Diet Soda: Can It Really Cause Weight Gain

Do you love gulping down cans of soda? I am sure you do! Most of us are actually addicted to this popular beverage. But soda in itself is not good for your health, particularly if you are trying tolose weight.

But for soda lovers, there is a solution! Diet soda! It is touted that diet soda gives the best of both worlds – amazing taste and no weight gain! But is that the whole truth? Do diet sodas actually do what they claim to do or do they cause weight gain? These are the big questions that need to be answered.

The market for diet sodas is huge involving several big companies. The tag, labels or highlighted texts of “sugar free”, “zero carbohydrate” or “no calories” attract buyers, but when you pick up that can of diet soda, are you falling for a marketing gimmick? Let’s find out everything about diet soda and weight gain here!

What Is Diet Soda?

Diet soda, as the name suggests, is a non- alcoholic, sugar-free, zero-carbohydrate and zero- calories carbonated drink. Some well known diet soda brands are Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Sprite Zero, Diet Mountain Dew etc., which are popular across the globe.

How Does Diet Soda Make You Gain Weight?

Studies have shown that diet soda does not help in losing weight. But it can definitely harm your health! A study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio, observed that those who drank two or more diet sodas a day increased their waist size six times more than those who didn’t drink diet sodas. Similarly, studies conducted on several obese patients in New York stated that patients who switched from regular to diet soda did not lose weight.

But how does drinking diet soda cause weight gain? There are a number of reasons that leads to weight gain with diet soda consumption:

1. Artificial Sweeteners:

Since diet soda is a low calorie drink, it is often believed that it aids weight loss. But the actual scenario is far sinister! The artificial sweeteners in diet soda lead to an increase in appetite, which in turn causes weight gain.

2. Increases Hunger:

As stated earlier, diet soda increases appetite. In spite of being a zero carb and low calorie drink, diet soda increases your desire for food, making you consume more calories. If you drink diet soda, you end up craving for more and consume more calories. The result is, of course, an increase in weight!

3. Zero Nutritional Value:

Zero calories, zero nutrition – that’s diet soda for you! There is absolutely no reason to justify drinking this beverage. Plain water is the best beverage that you can have if you really want to avoid weight gain. Replacing plain soda with diet soda is certainly not a healthy option.

 Other Side Effects Of Diet Soda:

If you thought that weight gain is not a good enough reason to give up diet soda, you have to have a look at its side effects. If you are a regular drinker of diet soda, you are at the risk of suffering from the following health issues:

1. Kidney Problem:

Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners present in diet sodas are harmful for your kidney. Their daily intake can result in improper functioning of your kidney and can even lead to kidney failure.

2. Teeth Decay:

Diet sodas are highly acidic with a pH of 3.2. Studies have shown that people who drink 2-3 diet sodas a day are more prone to tooth decay and enamel damage.

3. Metabolism Syndrome:

Studies have revealed that people who consume diet soda regularly have a greater risk of metabolism syndrome. In other words, they have a high risk of heart diseases, high cholesterol level etc.

4. Bad For Your Bone Health:

Chemicals present in diet sodas, like phosphoric acid, have negative side effects on bones. Consumption of diet sodas decreases bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis.

5. Can Cause Cell Damage:

Chemicals in diet sodas damage cells by destroying their components like mitochondria. They also damage the DNA present in cell. After this research, several companies have started using other preservatives.

6. Enhances Alcohol Effects:

If you are an alcohol lover then intake of diet sodas can give you a horrible hangover. Sugar in the blood stream slows down the effect of alcohol but diet soda does not have sugar in it. This lack of sugar leads to getting high sooner than you would like.

So, does diet soda make you gain weight? And the answer is yes! If you really want to lose weight and maintain overall health, diet soda is not a good option and should be eliminated from your diet. You can replace it with healthier drinks like plain water, green tea, lime water and vegetable juices – they may not taste as good as a can of soda but are sure good for your health!