Are diet sodas really as bad as some people make them out to be? It just takes a few searches online, and the negativity and fear mongering around diet drinks is very clear to see.
But what is the truth about diet sodas? Is there justification for all the fear, or have people’s attitudes been formed by sensationalist media pieces and content designed to drive high views?
As someone who consumes diet drinks, I’ve always been of the “everything in moderation” mindset. I think they taste good, they’re great for dealing with sugar cravings and helping you stick to a calorie controlled diet. But there is so much negative press out there about diet drinks, it made me wonder if I’m actually risking my health by consuming them.
So in this video I have looked at the most common objections to diet sodas, and looked at whether there is any science to back them up. Now different brands of sodas will all have slightly different ingredients. So for simplicity I have focused on Diet Coke/Coke Zero, as this is the most popular brand.
These are the common health risks and objections normally associated with diet sodas that I investigate in the video
- They are full of chemicals
- Are these chemicals toxic and bad for your health?
- Is it healthier to drink the full sugar counterpart?
- They cause weight gain and diabetes
- Despite being 0 calories, there are plenty of claims that they cause weight gain and diabetes
- I look into the studies to see if there is any truth to this
- Apartame is bad for you / poisonous
- Aspartame is blamed for a multitude of health concerns, and has been highly criticised since it was controversially approved by the FDA in 1981
- What do the studies actually show? Is there any data to support the health claims?
- They contain BPA
- BPA, or Bisphenol A is known to have some pretty nasty effects on the body
- Do diet sodas contain BPA?
- Artificial Sweeteners raise insulin
- Another popular claim, but is there any proof to this?
- What is the impact if they do?
- The chemicals in diet sodas are bad for your gut bacteria
- Is this true, and what is the impact of this on your health?
- Diet sodas are bad for your teeth and bones
- Can non-sugar drinks really be bad for your teeth?
- Do they really have an effect on bone density?