Dear Reader,
Avoid sodas…even if they are diet.
Sodas will make you fat. And they lead to other health problems. That “innocent” low-cal diet soda is really danger in a can.
A new study published in Circulation tracked the diets of men and women for nine years. Those who drank just one can of diet soda a day increased their risk of metabolic syndrome by 34%.
And, just one can of diet soda a day puts you at almost a 10% higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome than eating a diet of fried foods!1 Regular soda isn’t any better. Another study found that regular soda consumption is also associated with the metabolic syndrome.2
Why should this alarm you? Metabolic syndrome is a collection of symptoms that lead to diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases like cancer.
If you’re like the average American you drink an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year.
You may have metabolic syndrome and not even know it. In fact, the American Heart Association estimates that over 50 million Americans have metabolic syndrome.
Do you have any of these symptoms?
• Excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen
• High levels of bad LDL cholesterol, low levels of good HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
• High blood pressure
• Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar)
Each one of these symptoms can cause a whole host of health problems on its own.
And if that’s not enough reason to stay away from soda, here’s another reason…it’s also linked to tooth decay and osteoporosis.
Diet soda, although lacking in calories, can be even worse than regular soda. In addition to increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome, it contains artificial sweeteners that put your health even further at risk. I’ve written about the dangers of artificial sweeteners in the past. Aspartame, the most popular of these sweeteners can cause:
• brain tumors
• birth defects
• diabetes
• emotional disorders
• epilepsy/seizures
That alone should give you enough reason to stay away from soda.
Instead drink purified water. For a little added flavor, add fresh orange or lemon slices…even raspberries. I like to give mine a splash of natural fruit juice.
For a change of pace, try iced tea or lemonade. If you like a little extra sweetness try stevia–a natural calorie-free sweetener that you can find in any health food store.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
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1 Lutsey P, Steffen L, Stevens J,“Dietary Intake and the Development of the Metabolic Syndrome:The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study” Circulation. 2008;117:754-761
2 Dhingra R et al. “Soft Drink Consumption and Risk of Developing Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged Adults in the Community” Circulation. 2007;116:480-488