Does Drinking Diet Pop Cause Cancer
All of us have had a phase at some point during our lives when we were addicted to sugary sodas. The freshness, the zing, and that kick of sugar is irreplaceable, when it comes to dealing with thirsty summers. However, the fact that regular sodas and soft drinks contain boat loads of sugar is also well-known now, and anyone who is remotely health conscious should steer clear of them.
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Soft drink companies took cognizance of this fact (they had to, to sustain market share and profits in a changing healthscape), and bam, a new variety of soft drink was introduced, the kind that contains zero sugar and zero calories. While in the beginning, it seemed to be a dream come true for every 'coke addict' - the soft kind, please don't call legal on us - soon the whole thing bubbled up in a confusing frenzy of 'possible health risks' that superseded the actual concerns because of the sugar content in soft drinks and regular sodas.
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Right from cancer threats to permanent digestive system damage, a lot of claims have been floating around when it comes to the 'damages diet soda can cause', but thankfully most of them are just myths. Here are 5 such myths about diet sodas and zero sugar - zero calorie drinks that need to be busted ASAP. Let us do it together, as the National Nutrition Week starts:
1. Diet Sodas cause cancer because it has Aspartame
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This is perhaps one of the biggest myths that surround diet and zero sugar variants of sodas. Yes, they do contain Aspartame, but the amount per can is so small, that it is negligible and cannot cause cancer in humans. Also, based on current research, The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that "the use of aspartame as a general purpose sweetener… is safe."
2. Artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and zero sugar soft drinks slow down your metabolism & promote fat storage
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There is no solid research that substantiates this claim. However, there may be a reason why it is often blamed by myopic individuals. Since diet sodas have zero calories, it provides a false sense of security against fat loss, and there are chances that the individual may go ham while ordering other food items because of the same. A classic example of such an order: 'One pizza, large fries, chicken wings, onion rings and one diet soda'. What? How is ordering that diet soda cutting down all the extra calories from all the other food items? Plus, the fat gain here has got nothing to do with the diet soda.
3. Regular soda is better than diet soda
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How many times have you heard someone randomly saying 'Diet coke is worse than regular coke'? Can't count, right? Regular soda has a high amount of sugar, and diet soda doesn't. Which also means that a regular sweet soda is high in calories, which is not the case with diet soda. Do what you want to with this information. In other words, no, regular sugar laden drinks are not 'better' than diet/zero calorie sodas.
4. Diet Soda will spike insulin
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Diet soda contains no sugar, and Aspartame does not cause insulin to spike. In a nutshell, it's a myth.
5. Diet soda & zero sugar drinks are not safe to drink
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This is a lazy statement. Anything other than clean water is not safe to drink when not consumed in moderation. Even water, when consumed too much, can lead to problems. Are you supposed to be okay with consuming liters of diet soda every single day? No, of course that will have consequences. Moderation is the key, and the only thing worth noting is that when you're craving a sugar laden soft drink, a diet soda is a much better option that can satiate you without compromising your fat-loss diet.
Does Drinking Diet Pop Cause Cancer
Source: https://www.mensxp.com/health/nutrition/92852-diet-soda-myth-bad-health-cancer-fat-gain-metabolism.html