Is diet soda good or bad? (2024)

Diet soda adds no nutritional value to your diet, and not all options are low-calorie or sugar-free. It can also contribute to certain health problems.

Diet soft drinks are popular drinks around the world, especially among people who want to reduce their sugar or calorie intake.

Instead of sugar, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame-k or sucralose are used to sweeten them.

Almost every popular sugar-sweetened drink on the market has a "diet" or a "diet" version: Diet co*ke, co*ke Zero, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero, etc.

Diet sodas were first introduced in the 1950s to people with diabetes, although they were later marketed to people trying to control their weight or reduce their sugar intake.

Despite being free of sugar and calories, the health effects of diet drinks and artificial sweeteners are controversial.

Diet soda is essentially a mixture of carbonated water, artificial or natural sweetener, colors, flavors and othersfood supplements.

It usually contains very few or no calories and no essential nutrients. For example, a 354 ml can of Diet co*ke contains no calories, sugar, fat or protein and 40 mg of sodium (1).

However, not all soft drinks that use artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or sugar-free. Some use sugar and sweetener together. For example, a can of Coca-Cola Life, which contains the natural sweetenerStevia, contains 90 calories and 24 grams of sugar (2).

Although recipes vary from brand to brand, some common ingredients in soda include:

• Sparkling water.Mensparkling watercan occur in nature, most soft drinks are made by dissolving carbon dioxide in water under pressure (4).
• Sweeteners.These include commonartificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, or an herbal sweetener such as stevia, which is 200-13,000 times sweeter than regular sugar (4,5).
• Acids.Certain acids, such as citric acid, malic acid and phosphoric acid, are used to make soft drinks sour. They are also associated with erosion of tooth enamel (4).
• To colour.The most commonly used colors are carotenoids, anthocyanins and caramels (4).
• Taste.Diet sodas use many different types of natural juices or artificial flavors, including fruits, berries, herbs, and cola (4).
• Preservatives.These ensure that diet soda lasts longer on the supermarket shelf. A commonly used preservative is potassium benzoate (4).
• Vitamins and minerals.Some diet soda manufacturers add vitamins and minerals to market their products as healthier, calorie-free alternatives (4).
• Caffeine.Like regular soda, many contain diet sodascaffeine. A can of Diet co*ke contains 46 mg of caffeine, while Diet Pepsi contains 35 mg (1,6).

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Diet soda is a mixture of carbonated water, artificial or natural sweeteners, coloring, flavoring and additional components such as vitamins or caffeine. Most varieties contain zero or very few calories and no nutrition to speak of.

Since diet soda usually has no calories, it would be logical to assume that it might helpweight loss. But research suggests the association may not be so simple.

Several observational studies have shown that the use of artificial sweeteners and the consumption of large amounts of diet soda are associated with an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome (7,8,9,10).

Researchers have suggested that diet soda canincrease appetiteby stimulating hunger hormones, altering sweet taste receptors and inducing dopamine responses in the brain (11,12,13,14).

Since diet sodas contain no calories, these reactions can cause a higher intake of sweet or high-calorie foods, resulting in weight gain. However, the evidence for this is inconsistent in human studies (5,11,15).

Another theory suggests that the association of diet soda with weight gain may be explained by people with poor diets drinking more of it. The weight gain they experience may be caused by their existing dietary habits, and not by diet soda (16,17).

Experimental studies do not support the claim that diet soda causes weight gain. In fact, these studies have found that replacing sugar-sweetened drinks with diet soda can lead to weight loss (18,19).

In one study, obese participants drank 710 ml of diet soda or water per day for a year. By the end of the study, the diet soda group had experienced an average weight loss of 13.7 pounds (6.21 kg), compared to 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) in the water group (20).

But to add to the confusion, there is evidence of bias in the scientific literature. Studies funded by the artificial sweetener industry have been shown to produce more favorable results than non-industry studies, which may undermine the validity of their findings (21).

Overall, more high-quality research is needed to determine the true effects of soda on weight loss.

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Observational studies link soft drinks to obesity. However, it is not clear whether diet soda is the cause of this. Experimental studies show positive effects on weight loss, but these may be influenced by industry funding.

Although diet soda contains no calories, sugar or fat, it has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in several studies.

Research has shown that just one serving of artificially sweetened beverage per day is associated with an 8-13% increased risk of type 2 diabetes (22,23).

A study of 64,850 women found that artificially sweetened drinks were associated with a 21% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, this was still half the risk associated with regular sugary drinks. Other studies have observed similar results (24,25,26,27).

Conversely, a recent study found that diet soda is not associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Another study also concluded that any association could be explained by the participants' existing health status, weight changes and body mass index.28,29).

Diet soda has also been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

A review of four studies involving 227,254 people found that for every serving of artificially sweetened beverage per day, there is a 9% increased risk of high blood pressure. Other studies have found similar results (30,31,32).

Additionally, one study has linked diet soda to a small increase in stroke risk, but this was only based on observational data (33).

Because most studies were observational, the association may be explained in another way. It's possible that people who were already at risk for diabetes and high blood pressure chose to drink more diet soda (24,34,35).

More direct experimental research is needed to determine whether there is a true causal relationship between diet soda and elevated blood sugar or blood pressure.

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Observational studies have linked diet soda to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke. However, research into the possible reasons for these results is lacking. They may be due to pre-existing risk factors such as obesity.

Drinking diet soda has been linked to an increased risk of chronic kidney disease.

A recent study analyzed the diets of 15,368 people and found that the risk of developing end-stage kidney disease increased with the number of glasses of soda consumed per week.

Compared to those who drank less than one drink per week, people who drank more than seven glasses of soda per week had almost twice the risk of developing kidney disease (36).

A possible cause of kidney damage is the high phosphorus content in soft drinks, which can increase the acid load on the kidneys (36,37).

However, it has also been suggested that individuals who consume large amounts of diet soda may do so to compensate for other poor dietary and lifestyle factors that may independently contribute to the development of diabetes.kidney disease(36,38).

Interestingly enough, studies on the effects of diet soda on the development of kidney stones have produced mixed results.

An observational study found that soda drinkers had a slightly increased risk of developing kidney stones, but that risk was much smaller than the risk associated with drinking.regular soft drink. Furthermore, this study is not supported by other research (39).

Another study reported that the high concentrations of citrate and malate in some diet soft drinks may help treat kidney stones, especially in people with low urine pH and uric acid stones. However, more research and human studies are needed (40).

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Observational studies have found a link between drinking a lot of soda and the development of kidney disease. If diet soda causes this, a possible cause could be an increased acid load on the kidneys due to the high phosphorus content.

Drinking diet soda during pregnancy has been linked to a number of negative consequences, including premature birth and childhood obesity.

A Norwegian study of 60,761 pregnant women found that consumption of artificially sweetened and sugary drinks was associated with an 11% higher risk of preterm birth (41).

Previous Danish research supports these results. A study of nearly 60,000 women found that women who consumed one serving of diet soda per day were 1.4 times more likely to give birth prematurely than those who did not (42).

However, new research among 8,914 women in England found no link between Diet co*ke and premature birth. However, the authors admitted that the study may not have been large enough and was limited to Diet co*ke.43).

It is important to note that these studies were strictly observational and do not provide any explanation as to how exactly soda may contribute to preterm labor.

Furthermore, consumption of artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy is significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity (44).

One study found that daily consumption of diet drinks during pregnancy doubled the risk of a baby becoming overweight by age 1 (45).

Further research is needed to analyze the possible biological causes and long-term health risks for children exposed to artificially sweetened soft drinks in the womb.

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Large studies have linked diet soda to premature birth. However, a causal relationship has not been found. In addition, babies born to mothers who drank diet soda during pregnancy are at increased risk of becoming overweight.

There are several other documented health effects of diet soda, including:

• Can reduce fatty liver disease.Some studies have shown that replacing regular soda with diet soda can reduce fat around the liver. Other studies have found no effect (46,47).
• No increase in reflux.Despite anecdotal reports, no carbonated drinks have been foundreflux or heartburnworse. However, the research is mixed and more experimental studies are needed (3,48).
• No strong links to cancer.Most of the research on artificial sweeteners and diet soda has found no evidence that it causes cancer. A slight increase in lymphoma and multiple myeloma in men was reported, but the results were weak (49,50).
• Changes in the gut microbiome.Artificial sweeteners can changedarmflora, leading to decreased blood sugar control and possibly an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. One study found that all six artificial sweeteners tested damaged the gut microbiome in different ways. Another found that the way people's gut flora responded to artificial sweeteners was highly individualized (51,52,53,54).
• Increased risk of osteoporosis.Diet and regular cola are associated with loss of bone mineral density in women, but not in men. Caffeine and phosphorus in cola can disrupt normal calcium absorption (5).
• Cavities.Like regular soda, soda has been linked to dental erosion due to its acidic pH value. This is due to the addition of acids, such as malic acid, citric acid or phosphoric acid, for flavor (5,55).
• Associated with depression.Observational studies have found higher rates of depression among those who drank four or more diet sodas or regular sodas per day. However, experiments are needed to determine if diet soda is a cause (56).

While some of these findings are interesting, more experimental research is needed to determine whether diet soda causes these problems or whether the results are due to chance or other factors.

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Diet soda may improve fatty liver disease and does not appear to increase heartburn or cancer risk. However, it can reduce blood sugar levels and increase the risk of depression, osteoporosis and tooth decay. However, more research is needed.

Research on diet soda has produced a lot of conflicting evidence.

One explanation for this conflicting information is that most research is observational. This means it observes trends, but has no information about whether diet soda is a cause or simply related to the true cause.

Therefore, although some of the research sounds quite alarming, more high-quality experimental studies are needed before concrete conclusions can be drawn about the health effects of soft drinks.

Either way, one thing's for sure: diet soda doesn't add any nutritional value to your diet.

So if you want to replace regular soda in your diet, other options may be better than diet soda. Next time try an alternative like milk,coffee, black or herbal tea or fruit-infused water.