What IS Diet Soda?

Ever asked yourself, how something that tastes so good, could be calorie free? I mean it doesn't taste like water, so where does all that sweet goodness come from?
Maybe you kind of know, but aren't really sure what that "magic" does to your body.
Well, the answer to all of that is: It isn't magic, its crazy chemistry and your body really doesn't appreciate it.

Potentially the biggest misconception in the public health consciousness is about diet drinks, in-particular, diet soda.  How can something with no fat and no calories not be good for you? And at the very least, how can it not be a better alternative to regular soda?

All diet drinks, whether they be soda, flavored water, energy drinks, you name it have hidden health pitfalls. I am here to tell you why you shouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

I am going to focus on Diet Coke. I am a Coca-cola girl myself, can't stand Pepsi, but I am going to pick on Coke anyway. It is the worst of the worst when it comes to diet soda (it is basically the Mt Dew of the diet world).

If you know anything about artificial sweeteners (AKA fake sugar, calorie free sweeteners, etc) then you know it is just that: FAKE.  And your body knows it.
They are:

• Up to 1000X sweeter than sugar making your body crave sweeter and sweeter things over time
• Indigestible, hence that zero calorie thing
• Raise insulin levels and keep them raised, even though you have taken in nothing for your body to process
• Contain no nutritional value, as they cannot be used by the body
• Are made from chemicals, some combinations of which have been linked to cancer (ie carcinogens- those same things that make cigarettes so bad for you)
• Give your body and brain and drug like effect

You combine all of these qualities and what they mean for your health by way of physiological effects and caffeine, and you have a recipe for disaster.

There's a great article about "Your Body on Coke" that details all the effects of regular soda on your body.  Most of these points still hold up when discussing Diet Coke (and ALL other soda, both regular and diet). You are just doubling down when you indulge in a diet soda.

For a moment, lets discuss the main culprit in diet soda, Aspartame.  Because the public is now becoming more knowledgable about their foods and the ingredients in them, certain companies have had to remove the chemical from their foods in order to maintain some of their customer base.  One such company is Yoplait, who have removed aspartame from their Yoplait Light Yogurt, only to replace it with another chemical that has similar effects and a similar link to cancer, sucralose.

All artificial zero-calorie sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, mannitol, xylitol, dextralose, the list goes on, should be seen in the same light as trans fat.  They are fake. Similarly maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, etc are fake and we all need to question whether these foods meet the standard of what should go in our bodies.

We all know that white, processed sugar is not the best thing to put into our bodies, so what should we replace it with?

Well, the best answer to that is to use everything in moderation.  Well, great, thanks for that tidbit of the same old info we've heard all the time. Right?

If you want to use a sweetener that is natural and has actual health benefits, use molasses, specifically black strap. Pure maple syrup is also a great sweetener to use and adds great flavor.  Raw honey also contains more health benefits than raw cane sugar (which is just less processed white table sugar). Coconut syrup and brown rice syrup are also lower glycemic sweeteners for my diabetics out there.

One sweetener I haven't mentioned is Agave syrup. Mostly, I don't recommend it or caution against it as it is being heavily studied right now.  The only thing I can say for certain is that it is sweeter than regular sugar and you can, therefore, use less of it.

What I want people to remember is that artificial, when it comes to food, is never better than what natures gives us. If you want something healthier to drink, have good old water. It is never a good idea to drink your calories anyway; there are much tastier and more satisfying ways to get your energy for the day without going overboard.  

Next time you want to reach for a calorie-free drink that isn't water, just watch this video from one of my favorite YouTube channels and think of all those protective fat cells your body deploys to protect you from that drink and go for the water or even juice.

Diet Coke Does THIS To Your Body In 1 Hour?

Most importantly, remember that zero calories doesn't mean zero consequences.