So the next question is: “What about diet sodas?”  For years, most people, including many doctors, believed that diet soda wouldn’t hurt since they contained artificial sweeteners and little or no calories.  As time marches on, and as more studies are done, people are starting to realize that this diet drinks are not as innocent as they seem.  First of all, many people who have a diet drink with their meal feel that they are doing their bodies some good.  Because of this, they go on to have a large desert as a reward or replacement. 

 

Other times when you drink a diet soda, the body takes note of a sweet taste and expects the calories to go with it.  When the calories don’t come, you’ll crave them until they do.  You’ll end up eating the calorie dense food that your body expected in the first place.  In either case, you’ll end up consuming as many calories as you would have originally, oftentimes many more.  

Now let’s talk about the science of artificial sweeteners.  Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that also goes by the names NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful.  It contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that blocks the production of serotonin, which controls food cravings.  Since production is diminished, your brain wants more serotonin. 

 

To get more serotonin, you need calorie dense, carbohydrate rich foods – the kinds that cause trouble if you overindulge.  So the bottom line is, the more you consume aspartame (whether in drinks, gums or other foods), the more you will crave the very foods you are trying to moderate!  Sucralose, also known as Splenda, has its own set of problems and has also been linked to increased cravings.  Both raise cancer concerns and cause common side effects like headaches, gas, and depression.

In light of this information, your best bet would be to avoid diet drinks altogether and save yourself the headache (literally).  If you drink regular soft drinks, do so in moderation and treat it like dessert.

 

Copyright © 2009 by A.M. Birmingham, ISSA CFT

      

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