These days if we see the words diet, lite, fat free, or sugar free on a package of food we think “healthy”. So when getting a food history from patients we often hear them say that when they drink soda they only “do diet.” Their tone is one of certainty as if drinking diet soda is a positive thing. Just because a drink has no calories doesn’t mean having it in endless amounts isn’t harmful. The one question we always need to ask ourselves is “what is it that I’m eating or drinking?” If something doesn’t have any calories you need to think about what it does have to give it taste. Hmmm?

Three recent studies have all linked consumption of 1 or more diet soda drinks to type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome, a deadly condition where someone has multiple metabolic risk factor such as excess abdominal fat, high blood fats, uncontrolled inflammation, high blood pressure, and trouble controlling blood sugars. In fact people who consume diet soda may have anywhere from 36% to 67% increased risk on developing type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome. With all of the other worries in your life, why add a serious disease or condition on top of it?

Below is the ingredient list from Diet Coke™. For those of you who drink diet soda and don’t understand why you shouldn’t, ask yourself this question. Do I know what all the ingredients are? And we don’t mean have you heard of them, do you actually know what they are!

Ingredients in Diet Cokeâ„¢

Carbonated Water, Caramel Color, Aspartame, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (To Protect Taste), Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Caffeine.

I could go into much detail about each ingredient and what the problem is with consuming it, but I’ll just focus on a couple. First of all let’s look at aspartame. This is the artificial sweetener used in diet sodas, among other foods such as sugar free yogurt. There are many studies out there which show the side effects of aspartame. The reason there are not more is because often times the side effects are misdiagnosed as another problem. Do you know that there about 92 side effects that are related to consuming aspartame? One of the first things we do here at Caring Medical is look at a patient’s food intake. If a high consumption of aspartame or other artificial sweeteners is used, they are told to cut it out of the diet. Try doing a little research of your own. There are many case studies on the internet that attest to the pain and problems this fake sugar can cause.

How about Potassium Benzoate? If mixed with ascorbic acid (also known as Vitamin C) and sodium this substance can form benzene which is a carcinogen or cancer forming agent. We don’t know of anyone who doesn’t take in Vitamin C and sodium. Yet we wonder why there is such an increase in cancer going on.

For those of you who say, “Well I could be drinking much worse, at least it’s diet”, you may want to re-examine that statement. What’s worse than eating or drinking something that could cause cancer? If you have some unexplained ailments take a look at your diet, and if aspartame is a part of it cut it out.

The Hauser Diet encourages the correct type of eating for each individual. It combines the results of a person’s specific blood work with the fresh foods that we know can nourish and strengthen the body. If you are confused about all of the information out there and don’t know where to start in making changes, give us a call. We love helping people sort their way through all of the information out there and find the right path for their body and their life.