Many of you may be familiar with Olga Norstrom. She is quite popular for her extensive knowledge on issues of health and well being. Olga has a Facebook page called Healthy Olga where she shares the latest news on health, advice, and some of the best facts on health and well being you will find on the internet. Recently, I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about common concerns for those seeking health and weight loss. We covered a few topics but today I would like to share her thoughts and the facts on diet soda.
Is diet soda a good substitute to regular soda?
We’ve all been duped into thinking that a soda with zero calories from artificial sweeteners is better for our health and waistline. But that isn’t the case at all.
To start, diet soda (like regular soda) is packed with sodium and phosphates, which cause a number of problems: They cause bones to leach calcium, plus they become the replacement for calcium in bones, creating bones that are weak, more prone to fracture, and at risk for osteoporosis. The high levels of sodium and phosphates also offset the electrolyte balance in the body, causing an overall lack of energy (after the caffeine rush if the drink is caffeinated), and low fluid in the brain that brings on brain fog, attention problems, and headaches.
Are there risks consuming the artificial sweeteners?
The main concern with diet soda is the artificial sweeteners that most brands contain. Sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, and saccharin, are the most commonly used artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, and they have all been linked in one way or another to health problems when used regularly (at least 3 eight oz. servings a week). The main reason: They are all considered foreign to the body, and so trigger an inflammatory response that makes the body stressed and run down, and prone to illness and chronic diseases, like heart disease. Aspartame in particular is problematic because it is a neurotoxin that harms and can eventually kill brain cells, which is why headaches, migraines, fuzzy thinking, lapses in memory, and other brain-related issues are common among people who consume aspartame regularly.
Worse yet, all of these artificial sweeteners have been linked to weight gain when used regularly. It turns out that they prevent the brain from registering fullness so you end up overeating, they cause inflammation that leads to increased fat storage, and despite the fact that they are often said to be “safe for diabetics” they actually still trigger insulin spikes that lead to sugar and carb cravings and cause belly fat!
Can you offer some to those who just cannot give up on their favorite diet beverage?
My advice: If you can avoid diet soda completely, that’s the best. But if you absolutely can’t let go of your favorite diet soda, limit your intake to 1 to 2 eight oz. servings a week. Or consider a switch to a diet soda with a natural sweetener that is not linked to health concerns or weight gain – stevia. One brand that’s easy to find is Zevia.
If you would like to keep up to date on all her wonderful advice follow her on Twitter: @healthyolga. Anyone who wants to connect professionally can go to LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/olganorstrom. You will be happy you did!