Should You Drink Diet Soda?

You've heard the horror stories about full-sugar soft drinks, but should you switch to diet soda? Before you pour yourself another glass of Diet Coke, consider the recent health advice regarding artificially sweetened soft drinks.

Both diet soda and high-sugar soda will eat away at your teeth. Phosphoric acid is to blame, since it erodes enamel. Sugar soft drinks are the worst for your teeth, because the sugar combines with the acid to become a powerful corosive agent. However, diet sodas also hurt teeth.

Many people switch to diet soda because they want to lose weight, but unfortunately, diet soft drinks appear to impede weight loss. Recent research has uncovered a correlation between drinking diet soda and being overweight. According to recent studies, the number of diet beverages you drink per day is related to your chances of being overweight.

How can diet sodas make you gain weight when they are calorie-free? Speculation behind these findings abound. Some doctors think the artificial sweeteners fool your body into thinking it needs that sugary taste all the time, creating cravings that lead to overindulgence with other foods. Another group of doctors have put forth the idea that artificial sweeteners may affect your body differently than sugar, making your body respond inappropriately to real calories, hindering metabolism. No matter what the explanation, dieters are best off eliminating soda--both diet and full sugar--from their diets.

Breaking the soft drink habit can be tough, but sound health advice suggests you at least limit your consumption, if not stop completely. You may find seltzer water to be a palatable substitute. The seltzer water is carbonated, which may help you with the transition to other unsweetened beverages. You can find seltzer waters in a variety of flavors, such as lime, lemon, raspberry, and orange.