BEWARE: Sneaky Liquid Calories

Ditching that regular soda and switching to a diet version may not be the perfect fix-it healthy solution. Research shows that both versions may lead to disease. Before consulting with clients and making recommendations, I like to review ongoing food and nutrition research -- especially regarding liquid calories.

Clients ask me, "What could be so bad about a no-calorie diet soda?" Well, studies show that artificial sweeteners alter your metabolism and increase your sweet tooth.¹ They make you want more sugar, which means consuming more calories in the long run. The food industry has rapidly increased the production of foods with artificial sweeteners and Americans are heavier than ever! According to the Mayo Clinic, sugar substitutes are not "magic bullets for weight loss." They are synthetic and intensely sweet, much more than regular sugar itself. At the end of the day, keep it simple. One teaspoon of sugar is only 10 calories and is not going to harm you or make you fat.

Other research has recently linked diet soft drinks to disease. A nine-year study followed older adults who drank diet soda daily.² The results showed a 48 percent higher risk of stroke, heart attack and death, even after adjusting for other risk factors. Arguably, this study hasn't been published in a peer-review journal and may have other confounding factors. However, as a nutritionist who has observed patterns of America's intake of artificial sweeteners, I've seen their long-term effects firsthand. Research on these sugar substitutes connects diet soda consumption to metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and Type 2 Diabetes.^3,4,5

When clients hear this they ask, "Isn't it better to have a regular carbonated soda instead?" Well, no, definitely not. According to Tufts' Irwin H. Rosenberg, M.D., "The real concern remains sugared soft drinks, which have gotten a free ride for years in their health impact." An abundance of studies have connected regular soft drinks to various health issues, beyond the increase in obesity. Too much pop may be bad for your bone health. A few studies have connected drinking cola to lower bone-mineral density in older women. ^6,7

What's more, new research shows a connection between sugary soft drinks and high blood pressure.⁸ Another study done by Louisiana State University in 2010 found that those who drank one fewer sugary beverage per day lowered their blood pressure over an 18 month period.⁹ On top of these concerns, sugary soft drinks have been linked with pancreatic cancer.¹⁰

This data is scary. One concern is that this research doesn't account for other lifestyle decisions, such as diet and exercise, exaggerating the relationships of soft drinks and disease. People who consume many soft drinks, diet or regular, may be making other poor choices or may already be at risk for obesity and heart disease. The fact remains thought that these beverages provide excess calories without providing essential nutrients. A 2009 study determined that cutting back on liquid calories may be more valuable than cutting back on calories from solid food.¹¹

Whole foods provide nutrients that your body needs, but it is important to remember the bottom line: portion control is the key to healthy eating.

What beverage guidelines do I give to my clients? The only way to avoid drinking large amounts of calories and sugar is to make water your default drink. Stop drinking sugary sodas and guzzling down sports drinks, juices and other flavored drinks. These brightly colored beverages contain corn syrup, artificial dyes and flavorings that your body doesn't need. You should drink approximately two liters of water a day. Most of your body -- approximately 65 percent -- is composed of water. Your brain is actually three-quarters water! Water is the most important power nutrient; without enough water, nutrients like carbs, proteins and fats can't get into your body's cells. Water keeps you hydrated and helps your body work optimally.

Other great tips that may help suppress that soda habit include:

• Sip on healthier beverages like flavored teas. Some great choices are Good Earth teas, (for a crisp taste), Celestial Indian Spice Chai Tea and all Tazo teas. If you need to sweeten your tea, try adding a teaspoon of Stevia, a no-calorie sweetener that comes from an herb native to South Africa. Another great choice is agave syrup. (Also use one teaspoon.)
• Try adding excitement to your water with orange slices, or even cherries when in season.
• Lighten coffee or tea with nonfat milk instead of creamer. Add flavor and brightness with a dash of cinnamon, which is also beneficial for people with Type 2 Diabetes.
• If you need a fizzy drink, add a splash of juice or lemon slices to plain sparkling water. Watch out for sodium levels in these drinks! Make sure to pick brands with no added sodium, such as La Croix, RW Knudsen's Sparkling Essence and Perrier. Stick to one 8 ounce serving per day to prevent gas and indigestion.
• My Pomegranate Tea recipe, a powerful antioxidant combination, helps you burn fat and calms nerves. Add 5 bags of green tea to 4 cups boiling water. Steep for about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and add 8 ounces pure pomegranate juice.
• Try whipping up our refreshing Minty Lemon Cucumber Water: Add 2 quarts water, 2 sliced lemons, 1 sliced small cucumber and 2-3 mint sprigs to a glass pitcher. Let steep in fridge for 30 minutes. Serve over ice and enjoy!

References:
1. Yang, Qing, "Gain weight by "going diet?" Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings." Yale J Biol Med. 2010 June; 83(2): 101-108.
2. Northern Manhattan Study.
3. Vasanti S. Malik, SCD, Barry M. Popkin, PHD et al. "Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes." Diabetes Car November 2010; 33(11): 2477-2483.
4. Koning, Lawrence de, Malik, Vasanti S et al. "Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men." Am J Clin Nutr June 2011; 93(6): 1321-1327.
5. Bomback, A, Derebail, V et al. "Sugar-Sweetened Soda Consumption, Hyperuricemia, and Kidney Disease." Kidney International 1 April 2010; 77: 609-616.
6. Tucker KL, Morita K, Qiao N, Et al. "Colas, but Not Other Carbonated Beverages, are Associated with Low Bone Mineral Density in Older Women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study." Am J Clin Nutr. October 2006: 84(4): 936-42.
7. Katherine L. Tucker. "Osteporosis Prevention and Nutrition." Current Osteoporosis Reports 2009
7(4):111-117.
8. I.J. Brown et al. "Sugar-Sweetened Beverage, Sugar Intake of Individuals, and Their Blood Pressure. International Study of Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure" Hypertension, published online 28 February 2011.
9. Liwei Chen, M.D., Ph.D, M.H.S., et al. "Reducing Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Is Associated With Reduced Blood Pressure. A Prospective Study Among United States Adults." Circulation 8 April 2010; 121(22): 2398-406.
10. Mueller, Noel et al, "Soft Drink and Juice Consumption and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: The Singapore Chinese Health Study Cancer." Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2010; 19(2): 447-455.
11. Chen L, Appel LJ, Loria C, et al. "Reduction in Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is Associated with Weight Loss: the PREMIER trial." Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May; 89(5): 1299-306

 

 

 

Comments

[Daniel Santibanez]

04:49 PM on 07/05/2011

Undoubtedly, the perfect fix-it solution to health is a well-balanced diet with adequate amounts of physical activity. While some studies have linked some foods to weight gain, there’s no conclusive evidence that one food or beverage directly causes a person to be overweight or develop a related chronic disease. As a registered dietitian, I know that education is one of the keys to weight management and that dietary guidance includes working with clients to ensure their diet is balanced and includes their favorite foods. I’ve found that my clients who enjoy soda do in fact benefit from switching to diet soda when attempting to lose weight, and a number of studies exist to back this claim. Moderation, including the right kinds of foods and exercise are what lead to a healthy lifestyle – not eliminating one specific food or beverage from the diet. At the end of the day, people are going to choose foods based on taste, availability and benefits. Whether it's regular or diet soda, fruit juice, or French fries, the key is to create a plan that fits them all while providing quality and enjoyment.
Daniel Santibanez, MPH, RD, LDN
Consultant to the food and beverage industry, including Coca-Cola

[Ann A Rosenstein]

10:52 AM on 07/04/2011

This article supports the research I have done as a certified fitness professional and published author of fitness and nutrition books. Foods with empty calories and foods made from unnatural sources damage our bodies and accelerate aging. This subject and many more are discussed in my book “Diet Myths Busted, Food Facts Not Nutrition Fiction.” I know you will enjoy reading it and it will clear up a lot of confusion about what to eat and why. You can find my book at my website www.dietfitnessdiva.com

[tlcpro]

12:39 PM on 07/01/2011

Bad for your teeth too.

[jmcain4734]

10:56 AM on 07/01/2011

I used to drink around 8 diet cokes a day in the can. Quit them 100% for over a year, and now drink one bottled (like from the old days cost $20 for a case) diet coke a day. Enjoy it more in moderation. Also, lost 57 lbs. by changing my eating habits. Now I eat healthy food in moderation instead of whatever I want at any time. The 57 lbs. has been off for 3 years and I feel better at 61 years old than I did at 45 eating junk food.

[gpsagapo]

01:20 PM on 07/01/2011

I stopped drinking diet sodas in April. I've lost 30 pounds so far. Also eating better, cut out breads, candies, and heavily sauced foods. Also, going for a walk 3 times a week. If i can do it, anyone can!

[Paul108]

10:38 AM on 07/01/2011

Lately I've been drinking a lot of flavored stevia water, which I get in powdered form made by www.stevitastevia.com
I don't like it at the concentration they recommend, but I make it about 5 times more dilute and love it. I've lost 40 pounds in the past year, so maybe this helps.

[Dora The explorer]

08:25 AM on 07/01/2011

Why not just give up consuming ALL sodas completely? I did several years ago, and I can honestly say that I don't miss them one bit. Not only will you experience better health, your teeth will be in better shape and you will avoid wasting a bucket load of your hard earned money. Sodas are poison to the human body. Eat some fresh fruit and you will be MUCH better off when all is said and done.

[tlcpro]

08:00 AM on 07/01/2011

I used to live on diet soda, and after I quit drinking it completely and switched to water (tap water) I lost 50 pounds. I only drank diet soda because regular soda made my teeth hurt. My diet advice is to drink water and eat cucumbers.

[bmora]

11:08 AM on 07/01/2011

"My diet advice is to drink water and eat cucumbers. "

So your advice is to starve yourself? Cucumbers have virtually no nutritional value.

[tlcpro]

12:38 PM on 07/01/2011

They both fill you up and keep you hydrated. That's how I lost weight. I drank a lot of water ate cucumber and oh yeah... peanut butter toast.

[princep]

07:39 AM on 07/01/2011

Once you start drinking water instead of pop or juices, you'll find your food tastes better and your thirst is quenched. It's been three months since I started doing it and the side effect is that I've lost 12 lbs.

[Amy E Baggott]

01:25 PM on 07/01/2011

And if you really like the fizzy part, seltzer water works just fine.

[ChristopherJones]

07:44 PM on 06/30/2011

Diet sodas are highly acidic just like their sugary counterparts. True, a little sugar isn't bad for you, but when you're consuming 3 cups of sugar per day this is a serious problem.

[William Anderson LMHC]

06:40 PM on 06/30/2011

I know what the dieticians and academic writers are saying about artificial sweeteners stimulating appetite, but I have not found that to be true in thousands of real life cases. The sugared Coke habit definitely fueled appetite and weight gain, and the switch to diet soda diminished both. As far as the studies that correlate diet drinks to disease, I think the correlation of regular sodas is higher. It may be that the other variables in the subject’s lives, like BMI, exercise, and other dietary choices are the real causative factors with regard to the disease states. Diet drinks may, in fact, have no correlation when other factors are accounted for.

I and my clients may not eat right according to the dieticians, but it is a heck of a lot healthier than what we used to do, and we are not overweight anymore. It is a lot better to be at a healthy weight and drink diet soda (as well as have other imperfections in our diet) than be obese and drink sugared beverages.

William Anderson, LMHC
Author of 'The Anderson Method - Secrets of Permanent Weight Loss'
Website: www.TheAndersonMethod.com
Blog: http://theandersonmethodblog.wordpress.com/

[princep]

07:40 AM on 07/01/2011

Nice plug.

[William Anderson LMHC]

06:38 PM on 06/30/2011

Diet soda was one of the important helpers in my success in beating chronic obesity.

I lost 140 lbs. after 25 years of obesity and failure with diets and exercise, and I've kept it off for over twenty-five years. Having diet soda (my favorite is Fresca) available that I can have "at will" without worrying about the extra calories is a life-saver. Certainly, water is healthier, but my attempts to change to water never lasted, and slipping back to regular soda can easily add over a thousand calories a day that I don't even notice (until it shows up on my body).

Some of my clients have had habits of drinking sometimes 10 Cokes a day, over 2000 calories, and switching to Diet Cokes does wonders. They can work on getting the right caloric habits with food, and don't have to give soda any thought. Switching to water was laughable to them, not even an option. They've tried it before.

William Anderson, LMHC
Author of 'The Anderson Method - Secrets of Permanent Weight Loss'
Website: www.TheAndersonMethod.com
Blog: http://theandersonmethodblog.wordpress.com/

[AngryBuddist]

06:15 PM on 06/30/2011

In my case the diet soft drinks are part of a daily regimen of Canadian Whiskey. So someone like me may skew the result set.

[ruleoflaw66]

10:21 PM on 06/30/2011

Try Jack Daniels Lite instead. ;-)

[jgarma]

06:14 PM on 06/30/2011

Another sneaky thing about soda is how a person can grow to like the taste, particularly the diet stuff. Did anyone really like their first drink? I put it in the category of cigarettes and hard liqueur where you had to force yourself to consume it till is had its hold on you.

If you're still drinking soda, at least now the price paid. "One Soda, Lotsa Harm" takes a look at what one soda does to the body every 10 minutes or so after drinking it: http://wp.­me/pA04z-x­U

[satanlite]

08:42 PM on 06/30/2011

I stopped drinking soda so long ago I can't remember when. Now i have maybe one a week or two weeks and think of it like food item during or after lunch or dinner - not as the "wash" for making everything else go down. Even then they taste so incredibly sweet I rarely drink more than a third and put the rest in the frig for whenever. Sometimes weeks later. When I was younger I'd drink multiple bottles a day. Don't know what triggered my change. Never really thought about it. I think maturity and understanding what a pile of chemicals soda represented had part of it. I also think it is an addiction that people acquire.

[taraterm2]

07:21 AM on 07/01/2011

me too....exactly. I was quite the addict, often having three or cans a day....but maturity and the growing realization that after the first 25 years you Really have to treat your body good sunk in. If you stay away from soda long enough you really stop craving it....same as salt and sugar. Still enjoy a Coke now and then, but its under control..

[SW84]

10:40 PM on 06/30/2011

from your link

"2. 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)"

this is so wrong it's ridiculous, calories are stored as fat when you are in a caloric surplus, not because of an insulin spike

[jgarma]

08:58 PM on 07/03/2011

Well, you can learn more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_resistance

[Micah-R]

05:17 PM on 06/30/2011

Everything in moderation, a coke won't kill you. Stop worrying so much and just avoid gluttony.

[Kevin30215]

03:43 PM on 06/30/2011

We must protect our precious bodily fluids...

[ruleoflaw66]

10:21 PM on 06/30/2011

Keep both hands on the keyboard.