Is Diet Soda Safe for Diabetes?
Diet soda and diabetes
Managing blood sugar levels is an everyday goal for people with type 1
and type 2 diabetes. While
eating sugar doesn’t cause either type of diabetes, keeping tabs on
carbohydrate and sugar intake is an important part of managing both types of
diabetes. Eating healthfully can also reduce your risk for developing type 2
diabetes.
Being overweight or obese is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. In fact, obesity is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults are considered obese. Obesity puts you at risk for diabetes, as well as other troublesome conditions. Eating processed foods that are high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and empty calories increases your risk of gaining too much weight.
Drinking sugary drinks is also a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. If you are working to keep your blood sugar in check or manage your weight, you might choose diet soda. Low in calories and sugar, diet sodas appear to be a good alternative to sugary drinks. Diet coke and A&W’s diet root beer, for example, claim to be entirely sugar-free. Unfortunately, even though they contain no actual sugar, they are loaded with artificial sweeteners and other unhealthy additives.
Being overweight or obese is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. In fact, obesity is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults are considered obese. Obesity puts you at risk for diabetes, as well as other troublesome conditions. Eating processed foods that are high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and empty calories increases your risk of gaining too much weight.
Drinking sugary drinks is also a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. If you are working to keep your blood sugar in check or manage your weight, you might choose diet soda. Low in calories and sugar, diet sodas appear to be a good alternative to sugary drinks. Diet coke and A&W’s diet root beer, for example, claim to be entirely sugar-free. Unfortunately, even though they contain no actual sugar, they are loaded with artificial sweeteners and other unhealthy additives.
Part 2 of 7
Research
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The FDA regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives. It reviews and approves artificial sweeteners before they can be sold. Some foods are “generally recognized as safe” and don’t require FDA approval to be sold. However, aspartame and saccharin, commonly found in diet sodas, are both FDA reviewed and approved.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) lists diet sodas among the drinks considered safe. The ADA recommends them as an alternative to non-diet varieties.
Part 3 of 7
What are the risks?
While diet soft drinks are safe, they are far from nutritious. In
addition to diet soda, the ADA recommends water, unsweetened iced or hot tea,
and sparkling or infused water. Even milk and 100 percent fruit juices,
although they contain carbohydrates, can be wise choices when you consider the
nutrients they provide. Be sure to limit fruit juices due to their high sugar
content.
Carbonated colas also pose some risk. A 2000 study published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine investigated the risks of colas in youth. The study found that drinking carbonated beverages was strongly associated with bone fractures in teenage girls. Although the same was not shown for boys, the study did raise concerns about long-term negative impacts of carbonated colas.
Diet sodas may also create issues specifically for people with diabetes. A study published in Nature showed that, in mice, artificial sweeteners can lead to a spike in insulin.
In the experiment, researchers discovered that artificial sweeteners can trigger sweet receptors in the stomach. This leads to an increase in insulin and lowered blood sugar. The stomach was essentially treating the artificial sweetener like real sugar, causing a spike in insulin. Researchers found this concerning but also said the spike in insulin wouldn’t likely cause clinical hypoglycemia, a risk for people on certain diabetes medications.
Carbonated colas also pose some risk. A 2000 study published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine investigated the risks of colas in youth. The study found that drinking carbonated beverages was strongly associated with bone fractures in teenage girls. Although the same was not shown for boys, the study did raise concerns about long-term negative impacts of carbonated colas.
Diet sodas may also create issues specifically for people with diabetes. A study published in Nature showed that, in mice, artificial sweeteners can lead to a spike in insulin.
In the experiment, researchers discovered that artificial sweeteners can trigger sweet receptors in the stomach. This leads to an increase in insulin and lowered blood sugar. The stomach was essentially treating the artificial sweetener like real sugar, causing a spike in insulin. Researchers found this concerning but also said the spike in insulin wouldn’t likely cause clinical hypoglycemia, a risk for people on certain diabetes medications.
Part 4 of 7
Aspartame and diabetes
Aspartame is one of the most common artificial sweeteners. Brand
examples include NutraSweet and Equal. Even if a product advertises itself as
“sugar-free,” it likely contains a sweetener like aspartame. Aspartame is a
low-calorie sweetener that is often used as a sugar substitute, with less
calories and carbohydrates than sugar.
Other artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA include sucralose, Advantame, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin.
The research about aspartame and how it impacts those with diabetes is not completely clear. One 2016 study found that aspartame could be responsible for oxidative stress that causes disturbances in liver and kidney function in diabetic mice. A different 2016 study found that aspartame intake is associated with a greater glucose intolerance in obese individuals, which could increase the chance of diabetes. This effect may be due to the fact that aspartame has been shown to change the bacteria found in the gut.
Other artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA include sucralose, Advantame, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin.
The research about aspartame and how it impacts those with diabetes is not completely clear. One 2016 study found that aspartame could be responsible for oxidative stress that causes disturbances in liver and kidney function in diabetic mice. A different 2016 study found that aspartame intake is associated with a greater glucose intolerance in obese individuals, which could increase the chance of diabetes. This effect may be due to the fact that aspartame has been shown to change the bacteria found in the gut.
Part 5 of 7
Pros and cons
When it comes to diet soda and diabetes, there are both pros and cons
to consider.
Pros of drinking diet soda with diabetes include
Cons of drinking diet soda with diabetes include
Pros of drinking diet soda with diabetes include
- It contains fewer carbohydrates than regular soda.
- It curbs the sugar craving without a sugar overload.
- You're consuming far fewer calories.
Cons of drinking diet soda with diabetes include
- You’re consuming calories but gaining no nutritional benefit.
- It’s full of unhealthy additives.
- Long-term diet soda drinking is still associated with weight gain and other health risks.
- Research shows an increased risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome with both diet soda and regular soda intake.
Part 6 of 7
Alternatives
While water is the top recommendation for hydration, most people
prefer drinks with some flavor added in. Instead of reaching for a diet soda,
however, there are several great options to choose from instead. Milk is a good
example, though it’s best to stay away from artificially sweetened milk (like
chocolate milk), and keep track of carbohydrates.
Unsweetened tea is another smart option. Whether you prefer hot or cold, you can choose from a large number of different flavors and types of tea.
Finally, when in doubt, try fruit-infused water. You can add items like fruit (especially berries), cucumbers, lemon, and herbs (like basil and mint) into your water. Sparkling water is also a good option, as long as it isn’t artificially flavored or sweetened.
Unsweetened tea is another smart option. Whether you prefer hot or cold, you can choose from a large number of different flavors and types of tea.
Finally, when in doubt, try fruit-infused water. You can add items like fruit (especially berries), cucumbers, lemon, and herbs (like basil and mint) into your water. Sparkling water is also a good option, as long as it isn’t artificially flavored or sweetened.
Part 7 of 7
Takeaway
Whether it’s to lose weight or manage diabetes, becoming proactive
about sugar intake is a positive step. If you’re ready to make the leap toward
better health, switching to diet soda may help you along the way.
Drinking a zero-calorie beverage should not become a reason to make unhealthy food choices, though. Be mindful of your eating habits as well as your preferred drinks. This will help you better manage your weight and sugar intake.
Aspartame is a common sugar substitute used as a sweetener in
many prepared foods and beverages, particularly diet soda. It is a
common choice for those trying to lose weight, as it lowers the number
of calories in food. However, new research suggests the sweetener may be
ineffective for weight loss, and it may even have the opposite effect.
![[A glass of soda and a straw]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uECM0ECERO7SlzD5zzSZ_YhXww34MKcgHRQt-P4jcgTPIhtktwv73w71FYN5sTh5UdY2L46rxrHiegB5mXqaU1qvUBymXH_DyHQOTATLUiMxsGVZ7JWh7rnezI2IV89EZPyG7sro2-ij7ixUyDw1xR2WjlSmzwCq8upqOncyhj6bcMTWBTbA=s0-d)
Researchers suggest a sweetener commonly used in diet soda may cause weight gain.
Some research
indicates that even acceptable daily intakes of aspartame, as regulated
by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), might make you
hungrier and lead to weight gain.
Other studies in rodents have shown that compared with sugar, sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame causes weight gain instead of weight loss.
Reasons why this may happen are not entirely clear, but a team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital decided to investigate why aspartame does not promote weight loss.
Their research - published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. - suggests one of aspartame's metabolites may play a role.
The researchers were led by Dr. Richard Hodin, from the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Surgery.
Metabolic syndrome is a generic name given to a group symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
Dr. Hodin and team had conducted previous research where they fed IAP to mice that were on a high-fat diet. They found that IAP can prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome, as well as reduce the symptoms in animals that already had the condition.
Based on this known relationship between IAP, phenylalanine, and aspartame, researchers hypothesized that consuming aspartame may promote metabolic syndrome because of its inhibition of phenylalanine.
For the study, researchers added aspartame to diet and regular soda, before measuring IAP activity in mice.
The scientists used four groups of mice. Two groups were put on a normal diet, with one group receiving drinking water with aspartame and the other just plain water. The other two groups were put on a high-fat diet, with one group getting plain water and the other getting water with aspartame.
The normal-diet group that received aspartame consumed the equivalent of 3 ½ cans of diet soda every day. The group that was on a high-fat diet received aspartame in doses the equivalent to almost two cans of diet soda.
The mice were monitored for 18 weeks.
Researchers injected aspartame into the mice's small intestines, where IAP is normally produced. They found this reduced IAP levels.
Researchers also injected saline solution in bowel segments, but IAP activity remained the same.
At the end of the 18-week period, there was no significant difference between the weights of the two groups that were fed a regular diet.
However, mice on a high-fat diet that received aspartame gained more weight than mice that did not receive aspartame.
Mice that received the sweetener also had higher blood sugar than those without aspartame.
They also had higher levels of the TNF-alpha inflammatory protein in their blood, which is usually associated with metabolic syndrome.
"Sugar substitutes like aspartame are designed to promote weight loss and decrease the incidence of metabolic syndrome, but a number of clinical and epidemiologic studies have suggested that these products don't work very well and may actually make things worse," says Dr. Hodin.
However, phenylalanine inhibits the production of IAP.
"We think that aspartame might not work because, even as it is substituting for sugar, it blocks the beneficial aspects of IAP," Dr. Hodin says.
Read how swapping a soda for water can reduce weight gain.
Drinking a zero-calorie beverage should not become a reason to make unhealthy food choices, though. Be mindful of your eating habits as well as your preferred drinks. This will help you better manage your weight and sugar intake.
![[A glass of soda and a straw]](http://cdn1.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/314/314345/a-glass-of-soda-and-a-straw.jpg)
Researchers suggest a sweetener commonly used in diet soda may cause weight gain.
Other studies in rodents have shown that compared with sugar, sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame causes weight gain instead of weight loss.
Reasons why this may happen are not entirely clear, but a team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital decided to investigate why aspartame does not promote weight loss.
Their research - published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. - suggests one of aspartame's metabolites may play a role.
The researchers were led by Dr. Richard Hodin, from the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Surgery.
Studying aspartame intake in mice
One of the breakdown products of aspartame is phenylalanine, an inhibitor of a gut enzyme called intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) that has been shown to prevent metabolic syndrome in mice.Metabolic syndrome is a generic name given to a group symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
Dr. Hodin and team had conducted previous research where they fed IAP to mice that were on a high-fat diet. They found that IAP can prevent the onset of metabolic syndrome, as well as reduce the symptoms in animals that already had the condition.
Based on this known relationship between IAP, phenylalanine, and aspartame, researchers hypothesized that consuming aspartame may promote metabolic syndrome because of its inhibition of phenylalanine.
For the study, researchers added aspartame to diet and regular soda, before measuring IAP activity in mice.
The scientists used four groups of mice. Two groups were put on a normal diet, with one group receiving drinking water with aspartame and the other just plain water. The other two groups were put on a high-fat diet, with one group getting plain water and the other getting water with aspartame.
The normal-diet group that received aspartame consumed the equivalent of 3 ½ cans of diet soda every day. The group that was on a high-fat diet received aspartame in doses the equivalent to almost two cans of diet soda.
The mice were monitored for 18 weeks.
Aspartame does not help with weight loss
Dr. Hodin and team found that IAP activity was reduced when it was added to a drink containing aspartame, but IAP levels remained the same when IAP was added to a drink containing sugar.Researchers injected aspartame into the mice's small intestines, where IAP is normally produced. They found this reduced IAP levels.
Researchers also injected saline solution in bowel segments, but IAP activity remained the same.
At the end of the 18-week period, there was no significant difference between the weights of the two groups that were fed a regular diet.
However, mice on a high-fat diet that received aspartame gained more weight than mice that did not receive aspartame.
Mice that received the sweetener also had higher blood sugar than those without aspartame.
They also had higher levels of the TNF-alpha inflammatory protein in their blood, which is usually associated with metabolic syndrome.
"Sugar substitutes like aspartame are designed to promote weight loss and decrease the incidence of metabolic syndrome, but a number of clinical and epidemiologic studies have suggested that these products don't work very well and may actually make things worse," says Dr. Hodin.
Aspartame blocks enzyme that prevents obesity
Inside the human body, aspartame is metabolized and broken down into phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids that are naturally present in many protein-containing foods.However, phenylalanine inhibits the production of IAP.
"We think that aspartame might not work because, even as it is substituting for sugar, it blocks the beneficial aspects of IAP," Dr. Hodin says.
"People do not really understand why these artificial sweeteners don't work. There has been some evidence that they actually can make you more hungry and may be associated with increased calorie consumption. Our findings regarding aspartame's inhibition of IAP may help explain why the use of aspartame is counterproductive."While the researchers admit that other contributing factors may play a role, Dr. Hodin emphasizes that the findings "clearly show that aspartame blocks IAP activity, independent of other effects."
Dr. Richard Hodin
Read how swapping a soda for water can reduce weight gain.
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