NOT SO DIET…DRINKS

So usually when people want to lose weight or want to avoid gaining weight they turn to diet drinks. The most popular being diet soft drinks which are in most every case sweetened with some type of artificial sweetener instead of sugar or corn syrup. This is a huge break from waist expanding sugar filled calorie bomb that soft drinks can be. However they may not necessarily be a better choice. 

It has long been suspected that diet drinks can actually lead to weight gain. A study put out in June 2011 by The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio found that an astonishing 70% of test subjects had a greater waist circumference than the non diet drink group. (It should be noted that this is not stating the non diet group drank regular sugar drinks.)

If that was not astonishing enough, test subjects who claim to drink two or more diet drinks a day were found to have a 500% greater increase in waist circumference over the non diet drink group.

You can read the study here http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat2.asp?newID=3861

It also features data about the artificial sweetener aspartame and its relation to diabetes in mice. Aspartame is a popular sweetener used by most major soft drink bottlers for diet beverages.

You can view a similar article here http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050613/drink-more-diet-soda-gain-more-weight

So what happens that can cause calorie free drinks to lead to weight gain?

It comes down to the way the brain perceives food. When you take a mouthful of food or drink the brain notifies the digestive system to activate and expect food. The brain sends out a message that calories are coming and they must be broken down accordingly.

The problem with a diet drink is that is tricks the body. You drink a diet drink and taste the sweetness. This causes the brain to send out a message to expect calories in relation to the sweetness. The problem is that the body never receives those calories. The brain as complex as it is has no idea that you are drinking a calorie free beverage. So a red flag goes up and the brain now sends out a message to seek calories, this triggers hunger and in turn can lead to over eating.

In relation to the study mentioned above, gains in waist circumference can be dangerous. An increase in abdominal fat can lead to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and a variety of other problems such as cardiac issues.

The thing about diet drinks is that people have the illusion that they are a free for all. Some will drink two or more a day. Another risk is that some people will have their mind so set in the fact that the diet drink is a healthy alternative that they may ignore the impact of other foods on their diet.

Another fear that is based a lot in theory, and studies in rats, but makes sense is the fact that artificial sweeteners are often sweeter than sugar. Aspartame, which is the most frequently used sweetener of diet soft drinks, is 200 times sweeter than sucrose or regular table sugar. Constant use of something like aspartame can cause the body to build a higher tolerance for sweetness. As with anything the more you are subjected to it the more you can tolerate. This may seem harmless until you consider the fact that over time you could affect the ability to find natural sweetness in foods such as fruits.

To conclude it should be obvious that diet drinks are not the magic bullet that they appear to be. They may be void of the sugars that spike your glucose levels and lead to weight gain, but they can lead to weight gain in their own way. Furthermore there are many debates and studies into the safety of substances like aspartame. While minimal intake may be harmless, prolonged use could be dangerous.

So what can you do? Overall I’m not a aspartame fan but at the same time don’t believe the occasional diet soft drink is dangerous. The problem is most diet soft drink consumers don’t drink just the occasional can or bottle.

And what about the regular sugar versions? Again I believe in moderation that you can enjoy your favorite drink now and then. In fact some manufacturers have even started selling real sugar versions of their drinks. Given the only two choices take the real sugar version over the high fructose corn syrup. However, ultimately your best bet is to look for beverages like water or tea that are naturally sugar free.

© 2011 BEST FITNESS NOW