Do you think drinking diet soda is healthier than having regular soda?
Scientific research proves otherwise.
Both Regular and Diet Soda are Bad
Ironically, in pursuit of health, some people switch from drinking regular soda to drinking diet soda. Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners may seem like a good idea for the waistline and metabolic function, but unfortunately, it’s not much better.
Swapping regular soda with diet soda entails trading one set of health issues for another.
Studies have shown that the real sugar or high fructose corn syrup found in regular soda can increase the risks of heart disease and trigger major metabolic damage.
Diet Soda and Dementia
A study done by researchers at Boston University also points out that artificially sweetened sodas may increase the risk of dementia and strokes. The study found that diet soda drinkers are three times more likely to experience stroke and dementia, especially in populations over 45 years old and 60 years old respectively.
Using cognitive tests and MRI imaging, scientists determined that three regular sodas a day or just one diet soda per day can shrink the hippocampus area of the brain, resulting in poor memory and accelerated brain aging. This is likely how soda consumption can eventually lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s. This information is particularly important for people who have a family history or genetic predisposition towards dementia, Alzheimer’s or stroke.
The findings of the study accounted for other factors being equal, such as diet, exercise, and smoking, among test subjects.
Drinks that reduce dementia risk
Tea on the other hand, both the black and green varieties, has the power to reduce the risk of dementia by half. A study was conducted with 1000 subjects over the age of 55 in China. This population was at higher risk for developing dementia or Alzheimers due to age and as carriers of Alzheimer’s gene (APOE e4). The study found that drinking tea daily reduced the risk of cognitive decline by 86 percent.
If you’re someone who switched to diet soda for health reasons, consider switching to unsweetened iced tea with lemon instead. Or replace that craving for fizzy drinks with bubbly water with lemon or lime or probiotic-rich kombucha.
There are other conditions connected to long-term consumption of diet sodas, such as depression and kidney damage. Also, surprisingly, daily diet soda consumption increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 67 percent.
In the 1960s, the sugar industry-funded some skewed studies that pointed to dietary fat as the culprit that caused a variety of health issues, from heart disease to cancer to high cholesterol.
Misdirection for Commercial Gain
The goal was to take the attention off of excessive sugar consumption as the actual cause of these diseases.
Many studies, over subsequent decades, have proven the original study was wrong. However, misguided public opinion about what is and isn’t healthy still persists. The truth is that excess sugar consumption causes the most damage to health.
Mixing excessive sugar consumption with unhealthy or rancid fats especially exacerbates this. These fats are commonly from hydrogenated oils from fried or processed foods.
It’s easy to consume too much sugar while guzzling sodas. A 12-ounce can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar. All of the 140 calories in that soda comes from sugar.
The type of insulin spike that’s caused by drinking regular soda also causes fat deposits around the belly. This type of belly fat, also called subcutaneous fat, has been associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The 21 Day Body Makeover can help repair metabolic and cognitive damage from consuming both regular and diet sodas. It also includes a green tea extract in one of its supplemental formulas. This will provide extra antioxidants and boost brain health.
Our 21 Day detox will help dispel some old dietary myths, break bad eating habits and promote a real food diet and habits that support weight loss, energy, brain health and mood.
Related Topic: 3 things you should watch out for about diet soda
