Diet soda, contrary to popular belief, is not diet friendly. Many people falsely think that they don’t need to worry about gaining weight when consuming diet soda and don’t realize the potential negative impact it can have on their health.

Here are a few reasons from natural medicine in Orlando physician, Dr. Faria, why you need to stay away from diet soda and, instead, consume beverages that are better for your overall health.

1. Weight Gain: The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can actually make you crave sugar. By making the brain think it’s eating sugar, these sweeteners lead to an expectation for calories, but don’t actually deliver the calories to satisfy the sugar craving that’s been created. In doing this, artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, sending the body into fat storage mode and leading to weight gain.
2. Potential Kidney Damage: Scientific studies have proven that diet soda can cause kidney damage by reducing the kidney’s blood filtering ability. Since this isn’t seen in those who drink regular soda, it’s believed that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas are the cause.
3. Increased Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Diet soda consumption was associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase an individual’s risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
4. Bone Loss: Both regular and diet soda have been linked to lower bone density, particularly in women, because the phosphoric acid present in them leaches calcium from bones.

Better Beverages

If you’re having difficulty kicking a soda habit, here are a few healthy beverages to switch to. Pretty soon you won’t even miss drinking soda.

• Water is always a smart beverage choice and our bodies need it daily. Add lemon, lime, orange, or mint for flavor.
• Seltzer water, plain, or with a splash of lemon or lime, is good if you like a drink with a little fizz now and then.
• Unsweetened tea and coffee will help lessen any headaches and other caffeine withdrawal symptoms you may experience when you stop drinking soda. Green tea and coffee are preferable because of the antioxidants they supply.
• Herbal teas are both flavorful and satisfying to drink.

If you’re looking for alternate ways to manage your health, please call natural medicine in Orlando Dr. Faria of the Cellular Health Institute at (407) 862-2287.