Scary Truths About Soft Drinks Part 3: Diet Soda

16/01/2012 , by Admin No Comments Health

Think you’re doing yourself a favor by choosing a diet soft drink with artificial sweeteners instead of a regular soda?

You might be surprised at what a recent study found about links between diet sodas and weight gain.

Diet Soda – Not So Diet After All

In a recent study, one group of participants were given artificially sweetened soft drinks and another group was given soft drinks containing sugar.  Each participant was then given an MRI to determine the effects of the different types of soda on the brain.

What researchers found was that the “diet soda” group showed activity in the pleasure centers of the brain.  In the group that consumed the regular sodas containing sugar with no artificial sweeteners, the pleasure center of the brain was also activated.

The key difference was in the part of the brain that registered “gratification” or satisfaction.  In the “diet soda” group there was no activity in the part of the brain responsible for registering satisfaction which triggers the “I’ve had enough, thank you” response.  For those participants consuming the regular sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and other non-artificial sweeteners, both the pleasure and satisfaction centers of the brain were activated.

While neither diet or “regular” soft drinks can be considered a healthy choice, failure to activate the “satisfied” signals in the brain contributes to consuming either more soft drinks or more of other substances in an attempt to feel (or get the brain message that you are) satisfied.

Studies have long shown that while weight gain was not as severe in those who consumed diet soft drinks instead of regular sugar-laden soft drinks, there was still an increase in weight among diet soda consumers.  The fact that diet sodas can actually cause additional cravings is just one way this can be explained.  Trading off sugar in soft drinks for higher consumption of other foods or beverages.

Many researches NOT working on behalf of the artificial sweetener industry have concluded that any benefits of choosing these products over sugar are outweighed by the side effects.  These conclusions were in place long before the brain study findings.

Sweetest Toxins Known to Man

Artificial sweeteners have been linked to carcinogenic effects on the bladder and the female reproductive organs – even in individuals who consume as little as one to two bottles of soda per day.

In 2010, Ajinomoto, maker of aspartame actually rebranded the product due to controversy and bad press.

The fact that Aspartame was once on the Pentagon’s list of biological warfare weapons should be a head’s up as well…

Many scientists at American universities claim that they are unable to do research into the effects of artificial sweeteners because they can no longer get grants for funding the research.  They claim that department heads have been advised to “drop all discussions on the topic.”  However that is not the case in Europe, where one of the longest ongoing studies on this subject was done in Italy.

In the Soffritti Study conducted at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental studies in Bologna, Italy, significant instances of malignant tumors, legions and cancers were found in test subjects given less than the acceptable daily intake.

The rats used in the study (over 250,000 total over several years) were found to have an incrase in lymphomas and leukemias with significant trends in both male and female test subjects.  Increases in transitional cell carcinomas related to bladder and kidney were also found as well as several other negative effects.  The study concluded that aspartame was a “multipotential carcinogenic agent” and reevaluation of its use and consumption should not be delayed.

That was in 2005.

Soda is Bad, Diet Soda is Worse

If you’re married to soft drinks, do yourself a favor and at least skip the diet versions.  You’re getting enough chemicals and acids drinking soft drinks without compounding the negative impact on your health by adding in the known carcinogenic effects of artificial sweeteners.

If you’re drinking diet sodas to help you lose weight, do yourself an even bigger favor and switch to water and an occasional natural fruit juice if you need to satisfy a sweet craving.

Water hydrates the body and helps flush toxins from your system.  Ionized alkaline water is restructured to be super-hydrating with better penetration of your body’s cells and contains antioxidant properties.  As cells are hydrated the body begins to release more toxins and fat cells.  The less toxic your system, the more energy you have.  Most people find that they are more likely to exercise more often and/or longer once they begin drinking ionized alkaline water because they have more energy.

Don’t drink water because you don’t like the taste?  Find an authorized water ionizer distributor near you and ask for a sample of ionized water.  Most people report that they prefer the taste of ionized alkaline water to regular tap or bottled water, and as a result, choosing water over soft drinks is easier.

water ionizer

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