Huffington Post | Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger

I was reading the Huffington Post and stumbled upon an item by Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., L.D., Dietitian and wellness manager, The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. The item is entitled “6 Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Weight.” You can read it here.

I am not going to recount Ms. Kirkpatrick’s 6 Reasons…, but I am going to reproduce her thoughts on drinking diet cola daily. She raises some powerful reasons for avoiding diet colas.

“No calories mean no weight gain, right? This is the popular line of reasoning for many diet soda drinkers. Unfortunately, current research indicates a possible link between artificial sweetener consumption and weight gain. A study in the journal Diabetes Care found that daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36 percent greater relative risk of developing metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent greater relative risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared with non-consumption. Another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that, in one group of study participants, consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with Type 2 diabetes. The findings are mimicked in rat studies as well. A study in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience found that consumption of products containing artificial sweeteners led to weight gain due to changes in the rat’s normal physiological processes of sweets. In addition to this, the presence of constant artificial sweeteners in the diet means you’re never really letting your taste buds get a break from the sweet taste you love. The more you drink diet soda, the longer you’ll remain trapped in the sugar cycle and continue to crave.
If you are one of those who finds comfort in diet sodas, it may be worthwhile to rethink your actions and consider some of the many healthier alternatives, including water.