A recent study monitored the weight and soda-drinking habits of more than 600 normal-weight patients aged 25-64. When researchers followed up on the patients some eight years later, they discovered:
- Participants were 65 percent more likely to be overweight if they consumed one diet soda a day compared to if they drank none.
- Two or more low- or no-calorie soft drinks raised the odds of becoming obese or overweight even higher.
Those who drank diet soda had a greater chance of becoming overweight than participants who drank regular soda
For example, a person who drinks a diet soda may feel it's acceptable to make up for those calories with another high-calorie food. And while the tongue is temporarily satisfied by the sweet taste of diet soda, the brain isn't similarly fooled and still craves calories for energy. Other studies have suggested people who drink an artificially sweetened beverage before a meal will eat more high-calorie foods than those who do not.
Therefore, with diet soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages (even fruit juices) linked to weight gain and obesity, many people are left wondering, "What is safe to drink?" The answer, of course, is water.
In fact, nearly a decade ago, studies were already revealing that artificial sweeteners can:
- Stimulate your appetite.
- Increase carbohydrate cravings.
Stimulate fat storage and weight gain.
Artificial sweeteners like aspartame (NutraSweet®) and sucralose (Splenda®) can contribute to a host of additional side effects.
Sucralose, the sweetening agent in Splenda®, is in fact made from sugar (sucrose). However, what the ads don't go on to say is that chemists then add three chlorine molecules to these sugar molecules to create the final product.
Animal studies have revealed that sucralose can cause:
- Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
- Enlarged liver and kidneys
- Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
- Reduced growth rate
- Decreased red blood cell count
- Diarrhea
If these findings concern you, read on, because aspartame may be even worse.
Results of multiple studies, complaints and testimonies have revealed that aspartame can trigger or worsen the following diseases:
- Brain tumors
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsy
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
| - Mental retardation
- Lymphoma
- Birth defects
- Fibromyalgia
- Diabetes
|
The bottom line is that these substances poison your body. Deciding to start or continue drinking them is simply a major movement toward the development of chronic disease.
Dr. Joseph Mercola
Author of the
Total Health Program
