There have been numerous studies that suggest that diet soda drinkers are more likely to be overweight or obese, but researchers have been struggling to pinpoint exactly why many soda drinkers are overweight. They have plenty of theories, and while they are all likely to contribute to the problem, scientists are always looking to provide statistics and causal evidence for these hypotheses. Their two many theories are:
• The artificial sweeteners are causing the weight gain, or:
• Diet sodas imply a “diet” and heavier individuals are more likely to be on a diet or choose a product that implies it is healthier than regular soda.
According to a new study by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the first theory may be gaining traction. A new study suggests that artificial sweeteners can change the bacteria composition in a person’s stomach, which can lead to health conditions like diabetes and obesity.
“Our relationship with our own individual mix of gut bacteria is a huge factor in determining how the food we eat affects us,” said lead researcher Dr. Eran Elinay. “Especially intriguing is the link between use of artificial sweeteners — through the bacteria in our guts — to a tendency to develop the very disorders they were designed to prevent; this calls for reassessment of today’s massive, unsupervised consumption of these substances.”
The findings in the new study are important, but health conscience individuals have been keen to the potentially harmful side effects of artificial foods and sweeteners for years. Back in high school I took a class called Food Preparation, which not surprisingly was taught by our school’s health teacher. While she, like me, avoided sugary sodas as much as possible, she fervently spoke out against diets sodas when compared to regular sodas. “Don’t be fooled by the zero calorie count,” she would say. Her words still ring clear in my mind today, “Your body knows what to do with the sugar in a regular soda. It’s not used to breaking down artificial sweeteners. If I had to choose between regular soda and diet soda, I’d choose the regular soda every time,” she’d always say.
Diet Soda Study
For their most recent study, researchers analyzed the gut bacteria and glucose intolerance of mice who had been fed diet soda. After a week of soda consumption, researchers noted that these mice had a significant glucose intolerance, while the mice that were fed sugar water or regular water had normal blood sugar levels. A subsequent antibiotic wiped out the glucose intolerance in the test group.
Dr. Elinay also tested the experiment on seven humans. After a week of consuming the FDA’s maximum daily intake of saccharine, four out of seven participants had begun to develop glucose intolerance in their gut bacteria.
“Artificial sweeteners were extensively introduced into our diets with the intention of reducing caloric intake and normalizing blood glucose levels without compromising the human ‘sweet tooth,'” write the study authors. “Our findings suggest that [artificial sweeteners] may have directly contributed to enhancing the exact epidemic that they themselves were intended to fight.”
As I’ve said before and I’ll say again, avoid soda altogether. Reach for a water or tea. If you absolutely must have soda, opt for a regular soda and pair it with healthy food choices and a regular exercise regimen.
Related source: Huffington Post