9. Your kidneys will thank you for it. Without the battle of all the artificial chemicals, your kidneys can get to work properly and function much more efficiently. 10. Say no to shakiness, dizziness and headaches. There may not be conclusive evidence out there but some researchers suggest that the large amounts of caffeine present in diet sodas can cause headaches, shakiness and dizziness, if consumed regularly. So maybe turning to diet sodas mid concentration/energy slump at work might not be such a great idea after all. As I mentioned above, the points made are just one viewpoint on diet soda and there is research out there to suggest otherwise. However, my personal view is that if there is any shred of doubt whether all of the above is true, that there is no nutritional benefits to diet soda, and I can happily live a life without it, then low calorie soda shouldn’t be a regular feature in my diet. Research was collected from the following sites when looking into the effects diet soda can have on your short and long term health; prevention.com, livestrong.com, elitedaily.com, medicaldaily.com
