Diet soda was, for a long time, touted almost as a cure-all for those people who love to drink these fizzy, sparkling, bubbly beverages to do so nearly without guilt. With diet sodas that offer their sweetened liquid without all the weight-producing calories, people could continue to drink to their heart's content without worrying about gaining weight or harming their teeth and bones. The advent of diet soda meant that Americans, who, on average, drink around two cans of soda each day, did not have to kick their soda habit after all. Diet soda, however, did not end up being the cure that people had hoped it would be.

Not good for kidneys

Many people do not realize the harm they are potentially doing to their kidneys. In fact, a Harvard Medical School study that followed 3,000 women over the course of 11 years found that a decline in kidney function is associated with drinking soda. When women drank more than two sodas each day, their kidneys showed a decline. This decline had not been seen when regular soda was consumed, so researchers concluded that the artificial sweeteners must be responsible.

Increases metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome involves a group of symptoms that are associated with heart disease. These include high cholesterol and belly fat. A University of Wisconsin study from 2008 found that the risk of such symptoms jumped to 34% for diet soda consumers. While researchers were not able to pinpoint whether this jump was the result of the drinking habits of the study's participants or an ingredient in the diet soda, these results are sobering, given the fact that many people drink diet sodas to avoid extra weight gain.

Could cause weight gain

This drawback will likely be a surprise to many people, since they specifically drink diet sodas to help prevent weight gain. A study by the University of Texas Health Center found that people who drink a great deal of diet sodas face a greater risk of obesity. In fact, these researchers found that, simply by drinking two sodas a day, study participants increased their waistlines by a whopping 500%. Researchers point to the fact that artificial sweeteners are able to disrupt the ability of the body to properly regulate its caloric intake, according to a Purdue University animal study.

Alcohol and diet sodas are a bad combination

When cocktails are made with diet soda, people tend to get drunker, faster, according to Australia's Royal Adelaide Hospital. The culprit behind this phenomenon is the fact that using mixers that are sugar-free enables the alcohol to enter a person's bloodstream at a much quicker rate.

Though it turns out that diet soda is not really a viable alternative to sugar-laden drinks, all is not lost. Water makes a good substitute for diet sodas, and the occasional sugary drink will likely be fine.

Sue Mulcahey, DC, LLC  Phone: (785) 832-9355 Fax: (785) 832-9356
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