Diet & Weight Loss
Jun 06A glass here or there won’t hurt you, but habitual intake of diet soda can affect your health. Curb your intake and potentially experience these benefits.
With your mouth …
Diet soda may wear at your teeth, potentially causing cavities: When Australian researchers exposed extracted cavity-free molars to regular soda or diet soda, they saw erosion in both scenarios. This may be due to the soda’s acidic content—phosphoric acid is a common cola ingredient, whereas citric acid is a component of Sprite and other lemon- and lime-flavored sodas. You should probably avoid all sodas for these 10 reasons.
With your menstrual cycle…
If you’re a young girl (or the mother of one), take note: Intake of caffeinated and artificially sweetened drinks is associated with the start of menstruation before age 11. Researchers at Columbia University, University of Minnesota, and George Washington University determined this after following 9- and 10-year-olds until they were college-aged.
With your pregnancy…
Women who drank one or more diet sodas daily were significantly more likely to deliver preterm babies, per a preliminary Danish study. There was no link between regular soda intake and preterm birth. You would never believe the origins of your favorite soda brands.
With your metabolic health…
People who had at least one soda a day were at greater risk for metabolic syndrome, in an observational study in the journal Nurtients. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of several conditions (including high fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, and a large waistline) that increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This is how much soda it takes to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Healthy Eating – Reader's Digest
