A while back we learned that soda, both diet and regular, was bad for the heart, and now it looks like more organs are at risk: the kidneys. This time it's diet sodas, or more specifically, the artificial sweeteners, that seem to be the culprit. A study published recently of over 3,500 women found that those who drank two or more diet sodas daily had decreased liver function by about 30 percent. This percentage is significant, for at the beginning of the six-year study, the participants all had normal kidney function. Drinking two servings or fewer of diet soda daily did not decrease kidney function, which does naturally slow down with age. It looks like that diet soda, along with most other things, should be enjoyed in moderation.
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Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti
Miu Miu
I read this too, Fit. I am seriously thinking of putting the kibosh on them.
1Wow, I'm considering eliminating this from my diet, too.
2Drink your water ladies. Try mineral water w/ lemon if you're looking for fizz!
3I'll cut it permanently if you will GlowingMoon.
For real!
4Wow, that's quite a large study! Agreed - very disturbing. I don't drink too much diet soda; maybe a can or two per week, but I'm going to try to avoid it all-out now.
5I hope another study comes out that clarifies this or something because the thought of having to do away with diet pop bums me out.
6Please listen up. I went through a serious depression in my 20's,gained 70 pounds, and drank Diet Pepsi everyday for 7-8 years. Not only do I have full blown diabetes at 30, but severely damaged kidneys (proteinuria) as result of obesity. I was so fit until I was 20. I had to have a kidney biopsy and ruined my health. The worst thing is that it impossible to quit. Just don't start drinking this.
7Diet soda is like, my only health vice. I do enjoy it, but I probably really should cut it out of my diet, or at least cut back to only a can a week or so.
8I've been drinking much less of it since I started reading up on reactions people have to aspartame (inspired by my grandmother, who suddenly developed a horrible rash because she became sensitive to the diet pop she's been drinking for years)... Aspartame is basically sweet poison. There are a lot of sodas that use actual sugar instead of HFCS and/or chemicals if you really must quench a craving!
9Would this apply to coffee with Splenda, if the culprit is the artificial sweeteners?
10Wow. Great. I had Kidney stones at 19 because of a 3+ Pepsi a day habit, but at 25 I made the switch to Diet Pepsi thinking it was healthier for me. FANTASTIC. *sigh*
11while I know I could stand to cut down my diet pepsi/fresca habit I'm not going to change my routine based on this one report. It might be completely right but at the same time wouldn't we have heard of an epidemic of people sick with kidney disease based on their pop intake? may be wishful thinking, I may be in the hospital in a few years but I'm fit as a fiddle and you're really going to scare me more than this to pry my pop out of my hands.
12I don't have any science to back me up, but I experienced a dramatic decrease in migraine headaches as soon as I cut diet soda (and really all soda) out of my diet. I had been getting them several times a month - sometimes having multiple ones per week. I noticed that each time I had a migraine, I had drank a diet soda within the past 24 hours. Without changing anything else, I gave up diet soda and am now down to 1 migraine every 1-3 months. So yeah, I totally believe artificial sweeteners mess with your body!
13i never drink that trash...does this go for regulars and zeros?
14No, no, no, no! Say it isn't so! I cannot get through the day without my Diet Coke. I know it's not healthy, and in fact, I more concerned about my teeth than my kidneys. Without any alcohol, this is my only "fun" drink. I'm with Zulkey on this one.
15The median age in this study was 67!
16My mum has renal failure and has to have dialysis 3 times a week to do her kidney's work for her. Whenever she drinks diet drinks she has a permanent sweet taste in her mouth until her next dialysis session!
17I don't smoke, I don't drink, I eat healthy. Diet soda is my one vice and I'm really reluctant to give it up. We can't live in a bubble, people!
18haha I haven't drank soda in over 2 years. nasty nasty stuff.
19As a registered dietitian who sees patients with many different medical issues, this study caught my attention. While the finding sounds intriguing, I think it’s important to note that the researchers could not explain why drinking more than two diet sodas a day was associated with kidney function decline. Diabetes and high blood pressure account for two-thirds of chronic kidney disease cases, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Both kidney disease and diabetes are often life-long illnesses with many causes and confounding factors. To my knowledge this research has not been published or peer-reviewed yet, and until that happens, it’s difficult to fully judge the results.
20I wholeheartedly agree that moderation and variety in one's diet along with physical activity is a good concept for a healthy lifestyle. I tell my clients, who also include food and beverage companies, that taking this approach any food or beverage including diet soda can be part of a balanced and healthy diet.
Julie Feldman MPH RD
I used to drink about two cans per day (for a year or a year and a half). Then, I realized that the stuff in there is incredibly unnatural and probably bad, so I stopped drinking it all together.
After a week of not drinking it, my stomach was way flatter and I felt less sluggish and bloated all of the time. Now I only have it once a month or less (when I go out, or when I really really want one) and I feel great.
If you're trying to quit, but need the caffeine, just make a big pitcher of iced green or black tea (I liked to put in several green tea bags, a black tea one, and an herbal one in a pitcher) and sip on it all day.
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