Diet soda has been shown in several studies to increase your odds of being overweight. One study claims that for every can of diet soda you drink per day, you’re 41% more likely to be overweight. Holy crap. There are a couple predominate theories as to why this happens; our bodies get tricked into craving more sugar because it senses sweet but there are no calories, making us consume more calories in the long run. The other is that people eat more because they think they’re saving so many calories in their beverage, that they pay less attention to what they’re eating.
In one study, rats were fed yogurt with artificial sweeteners and real sugar. Guess what.. the rats who ate the yogurt with artificial sweeteners ate for longer and got fatter. What a dirty trick! All those poor souls who have been suffering through the taste of diet soda, only to find out that it really makes them fatter. Damn!
I was at the grocery store last week and saw a naturally sweetened diet soda called Zevia . It caught my attention because it was being marketed as the ”natural alternative” to diet soda. It’s sweetened with Stevia, an herb grown in South America that has been used for centuries, the Zevia website even claims that recent studies have found that it has antioxidant properties. Interesting…any reviews out there?
We could always stick to the tried and true drinks. Here’s some good alternatives to diet soda that have no calories and will not make you fatter for the drinking…….water, water, water, tea and coffee.
February 4, 2009 at 7:33 pm
This is a great post. However, isn’t non-diet soda made with High Fructose Corn Syrup today, sort of a man made hybrid derivative of sugar that the pancreas has some problem processing? Just curious.
February 5, 2009 at 1:48 am
Hey Jack
Thanks for the compliment. You’re absolutely correct, non-diet is bad for you. In another blog post ‘fattest and fittest places in the world’ I also discuss why we may be one of the fattest nations…one of the top reasons being high fructose corn syrup. It makes perfect sense to me that highly processed foods would be difficult for our bodies to convert to energy.
Stay in touch
Molly
May 7, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more articles from you in the future.
- Jack
July 2, 2009 at 6:42 am
I work at a natural food store where we sell Zevia and I love it! It taste great and doesn’t have any chemicals or artificial sweetners added so you can drink it and feel safe. For example, the orange flavored soda contains only filtered carbonated water, orange oil, and stevia. It tastes terrific.I highly reccomend it- especially the black cherry and root beer flavors
July 28, 2009 at 7:45 am
Are you sure that the orange soda ONLY has stevia? According to the Cola and i believe the Twist, Zevia also contains Erythritol. Erythritol is a naturally-occuring sugar alcohol that is occurs in humans and fermented foods. I am not saying it’s bad, I think it’s good and I love Zevia!
February 17, 2010 at 7:48 pm
After quitting diet soda and drinking mainly water I have lost over 35lbs so I have to agree with this post.
February 23, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Hi Diana,
It is amazing how life changes after soda pop. All for the better. Congratulations on your success.
Connie
Soloflex