diet soda Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Diet Sodas Increase Type 2 Diabetes by Altering the Gut Microbiome, Study Warns

AHA Publisher — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – When the first diet sodas appeared on the U.S. market back in the 1950s, for many people, it was love at first sight. The low-calorie, zero-sugar beverages quickly captured the hearts of millions. Diet sodas offered an escape from their sugar-loaded counterparts. Today, about 20% of the U.S. population consumes diet drinks daily. Yet, sadly, the majority of them never realize that the zero calories come with a high risk to their health. If it was only about calories, it might make sense to enjoy diet drinks once in a while. But the truth is, diet sodas give a false sense of security to the people who reach for them. Soda manufacturers invested millions of marketing dollars selling you on the idea that they are healthier than regular sodas. Many believe that diet drinks are a better option that can help lose weight and even prevent diabetes. But what does the science say? Daily Consumption of Diet Sodas Increases the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 75% Of the many artificial sweeteners on the market today, aspartame is one of the most popular. Marketed under NutraSweet and Equal, this sugar substitute is present in thousands of food products and many diet sodas. But, the widespread use of aspartame is a growing concern because of the mounting evidence suggesting a link between artificial sweetener-containing foods and drinks and cardiometabolic disorders. Studies have found that people who regularly consume diet drinks have a greater risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and insulin resistance. One study revealed a shocking 75% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes among those who consume aspartame-containing diet sodas every day. Aspartame Alters the Gut Microbiome and Triggers Metabolic Disease New evidence suggests that aspartame triggers metabolic disease. By altering the gut microbiome, aspartame seems to wreak havoc in the body. Since the microbiome plays a vital role in metabolism and caloric extraction, any disruption to the gut microbiota can lead to impaired metabolic function. Multiple studies confirmed that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame interfere with the body’s ability to balance calorie intake. A group of researchers from the University of Calgary came to similar conclusions. The 10-week animal study results showed that although aspartame positively impacted calorie count, it increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Increasing Metabolic Syndrome … One Sip at a Time The most troubling part of the diet soda story is that when people drink them for many years, end up developing the very diseases they were trying to avoid. Metabolic syndrome puts people at risk for many potential health problems. Tragically, most diet soda drinkers are unaware that they face a 34% higher risk of developing the condition over a decade. What about your waistline? Contrary to common belief, consumption of diet sodas does not seem to lead to weight loss. In fact, the results are quite the opposite. One study concluded that those drinking two or more cans of diet soda a day increase their waistline by 70% more in only a decade than those who don’t drink sodas at all. Several other large-scale studies found a positive correlation between artificial sweetener use and weight gain. How to Cut Back on Drinking Diet Sodas? If you are trying to kick a decade-long soda drinking habit to the curb, the first thing you should do is to congratulate yourself on your decision. Changing habits does not have to be a difficult journey. Check out these tips to make it easier on yourself. If you have been drinking diet sodas because you love the carbonation and flavor, the first tip is for you. Try swapping your soda can with a glass of seltzer and the juice of a lemon or lime. If it’s the caffeine that keeps you coming back for more, wean yourself slowly. Cut back on the number of cans you drink each day. While you do that, work on improving your sleep routine and aim to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep every night. When you get more quality sleep, over time, you will find it easier to get through the day without caffeine. Find a friend or family member to support you and help hold you accountable. It is much more difficult to throw in the towel when there is someone by your side to cheer you on. Sources for this article include: NaturalHealthResearch.org, NIH.gov To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Why Drinking Diet Soda Makes You Crave Sugar

AHA Publisher — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 04:41:27 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Recommendations on limiting sugar consumption vary around the world, with guidelines ranging from “[l]imit sweet desserts to one every other day” to “[k]eep sugar consumption to 4 or less occasions per day.” In the United States, the American Heart Association is leading the charge, “proposing dramatic reductions in the consumption of soft drinks and other sweetened products” and recommending fewer than about 5 percent of calories a day from added sugars, which may not even allow for a single can of soda. Why is the American Heart Association so concerned about sugar? “Overconsumption of added sugars has long been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” meaning heart disease and strokes. We used to think added sugars were just a marker for an unhealthy diet. At fast-food restaurants, for example, people may be more likely to order a cheeseburger with their super-sized soda than a salad. However, the new thinking is that the added sugars in processed foods and drinks may be independent risk factors in and of themselves. Indeed, worse than just empty calories, they may be actively disease-promoting calories, which I discuss in my video Does Diet Soda Increase Stroke Risk as Much as Regular Soda?. At 1:14 in my video, you can see a chart of how much added sugar the American public is consuming. The data show that only about 1 percent meet the American Heart Association recommendation to keep added sugar intake down to 5 or 6 percent of daily caloric intake. Most people are up around 15 percent, which is where cardiovascular disease risk starts to take off. There is a doubling of risk at about 25 percent of calories and a quadrupling of risk for those getting one-third of their daily caloric intake from added sugar. Two hundred years ago, we ate an estimated 7 pounds of sugar annually. Today, we may consume dozens of pounds of sugar a year. We’re hardwired to like sweet foods because we evolved surrounded by fruit, not Froot Loops, but this adaptation is “terribly misused and abused” today, “hijacked” by the food industry for our pleasure and their profits. “Why are we consuming so much sugar despite knowing too much can harm us?” Yes, it may have an addictive quality and there’s the hardwiring, but the processed food industry isn’t helping. Seventy five percent of packaged foods and beverages in the United States contain added sweeteners, mostly coming from sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, which are thought responsible for more than a 100,000 deaths worldwide and millions of years of healthy life lost. Given this, can we just switch to diet sodas? By choosing diet drinks, can’t we get that sweet taste we crave without any of the downsides? Unfortunately, studies indicate that “[r]outine consumption of diet soft drinks is linked to increases in the same risks that many seek to avoid by using artificial sweeteners—namely type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome heart disease, and stroke.” At 3:15 in my video, you can see data showing the increased risks of cardiovascular disease associated with regular soft drinks and also diet soda. They aren’t that dissimilar. “In other words, the belief that artificially sweetened diet beverages reduce long-term health risks is not supported by scientific evidence, and instead, scientific data indicate that diet soft drink consumption may contribute to the very health risks people have been seeking to avoid.” But, why? It makes sense that drinking all that sugar in a regular soft drink might increase stroke risk, due to the extra inflammation and triglycerides, but why does a can of diet soda appear to increase stroke risk the same amount? It’s possible that the caramel coloring in brown sodas like colas plays a role, but another possibility is that “artificial sweeteners may increase the desire for sugar-sweetened, energy-dense beverages/foods.” The problem with artificial sweeteners “is that a disconnect ultimately develops between the amount of sweetness the brain tastes and how much glucose [blood sugar] ends up coming to the brain.” The brain feels cheated and “figures you have to eat more and more and more sweetness in order to get any calories out of it.” So, “[a]s a consequence, at the end of the day, your brain says, ‘OK, at some point I need some glucose [blood sugar] here.’ And then you eat an entire cake, because nobody can hold out in the end.” If people are given Sprite, Sprite Zero (a zero-calorie soda), or unsweetened, carbonated, lemon-lime water, but aren’t told which drink they’re getting or what the study is about, when they’re later offered a choice of M&M’s, spring water, or sugar-free gum, who do you think picks the M&M’s? Those who drank the artificially sweetened soda were nearly three times more likely to take the candy than those who consumed either the sugar-sweetened or unsweetened drinks. So, it wasn’t a matter of sweet versus non-sweet or calories versus no-calories. There’s something about non-caloric sweeteners that somehow tricks the brain. The researchers did another study in which everyone was given Oreos and were then asked how satisfied the cookies made them feel. Once again, those who drank the artificially sweetened Sprite Zero reported feeling less satisfied than those who drank the regular Sprite or the sparkling water. “These results are consistent with recent [brain imaging] studies demonstrating that regular consumption of [artificial sweeteners] can alter the neural pathways responsible for the hedonic [or pleasure] response to food.” Indeed, “[t]he only way really to prevent this problem—to break the addiction—is to go completely cold turkey and go off all sweeteners—artificial as well as fructose [table sugar and high fructose corn syrup]. Eventually, the brain resets itself and you don’t crave it as much.” We’ve always assumed the “[c]onsumption of both sugar and artificial sweeteners may be changing our palates or taste preferences over time, increasing our desire for sweet foods. Unfortunately, the data on this [were] lacking”…until now. Twenty people agreed to cut out all added sugars and artificial sweeteners for two weeks. Afterwards, 95 percent “found that sweet foods and drinks tasted sweeter or too sweet” and “said moving forward they would use less or even no sugar.” What’s more, most stopped craving sugar within the first week—after only six days. This suggests a two-week sugar challenge, or even a one-week challenge, may “help to reset taste preferences and make consuming less or no sugar easier.” Perhaps we should be recommending it to our patients. “Eating fewer processed foods and choosing more real, whole, and plant-based foods make it easy to consume less sugar.” This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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Bad News for Your Brain: Artificially Sweetened Drinks Increase Risk of Stroke and Dementia

AHA Publisher — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 08:00:03 +0000

Leah Zerbe, MS, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES via Dr. Axe – Ever find yourself wondering, “Is diet soda bad for you?” It may seem like a better option compared to sugary soda, but the science shows that viewpoint falls flat. And now, we have even more reason to avoid soda at all costs. Artifiicially sweetened drinks increase risk of stroke and dementia. In other words, it’s hammering your brain. Researchers at Boston University crunched the numbers and found that people who drink diet soda are nearly three times more likely to experience stroke and dementia. And sugar-sweetened soda? That’s got its issues, too. Let’s take a look at the latest research… Artificially Sweetened Drinks Increase Risk of Stroke and Dementia Researchers studied the soda-drinking tendencies of nearly 3,000 adults and found some startling data on diet soda consumption. When looking at people older than 45 years old for stroke and older than 60 for dementia, they found that drinking diet soda regularly almost triples your risk of developing stroke or dementia. That risk held true even after considering other risk factors like overeating, diet quality, exercise levels and smoking. (1) “These studies are not the be-all and end-all, but it’s strong data and a very strong suggestion. It looks like there is not very much of an upside to having sugary drinks, and substituting the sugar with artificial sweeteners doesn’t seem to help. Maybe good old-fashioned water is something we need to get used to.” — Sudha Seshadri, MD, senior study author, neurology professor and faculty member at Boston University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center (2) But the Boston University research team didn’t stop there. They also investigated impacts of drinking regular soda. And while sugar-sweetened beverages were not associated with stroke or dementia, this type of soda comes with its own set of problems. Whether it’s “real” sugar or we’re talking about high fructose corn syrup dangers related to soda, the science is clear. The sugar industry scandal of the 1950s and ’60s set a dietary disaster into motion. Faulty sugar industry-funded studies shifted public perception, tricking people into think fat, not sugar, was the nutritional villain. Now, we know better, understanding that healthy fats are vital for good health. But still, too many people are downing soda. Excess sugar is a well-known heart disease trigger that causes major metabolic damage. But Boston University researchers wanted to see how drinking sugary soda, soft drinks and fruit juice impacts the human brain. Using MRI imaging, cognitive tests and existing data, scientists found drinking more than two sugary drinks a day or more than 3 sodas a results in smaller brain volume. We’re talking actual brain shrinkage here, reducing the size of the hippocampus. It also sets accelerated brain aging into motion and results in poorer memory. These are all risk factors for early-stage Alzheimer’s. Even a diet soda a day results in smaller brain volume. (3) Other Conditions Linked to Diet Soda Boston University showed the first connection between diet soda and dementia, but there’s a long list of medical researcher linking artificially sweetened drinks to a slew of other health problems, including: • Depression. Drinking 4+ cans a day is linked to a 30 percent higher risk of depression. (4) • Kidney Damage. Long-term diet soda drinking is linked to a 30 percent reduction in kidney function. (5) • Type 2 Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome. Drinking diet soda daily increases your risk of metabolic syndrome by 36 percent; it increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by 67 percent compared to non-diet soda drinkers. (6) 3 Health Drinks Way Better Than Soda Why drink something that shortens your life? Try these things instead: • Try tea time. Tea for Alzheimer’s can lower your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 86 percent. Can’t stand tea? Drinking coffee can lower your risk of depression by 10 percent. (7) • Drink kombucha. Love the fizz soda brings? Try kombucha instead. Known as the “Immortal Health Elixir” by the Chinese, it’s bursting with gut-friendly probiotics. • Sip this trendy ancient tonic. Bone broth sells for upwards of $10 a cup in New York City and is making a comeback. Your great-grandma likely made it at least weekly. Try tapping into the healing power of bone broth. Final Thoughts: Artificially Sweetened Drinks Increase Risk of Stroke and Dementia • Drinking diet soda regularly triples your risk of stroke and dementia. • Drinking one diet soda a day shrinks your brain volume. • Drinking sugary soda regularly actually reduces the size of your hippocampus, triggers accelerated brain aging and results in poorer memory. These are all early-stage Alzheimer’s risk factors. • Instead of drinking diet or regular soda, try tea. It can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 86 percent. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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