You all should know by now that I am not a fan of soda. It is not good for your teeth or your bones and a new study has found that it may not be good for your heart.
This study found adults who drink one or more sodas a day, diet or regular, had about a 50 percent higher risk of a cluster of factors that increases the chance of having a heart attack or stroke and developing type 2 diabetes. Those zero calorie drinks are not as innocent as they appear. Some of the symptoms considered part of the metabolic syndrome are: excessive fat around the waist, low levels of “good” cholesterol, high blood pressure as well as other symptoms.
The study involved 6,000 multi-generational women and men who were tracked for over 4 years. At the start of the study, all the participants were healthy with no symptoms of the syndrome. Researchers speculate that even no-calorie sweet drinks increase the craving for more sweets, and that people who indulge in sodas probably have less healthy diets overall.
To read more on this study visit MSNBC. And think about cutting back on the sodas. Not only are they full of empty calories, they appear to be dangerous as well.
Fabi
Vera Wang
Aftershock
I really have to wonder about the validity of this study, simply because they can't pinpoint an exact reason for why people who drink the diet sodas suffer the same consequences as people who drink regular sodas.
Lately, it just seems like the government wants to become the Food Police.
1Oh I dunno. This is enough for me to stop grabbing a diet coke when I need a caffeine fix after the gym!
2I think I'm going to minimize drinking diet sodas in general. Apparently, as much as I love it, it's not worth it anymore. Wish me luck!
3See...I'd be worried there's something in the sodas that's common in all sodas that's causing the risks. I don't so much worry about myself because I don't drink them, but the ex drinks a lot. My sister drinks tons of diet soda and Gerry could drown in the amount he drinks daily.
And between you and me all three of them could stand to lose ten pounds of belly fat.
Hope they come out with another study related to this, I'd be interested to see what they find out!
4There probably is something in ALL sodas that contributes to the overall risk of metabolic syndrome.
If sodas can rot your teeth, I guess there's no telling what else they probably do to your body.
Did that article even mention the possible effects of sugar substitutes?
5Gods, what else is there to drink besides water? I'm afraid of my old standby, fruit juices, because of all the sugar. I reluctantly turned back to diet soda for a flavor fix, but I know it's not the healthiest beverage out there. I wish there were more drinks out there that combine flavor with health.
6"I really have to wonder about the validity of this study, simply because they can't pinpoint an exact reason..."
Miz, have you ever taken a biochemistry class? Its hard to pinpoint anything
Its going to differ for every person because everyone's intake and environmental factors are different. You cant make a statement like "It is this exact process" because its not true for everyone
7I never drink soda anyway.
8Hmmm. Intesting. I would like to see the link between the soda intake and sweets in general.
I have quite a sweet tooth - so I am guilty of drinking lots of soda!
9JennyJen,
I think you're right on the money. The reason that diet sodas likely are connected to heart disease and weight gain is because of the sweetness (artificial sweeteners are sweeter than sugar) possibly increasing cravings for sweet things and the overcompensation factor. Some people think that cutting back on diet soda allows them to eat more than they normally would have. MSNBC mentions this as a big factor. I didn't read closely enough to see whether the findings were correlational or causal, but I think that would be pretty important to know.
I love Diet Mountain Dew, but I've been trying to cut back by drinking unsweetened iced tea, mainly because I can save money. But I love peppermint iced tea, it may be my new favorite.
10i think i'm going to quit too... but i need an alternative! any suggestions? i don't like tea. maybe i'll try plain seltzer water, i've always liked it with lime... any other thoughts?
11I wonder what the eating habits of the people surveyed are, and how they influenced the results of this study. I can't count the number of times I've heard someone order a bacon double cheeseburger with a large order of fries and...a diet coke!
12I'll have a diet soda once in a great while and even then I wont finish the whole can cause I burns like hell drinking it. Water or tea is all I drink. Juice, sometimes.
13Not to say that drinking a lot of diet or regular soda is good for you, but I just read the research article in the journal "Circulation" and have an issue with the study. The odds ratio for the study changes depending on which follow up time period they look at, if they adjust for consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, etc., and if they exclude participants with diabetes. In one analysis, the odds ratio crosses 1.0, meaning no effect. It's the first study to look at soda consumption and risks for heart disease in adults (previous studies done in adolescents), but more studies need to be done to increase the statistical power of their finding.
14I dont really drink pop ever, diet or regular. I find it to make me feel bloated and gassie (?) which is gross. I only drink pop with alcohol (sprite/7 up and club soda). However, I normally need a Diet Coke with sushi!
15Thank God I hate soda! Gross carbonation!
16But is it the sodas causing these symptoms or is it something else: diet/genes/smoking/environment/medications/etc.?
While soda certainly isn't a health food, I wouldn't give it up solely on the basis of one study.
17I love soda.
18this study doesn't say that drinking soda causes the above mentioned diseases. It says that soda drinkers have these diseases in greater proportions. You have to look at the other behaviors of soda drinkers that are common and address those in addition to drinking soda that are causing these diseases.
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