Diet drinks are often chosen as an easy alternative to sugary fizzy drinks or water, but there are other factors to take into account before choosing a diet drink. Here are three top reasons to rather opt for something else.
1. Artificial sweeteners prolong the sweet craving
Diet drinks are usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin are man-made substances that give a sweet, sugary taste minus the kilojoules. While they are kilojoule free, they are still very sweet and often sweeter than natural sugars found for example in fruit. This means that you may be drinking something healthier, but your taste preferences don’t change. If you are trying to adjust to the tastes and textures of a healthier diet, still consuming a very sweet product will slow down that process considerably as the craving for the sweet fix stays put. There have also been reported links between artificial sweeteners and weight gain as well as an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, possibly because they interfere with the way our bodies respond to sugar intake.
2. You may end up eating more
If you know that you are “being good” by no longer consuming so many kilojoules in your drink , you may find it easier to justify eating more food, and not necessarily of the healthier choices. Suitable portions are an important part of a healthy diet, so cutting out the added sugar from fizzy drinks is a step in the right direction but if you end up eating much more than you need, you will still be consuming too many kilojoules. At the end of the day, kilojoules consumed from healthy foods come hand in hand with other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fibre, etc. So, moving towards well-balanced, unsweetened meals and drinks in correct portions are definitely the way to go.
3. Diet drinks do not necessarily rehydrate
By drinking a diet drink, you are cutting out excess sugar but for rehydration purposes and to quench thirst, water is still the best option as it forms a large percentage of our bodies.
How to break the habit
So what can you do to break the diet drink routine? Start by diluting the diet drink with water, at first with about two-thirds diet drink and one-third water. After a few days, move to half-half, then two-thirds water and one-third diet drink, then just good ol’ water. This way you learn to adapt to the less sweet taste, you will be rehydrating your body and you will be consuming less artificial sweeteners.
Sources
www.health.com
www.bbc.com
Sound Bites Nutrition course material