The Incredible Emptiness Of Diet Soft Drinks

If you think a diet soft drink can redeem the health destruction of a poor diet, you’ve been watching too many soft drink commercials. These drinks contain artificial sweeteners that can wreak havoc on your metabolism. And now researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have carefully examined the difference between those who drink diet soda and those who never imbibe.

The scientists found that consumers of diet sodaare generally less healthy than folks who never touch the stuff.

The researchers studied data collected over 20 years from more than 4,000 young adults who participated in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

In terms of eating habits, the people fell into two groups: those who ate what researchers termed a “prudent” diet (one with more fruit, fish, whole grains, nuts and milk) and individuals who consumed a “Western” diet (containing higher amounts of fast food, meat and poultry, pizza and snacks).

People who were healthiest tended to be those who ate a prudent diet and did not consume diet beverages. They had a lower risk of fat around the middle, higher triglyceride levels (blood fats) and metabolic syndrome — 22 percent, 28 percent and 36 percent lower, respectively, than people who ate a Western diet and did not drink diet soda. But the second healthiest group consisted of individuals with a “prudent” diet who also consumed diet beverages.

In contrast, individuals who consumed the Western diet had increased risk of heart disease, regardless of whether they drank diet beverages.