Which Soft Drinks Are Allowed With Type 2 Diabetes
Some people swear by diet coke. Others are keen on sugary soda or Kool-Aid.
But what can you drink if you have type 2 diabetes or are worried that you might develop it?That’s a good question. Soft drinks do not have a good reputation. Most people know they are unhealthy. But if you ask them why, they either say they don’t know or else they give you the wrong answer.
I wouldn’t do that to you, even though I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Yes, the stories are true. Soda really is really unhealthy. And I’ll tell you why.“Consuming soft drinks increases your chances of developing diabetes, and they have truly disastrous effects if you already have the disease.”
Is Zero Sugar Soda Healthy
Zero-sugar soda contains virtually no calories and no carbs, just like Miracle Noodles, so drinking it must be healthy…or is it?
On a sweltering 85-degree day in a high-rise apartment with no central air conditioning and no breeze coming in, the bottle of Zero looked as inviting as a nugget of gold to a prospector.
I had just returned from a vacation and had a friend watching my place while I was away. Upon returning to my home, I opened the fridge to discover my friend had left several bottles of this diet soda.
Many people are aware of the fact that diet soda, although it contains no calories, can have a negative impact on health. Several studies such as this one in the journal, Nutrients, demonstrate an association between chronic diet soda consumption and metabolic disorders.
So I dont make it a habit of drinking diet soda, much less any soda perhaps one can a year. But I confess that I was powerless to exert any willpower against the stupor-inducing heat. Thus with a salivary, Pavlovian response kicking in, I grabbed a mason jar, filled it halfway with ice cubes and quenched my thirst with the diet soda.
But being a semi-obsessive health freak, I, to some degree, immediately regretted my decision of putting chemicals of unknown risk in my body. Within minutes, I was researching the ingredients in this bubbly beverage.
A highly dietary acid load, research suggests, may be the root cause of metabolic diseases.
Soft Drinks Including Sugar
Drink more water, say experts as they argue study proves need for curbs on consumption
People who regularly consume soft drinks have a higher risk of an early death, researchers have found, with the trend seen for both sugared and artificially sweetened drinks.
While experts say the study cannot prove soft drinks are a driver of an increased risk of death, they say the work which is the largest study of its kind supports recent public health efforts to reduce consumption of soft drinks, such as the UKs sugar tax.
Our results for sugar-sweetened soft drinks provide further support to limit consumption and to replace them with other healthier beverages, preferably water, said Dr Neil Murphy, a co-author of the research from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation.
Murphy said more research was needed to unpick possible mechanisms by which artificial sweeteners might affect health.
For artificially sweetened soft drinks, ours is the third large study published this year that has reported positive associations with all-cause deaths, he said.
Writing in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, Murphy and colleagues report how they analysed data from more than 450,000 people, 70% of whom were women, across 10 European countries including the UK. Participants had an average age of just over 50, and those with health conditions such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes at the outset were not included in the analysis.
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The Sickie Disgusting Truth About Sugar
Please dont be that person in line at Starbucks.
You know the person that thinks theyre totally healthy because they order sugar-free syrup in their AM coffee instead of regular, old syrup?
News flash!!!
If youre trying to keep your weight down then sugar-free shit isnt the way to go. Why? Because:
1.} There are a ton of sick-ass chemicals in fake sweeteners. These fake sweeteners increase the appetite. So WTF is the point of sugar-free crap if it increases your appetite? Beats me.
2.} Throw that Equal in the trash! I mean, really. Aspartame is the devil. Its known to cause seizers & brain tumors.
3.} Sucralose isnt any better. Those bright, cute colored packages of Splenda? Fail. Big fail. Splenda can enlarge the liver & kidneys while shrinking the thymus gland. Some other fun effects from this nasty chemical? Panic, diarrhea, headaches, brain fog, bladder problems, & stomach pains. Dont be fooled by marketing.
And your local coffee shops sugar-free syrups most likely contain one or more of the above chemicals. Disgusting, right?!
Tomorrow, when youre ordering a cup of Joe, try using cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice as an all-natural sweetener. Even better, skip Starbucks and try some cold brew. If youre DYING for a sugary taste, please do yourself a favor & use organic Stevia instead. Eat real foods!
I beg, I beg.
Besides sugar-free syrup in your coffee is pretty gross if you really think about it.
xx.L
Can Diet Soda Cause Cancer
Some pretty serious claims have been made about the harmful side-effects of diet soda, linking it to high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia and even cancer. However, current studies simply aren’t conclusive, and these claims remain unverified. One important reason for this uncertainty is that no clinical trial has been conducted long enough to sufficiently shed light on the matter.
What we do know is that the most common artificial sweetener used in diet soda, aspartame, has been deemed safe for most people by the FDA and there’s no evidence that it causes serious harm. Two other common artificial sweeteners, stevia and sucralose, have also been judged safe for consumption.
If you’re concerned about the chemicals in diet soda and their impact on your health, consider cutting back on the amount you drink each day and, instead, opt for regular water or sparkling water.
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Diet Soda: Good Or Bad
Diet sodas are popular beverages all over the world, especially among people who want to reduce their sugar or calorie intake.
Instead of sugar, artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame-k, or sucralose, are used to sweeten them.
Almost every popular sugar-sweetened beverage on the market has a light or a diet version Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero, etc.
Diet sodas were first introduced in the 1950s for people with diabetes, though they were later marketed to people trying to control their weight or reduce their sugar intake.
Despite being free of sugar and calories, the health effects of diet drinks and artificial sweeteners are controversial.
It Spikes Your Blood Sugar Which Increases The Risk Of Dementia
Research shows that any incremental increase in blood sugar is associated with a higher risk of dementia the most common form being Alzheimers or a severe decline in memory and other thinking skills.
Sugar-sweetened drinks can trigger rapid spikes in blood sugar, so it makes sense that they would also increase the risk of dementia. Would you trade your precious memories for sugar? Didnt think so.
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Are Sugar Free Carbonated Drinks Bad For You
When you want to reduce your sugar intake, it might seem natural to swap out your regular soft drink for a sugar free alternative to give you a sweetness hit.
But be aware: not all sugar free carbonated drinks are created equal.
Research suggests that some of the artificial sweeteners present in popular sugar free soft drinks can have nasty effects on your health. For example, anything with sucralose can reduce your insulin sensitivity and do a number on your gut flora.
As a rule of thumb, if youre reaching for a sugar free carbonated drink, avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, saccharine and neotame. Instead, always look for 100% natural, sugar free sweeteners like erythritol and stevia.
Counting Carbs From Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are digested differently than regular sugar and have less of an impact on your blood sugar levels. When counting your carbs, subtract half the grams of sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrates on the label.
For example, if total carbs are 25 and sugar alcohols are 20, you’d count the food as 15 carbs per serving.
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How Much Diet Soda Is Too Much
Drinking a few cans of diet soda each day isn’t likely to hurt you but, it won’t provide you with meaningful health benefits, either. Instead of focusing on the question of whether diet soda is bad for you, consider your overall diet and lifestyle. For example, if you make good choices about the types of food you eat, the amount of water you drink and how much exercise you get, whether you drink diet soda or how much becomes less relevant. But, as a good rule of thumb, it never hurts to limit the amount of processed foods in your diet and replace them with healthier options.
Beware Of Artificial Sweeteners
Research indicates that artificial sugar substitutes:
- Dangerously alter our gut bacteria and can lead to obesity.
- Contribute to chronically high insulin. .
- Desensitize your taste buds so that naturally sweet things such as fruits and vegetables, are no longer satisfying.
- Have been linked to several adverse skin reactions like numbness of the skin, swelling, inflammation, rashes, and hives.
- May lower your metabolism.
- Wreak havoc in your brain.
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Some Studies Link Diet Soda To Diabetes And Heart Disease
Although diet soda has no calories, sugar, or fat, it has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in several studies.
Research has found that just one serving of an artificially sweetened drink per day is associated with an 813% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (
35 ).
More direct experimental research is needed to determine whether theres any true causal relationship between diet soda and increased blood sugar or blood pressure.
Summary
Observational studies have linked diet soda to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of stroke. However, theres a lack of research on the possible causes of these results. They may be due to preexisting risk factors like obesity.
Links But No Cause And Effect
Other studies have also tied health concerns to diet soda broadly rather than to specific artificial sweeteners. Like Paseâs study, they could not show whether diet soft drinks were to blame.
- In 2014, a study reported that overweight and obese people who drank diet sodas ate between 90 and 200 more calories of food per day than those who drank regular sodas.
- Also in 2014, a review of several studies, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, revealed that people who drink diet sodas raise their risk of type 2 diabetes by about 13% for each 12-ounce can they drink each day.
- A 2015 BMJ review of studies also found that a single daily serving of diet soda boosted the chance of diabetes by 8%.
- A 2012 study found that daily drinkers of diet soda who were, on average, 69 years old had a 43% higher chance of heart attack, stroke or dying as a result of blood vessel problems.
- Israeli researchers who studied 381 adults without diabetes showed that diet soda drinkers had many things that raised their odds of having type 2 diabetes, including higher weight and belly fat, higher levels of blood sugars, and more glucose intolerance. Their 2014 study suggested a cause: Artificial sweeteners affected gut bacteria, which in turn affected metabolism. But that connection was only noted in mice.
David Ludwig, MD, PhD, says that studies like these raise important concerns about diet soft drinks, but they’re not proof that we need to be worried.
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Healthy Alternatives To Water
Again, the best beverage to reach for when you have type 2 diabetes is plain water. But if you find it hard to drink eight cups of plain water a day, here are some ideas and alternatives that will help you reach your goal:
- Flavor filtered water by adding one or two slices of fresh fruit, such as lemon, lime, or orange, or a few berries, cucumber slices, or herbs like mint. You’ll get the essence of the flavor without added calories or carbs.
- Make homemade iced tea by steeping herbal or green tea bags in hot water and then chilling. When you use a fruit-flavored tea bag to make your iced tea, you might even find it doesn’t need additional sweetness. Not to mention, you’ll reap additional health benefits of green tea.
- Serve flavored sparkling waters in wine glasses with dinner. To take things to the next level, add a splash of tart cherry juice and a few fresh or frozen cherries as garnish.
The More You Eat It The More You Need It
News flash: Sugar is addictive. Thats why one cupcake never feels like enough.
When you consume sugar, it releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that gives you feelings of pleasure and reward. That dopamine also trains your brain to want more and more of that sugar. Can we blame it?
A study performed on rats found that sugar may even be physically addictive, similar to the effects of drug use. Just say no to sugar.
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Its Linked To Preterm Delivery And Childhood Obesity
Drinking diet soda while pregnant has been linked to some negative outcomes, including preterm delivery and childhood obesity.
A Norwegian study in 60,761 pregnant women found that intake of artificially sweetened and sugar-containing drinks was associated with an 11% higher risk of preterm delivery .
Earlier Danish research supports these findings. A study in almost 60,000 women found that women who consumed one serving of diet soda per day were 1.4 times more likely to deliver preterm than those who did not .
However, recent research in 8,914 women in England did not find any association between diet cola and preterm delivery. However, the authors admitted that the study may not have been big enough and had been limited to diet cola .
Its important to note that these studies were only observational and offer no explanation of exactly how diet soda may contribute to preterm birth.
Furthermore, consuming artificially sweetened drinks while pregnant is significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity .
One study found that the daily consumption of diet drinks during pregnancy doubled the risk of a baby being overweight at 1 year of age .
Further research is needed to analyze the potential biological causes and long-term health risks for children exposed to artificially sweetened sodas in the womb.
What About Those Studies That I Read Saying Diet Soda Was Bad
That was most likely a survey or epidemiological research. This is research that aims to find correlations between two variables, and sets up future studies to find which variable causes what.
There are many studies that note that diet soda is frequently consumed by unhealthy people, but no studies that compare people with equivalent diets. One study was able to control a fair number of variables and found a weak correlation between diet soda and vascular events, but these differences disappeared when ‘pre-existing health conditions’ were considered.
When comparing diet soda against other non-caloric beverages in an intervention study, and you control the rest of the diet, no difference in weight loss is noted. This suggests that the problem is likely the habits of people who drink diet soda, rather than the diet soda itself. The Northern Manhattan study suggested that diet soda use may be correlated with disease as it its consumption was an attempt by individuals to reduce calories and take control of their health.
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Is Diet Coke Bad For Your Health
Probably not that bad at all.
There are no studies that indicate any long-term health risks from drinking diet soda. Diet Soda.is not harmful to health, well-being, or body composition ~ Examine.com
So far, so good for the coke zero and diet coke fans.
What about the cancer risk?
Back in the 60s, there was a study that linked aspartame with brain tumours but more recent evidence has proven that this isnt the case and that there is no link between diet drinks and cancer.
A review paper in the Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology Journal concluded that:
the studies provide no evidence to support an association between aspartame and cancer in any tissue..the weight of scientific evidence confirms that, even in amounts many times what people typically consume, aspartame is safe for its intended uses as a sweetener and flavor enhancer..
What Scientific Research Says
Over the years, numerous studies have reported links between diet soda with weight gain and serious, life-threatening diseases.
Scientific opinion is mixed and, at times, conflicting. While studies focus on the dangers of artificial sweeteners, what’s important to understand is they aim to find correlations, not necessarily cause-and-effect:
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Negative Consequences For The Environment
In the report, Professor Millett and colleagues outlined current evidence of the health effects of consuming ASBs. Although there was no direct evidence for a role of ASBs in weight gain, they found that there was no evidence that ASBs aid weight loss or prevent weight gain compared with the full sugar versions.
Far from helping to solve the global obesity crisis, ASBs may be contributing to the problem and should not be promoted as part of a healthy diet.
Study authors
In addition, the production of ASBs has negative consequences for the environment, with up to 300 litres of water required to produce a 0.5 L plastic bottle of carbonated soft drink.
Dr Maria Carolina Borges, first author of the study from the Federal University of Pelotas, added: The lack of solid evidence on the health effects of ASBs and the potential influence of bias from industry funded studies should be taken seriously when discussing whether ASBs are adequate alternatives to SSBs.
Professor Carlos Monteiro, co-author from the University of Sao Paulo, said: Taxes and regulation on SBS and not ASBs will ultimately promote the consumption of diet drinks rather than plain water – the desirable source of hydration for everyone.
The authors added: Far from helping to solve the global obesity crisis, ASBs may be contributing to the problem and should not be promoted as part of a healthy diet.