This is a guest post by Alissa Jones. In it, she talks about what she learned about the dangers of diet soda. It’s perfect timing for this piece because Thanksgiving kicks off the season, between now and the end of the year, where people often eat too much and feel badly about it after. For reference on someone else’s successful transition away from diet soda to healthier drinks, check out this piece on that subject.
Like many people, I tended to choose diet soda over regular soda, hoping it would save me the 140-plus calories found in sugary soft drinks. Then I learned diet beverages increased health hazards instead of helping me. Here is what I’ve learned:
Problem 1: Weight Gain
After consulting a psychologist, I was informed weight gain is not only physical but also psychological. The use of diet sodas tends to justify one to eat other foods that are bad for you. It also increases the craving of sugary foods, which leads to weight gain.
Problem 2: Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
I was also informed that my body was experiencing some form of metabolic confusion. The insulin in my body was being triggered while there was no sugar to digest. This happened when the diet soda signaled to my body I was ingesting something sweet. High levels of insulin trigger the body to go in a fat storage mode which leads to other ailments, such as stroke and heart disease.
Problem 3: Numbness to Sugary Foods
Diet soda uses ingredients with a high sweetness intensity. I found this dulled my senses to naturally sweet foods. This in turn added the craving for more sugar, hence an increase of sugar levels in my blood, which led to the risk of diabetes and weight gain.
Problem 4: Dental and Bone Problems
A dentist informed me the citric acid found in diet soda progressively corrodes tooth enamel. He told me there is research that the level of corrosion is the same as that of a cocaine user. It also reduces the mineral density of our skeletal system. This leads to a greater risk for conditions like osteoporosis.
Problem 5: Migraines
I didn’t have this problem, but ingredients used in diet soda are said to increase headaches, which tends to lead to slothfulness, which afterwards leads to weight gain.
Alissa Jones is a Passionate blogger. She has been writing content on the Web professionally since 2006. As an avid reader and blogger, she shares her experience through her articles on Travel, Education, Technology, Parenting and more.
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Best regards,
David