Thursday, March 12, 2020

Diet Drinks May Not Be Wonderful


Many people believe that drinking diet soda will allow them to “have their cake and eat it too” and control their weight.  Research has repeatedly shown that artificially sweetened no- or low- calorie drinks and other diet foods actually stimulate appetite, increase cravings for carbohydrates, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact diet soda drinkers suffer from the same health problems as those who drink regular soda.  These health problems include excessive weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Artificial sweeteners trigger enhanced activity in the pleasure centers of the brain, yet provide less satisfaction.  The brain craves more of it because there is no satisfaction on a cellular level by the sugar imposter.  This can contribute to overeating and weight gain as well as an addiction to artificial sweeteners.  Recent studies show that older women who drink at least two diet drinks a day are more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular issue. The reason for this is unclear, but it is possible that there are feedback mechanisms that are disrupted.

No comments:

Post a Comment