America is obsessed with calories. Many people buy items that say "diet" or "sugar-free" in hope that they will lose weight. Little do they know that these product may be making things worse. Most beverages, mainly sodas, are made with artificial sweeteners which allows them to have 0 calories. 0 calories will help you to lost weight if you are monitoring the rest of your calorie intake, but drinking a diet soda will not make you lose weight. You may have seen the word aspartame, saccharine, acesulfame potassium, or sucralose in your favorite diet drink. All of these are the scientific names for the artificial sweeteners found in many products on the shelves of our grocery stores. Many times these are derived from natural sources, but through chemical processes are made artificial. According to the FDA aspartame has been linked to sudden death syndrome, seizures, irregular heart beat, weight gain, and many more. It has been referred to as a neurotoxin, and many of these symptoms have arisen in young people who are healthy. For more information visit: fda.gov
I'm don't want to scare you, but as a consumer you need to be informed about the items you are ingesting. I personally try to avoid any foods that have been modified through chemical processes. Products labeled "diet" and "sugar-free" give the impression that they are better for your health. "Diet" items usually mean low or no calories, which will aid in weight loss if used correctly, but is that worth sacrificing other components of your health? The choice is up to you, be smart, do your research, if something is artificial, there are most likely side effects. Over the next few posts, we will discuss alternatives to artificial sweeteners that will not compromise your health.
Check out this article from Men's Health about diet soda, it will surprise you!:
http://news.menshealth.com/the-truth-about-diet-soda/2011/07/07/
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=4271986&page=2
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