How does diet soda affect diabetes

Diet soda consumption for adults only becomes problematic when the quantity consumed is very excessive. This can lead to higher intakes of caffeine if the beverages are caffeinated. Replacing all water and dairy or percent juice with diet soda in the diet can lead to missing essential nutrients. The acceptable daily intake ADI is the level of intake considered safe.

For an adult weighing pounds , the ADI is 20 twelve ounce soft drinks or 97 packets of no-calorie sweetener such as aspartame.

Aspartame is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. Brand names include NutraSweet and Equal. Aspartame is made of two naturally occurring amino acids, which are the protein building blocks for humans. These two amino acids — aspartic acid and phenylalanine — are found in meats, grains, and milk. In fact, many studies have found that people who replace full-calorie beverages with low-calorie sweetened ones tend to make healthier dietary choices and eat fewer sweets, subsequently losing weight.

While water is the top recommendation for hydration, most people prefer drinks with some flavor added in. If you prefer not to reach for a diet soda, there are several great options to choose from instead.

Unsweetened tea is another option. Whether you prefer hot or cold, you can choose from a large number of different flavors and types of tea. Remember that adding a natural sweetener such as honey does add carbohydrate and can raise blood glucose levels. Finally, when in doubt, try fruit-infused water. You can add fruit especially berries , cucumbers, lemon, and herbs like basil and mint into your water.

Switching to diet soda may help you meet your goal. Drinking a zero-calorie beverage may be a better option than the sugared variety, and there are many acceptable sweetener choices available.

Learn more about no-sugar diets…. Sugar appears in our food in many forms, including sucrose, lactose and fructose. It is a sweet, edible, crystalline carbohydrate. Different types of…. What to know about diet soda and diabetes. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. Diet soda and diabetes Diet soda and weight gain Alternative sweeteners Sugary soda and diabetes Alternatives Takeaway Diabetes is a condition that damages the way the body produces or absorbs insulin.

Diet soda and diabetes. Share on Pinterest People with diabetes should avoid drinking soda due to the high sugar level.

Diet soda and weight gain. Share on Pinterest There is a long-term link between consuming diet soda and developing belly fat. Alternative sweeteners and diabetes. Sugary sodas and diabetes. Share on Pinterest Drinking unsweetened black tea can provide a caffeinated alternative to soda. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.

Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. How much sugar is in your food and drink? There has also been a suggestion that diet drinks make you more hungry, and can increase the proportion of 'intra-abdominal' fat deep inside your belly, which predisposes you to type 2 diabetes.

A study has suggested that drinking more than two diet fizzy drinks a day could be linked with a form of diabetes called LADA, or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. It also saw a higher risk of type 2 diabetes which rose in direct proportion to the number of diet sodas. LADA is a bit of an odd condition, which accounts for one in 11 cases of people diagnosed with diabetes in adulthood. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, where the body's immune system makes antibodies that attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Unlike type 2 diabetes, it has nothing to do with lifestyle. LADA is also an autoimmune condition but it's more slowly progressing than type 1 diabetes. Unlike type 1 diabetes, it's rare in childhood and tends to affect adults aged over Unlike type 1 diabetes, people with LADA don't usually need insulin treatment from day 1, because their pancreases are still producing some insulin.

And unlike in type 1 diabetes, people with LADA have features of insulin resistance that forms the basis of type 2 diabetes. However, unlike type 2 diabetes, people with LADA are often slim and are likely to need insulin within months to keep their blood sugar controlled.

Hardly surprising that some researchers call it 'type 1. So should we all give up diet drinks immediately, and are diet sodas just as unhealthy as sugar-filled ones? Here it gets a lot more complicated. One of the problems with these studies is that they can show two things are linked but not whether one causes the other. Let me give you a 'for instance'. However, remember that these sweeteners should be a short-term alternative. Also, many teas contain caffeine. Those with diabetes should keep an eye on their caffeine intake because the ADA has linked it to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and elevated blood sugar levels after a meal.

Alternative: You might not find a ready-made, less sugary substitute for slush drinks. However, recipes for homemade slush drinks are just an internet search away. Substituting ingredients, such as non-fat milk or sugar-free syrup, can cut calories. Sports drinks can be one of the top drinks a person with diabetes should avoid for several reasons. Also, marketing for many major sports drink brands feature professional athletes, which could suggest that whatever a health-conscious competitor puts in their body is fine for everyday adults to drink.

Be sure to keep an eye on other nutrients that are unfavorable in excess, such as sodium.