Are Diet Sodas Healthy?

When you start a new diet, one thing you may decide to do is switch from regular soda to diet soda. But how healthy are diet sodas?

One of the benefits of switching from regular soda to diet soda is that you’ll immediately lower the number of calories that you consume. Most regular sodas contain over 100 calories for a can.

If you have several cans a day, you may be taking in several hundred extra calories from soda alone. Diet soda, on the other hand, normally has zero calories. So you can instantly lower your caloric intake by several hundred calories when you make the switch.

However, having lower calories doesn’t necessarily mean better health.

While diet sodas don’t contain calories, they do contain artificial sweeteners, sodium, and carbonated water.

Sodium can cause you to retain water and for some people can cause a problem with blood pressure. The carbonation of sodas is also thought to cause calcium to be removed from your bones, leaving you more at risk for osteoporosis (particularly if you’re a woman).

In addition, sodas can also contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can be harmful to the body in large amounts. And while diet soda doesn’t have any calories, it may keep you from drinking other things that would be healthier for you – such as water and juice.

The bottom line is that if you’re choosing between regular soda and diet soda, you’ll save yourself the extra calories by drinking diet. But if you want to improve your overall health, you’ll need to limit the number of sodas you drink (diet or regular).

Instead, try an extra glass of water or a small serving of fruit juice. These beverages will be more likely to improve your overall health.

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Tags: diet, diet cola, diet soda, Nutrition, Weight Loss