unsweetened soft drinks, little benefit, much harm
Many people choose diet soft drinks because they think that "no sugar, no calories" is better. But in fact, most of these drinks contain artificial sweeteners and acids that can have a negative impact on teeth, kidneys, the heart and the body's metabolism.
Dr. Aviv Joshua, MS, RDN, nutritionist at the California Public Health Center (USA) commented: The dietary soft drink is not harmless. Daily use puts the body under pressure from artificial sweeteners and acids, which have a long-term impact on metabolism and cardiovascular health.
Even without sugar, dietary soft drinks still contain photphoric acid and citric acid, two substances that can erode tooth enamel over time. Tooth enamel weakens, causing tooth decay, easily getting deep and changing color.
Not only in the oral area, many studies have also shown a link between regularly drinking dietary soft drinks and the risk of hyperglycemia and reduced insulin sensitivity. Drinking only one can per week has also been linked to a 67% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Impact on kidneys, blood pressure and heart rate
The kidney is an organ that is greatly affected by dietary soft drinks. Synthetic sweeteners can increase the pressure on the kidneys, leading to the risk of impaired function when consumed in excess of two portions per day. People who drink a lot of dietary soft drinks are also susceptible to high blood pressure and diabetes, two major factors for kidney disease.
Increased blood pressure is also a recognized risk. Each serving of dietary soft drinks per day can increase the risk of high blood pressure by about 9%. Some sweeteners such aspartame are also thought to cause inflammation, damage blood vessels and disrupt the natural mechanism for regulating blood pressure.
For the cardiovascular system, research shows that drinking more than 2 liters of dietary sweeteners per week can increase the risk of arrhythmia, especially atherosclerosis by 20%. Experts say that changes in the gut microbiome caused by artificial sweeteners can indirectly affect heart rate and cardiovascular health.
How much is too much and what should be replaced with?
There are currently no official recommendations on limiting the intake of dietary soft drinks. However, the Food Safety Committee allows aspartame intake of 50mg/kg of body weight per day, equivalent to 9-14 cans of dietary soft drinks for people weighing 68kg. However, experts agree that daily use is not recommended.
Instead of turning diet sugar into a habit, consumers can choose healthier alternatives such as unsweetened tea, water, carbonated water without sweeteners, coconut water or fresh fruit juice.
If you need refreshment, prioritize natural drinks, Dr. Aviv Joshua emphasizes. Artificial sweeteners should only be a temporary choice, not a long-term solution.
Dietary soft drinks are not an enemy, but they are certainly not a health companion if you drink them every day. Choosing the right drink will help protect teeth, kidneys, heart and metabolism, which are important factors for a healthy body.
