Diet Soda Can Make Belly Fat Worse

It is important that we take a number of aspects into account. If you really don’t want to gain weight, it’s best to just avoid any kind of soda, especially those that are considered “diet”.  Instead of helping us prevent fat from being stored in the body, it does the opposite: it actually increases your waistline. We give you all the details below.

Light soda is in reality not so light

A recent University of Texas study revealed information we already knew to some extent: Diet sodas aren’t all that different from regular drinks, and they pose an even greater risk, having been found to cause an increase in belly fat and waist size. .

The study was conducted over more than nine years and analyzed the consumption habits of approximately 900 people from the United States, Mexico and Europe. To achieve the result, the subjects were  divided into three groups:

• People who occasionally drink diet soft drinks (between 1 and 3 glasses per week).
• Regular drinkers of diet soft drinks (5 or more glasses per week).
• People who have never drunk any kind of diet soda.

The results?

And what were the results? The facts are surprising. For example, the people who drank two to three glasses of diet soda a week reported waist growth of between 1 and 2 inches (2.5 and 5 centimeters). Those who regularly consumed these drinks had an average growth of about  3 inches (7.62 cm) or more.

Those who never drank soft drinks showed no increase, as in general they aspired to a healthy life that contained no sugars or soft drinks, even those considered diet.

What conclusion can we come to from these facts?

• First, diet soda is still high in calories.
• Sharon Fowler, the leader of this study, revealed that diet sodas (carbonated sodas) are directly linked to serious illness. For example, diseases such as diabetes, heart attack and of course obesity.
• Obviously, a person’s lifestyle will make these facts more or less relevant. If someone drinks diet soda only once in a while (about 2 cans a month), nothing is likely to happen, especially if they have an active lifestyle and rarely consume fats or sugars. However, there is a risk for those who drink a minimum of 4 cans a week (or more), have a sedentary lifestyle and do not have a balanced diet.

Over the years, belly fat will increase and, as you already know, this is a direct danger to our health.

Other Risks of Diet Soft Drinks

Sweeteners

Diet drinks contain a very high dose of sweeteners. If they are consumed regularly, our sense of taste will gradually no longer perceive the natural sweeteners, for example those in many fruits.

Increased risk of type 2 diabetes

If you regularly drink a can of diet soda, you should know that you are 36% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. According to a study by the University of Minnesota (United States) , this type of drink increases tension, more bad cholesterol and, like you already know, fat that accumulates around the waist.

They have no nutritional value

Soft drinks have a very pleasant taste, we know that. They are great in summer and for family lunches or for enjoying the weekend with friends. However, they provide us with no nourishment for our body, no vitamins, no minerals. They are stimulants that alter many of our basic functions, but do not quench our thirst  and actually just make us thirstier.

And don’t forget that replacing regular soft drinks with the light version doesn’t make them better on the other hand.

They can give us a headache

If you are someone who often suffers from migraines or headaches, it is better to avoid all carbonated drinks. It also doesn’t matter whether they are regular or light.

They can damage our teeth

This fact is very important. According to a study published in the journal  General Dentistry,  soft drinks accelerate tooth erosion and weaken enamel. This is all due to the citric acid contained in it. And if you start avoiding these types of drinks today, you’ll keep that bright smile.

They can damage our bones

If you are a woman and you have starting problems with your bones, then you should stop drinking carbonated drinks right away. Diet sodas are also associated with the wear and tear of bone mass and loss of bone density, especially in the hips.

They can damage our hearts

How Can Diet Soda Damage Our Hearts? The risk of heart problems increases because this type of drink raises our bad cholesterol and causes high blood pressure.

So remember: soda is not good for your health. Be careful not to be fooled by the supposed benefits of diet soda. They are far from helpful and they still pose a risk.