Is Diet Soda Safe for 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 and staying active can also reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Being overweight or having obesity is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. In fact, obesity is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes.

Obesity can put you at risk for diabetes and other health conditions. Eating highly processed foods that are high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and empty calories increases your risk of gaining excess weight. Drinking sugary drinks is also a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. If you’re 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 sodas are 99% water, and when checking the nutrition facts panel, you should see less than 5 to 10 calories and less than 1 gram of carbohydrate per serving. Even though they contain no sugar, diet sodas are usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners. They may contain natural or artificial flavours, colouring agents, acids, preservatives, and caffeine. 

Research

At one time, there was much debate over the safety of artificial sweeteners. Many feared that these sweeteners caused certain types of cancer. Studies performed in the 1970s suggested that the artificial sweetener saccharin was linked to bladder cancer in male rats. Since that time, however, saccharin has been deemed safe and has been used safely in the food supply for over a hundred years. It’s 300 times sweeter than sucrose, or table sugar, so tiny amounts are used to sweeten foods and beverages. The average person ingests less than one ounce of saccharin in a year.

Many regulatory and professional organisations consider the sweetener safe. Aspartame, another common yet controversial sweetener, gained clearance for use in the 80’s as a sugar replacement. Governmental bodies regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives. It reviews and approves artificial sweeteners before they can be sold. Some food additives are generally recognised as safe and gain approval. Aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are commonly found in diet sodas, other commonly used sweeteners include advantame, acesulfame potassium, and neotame. 

However, artificial sweeteners are just that, “Artificial.” Furthermore, our bodies haven’t (from an evolutionary stand point) caught up with modern advances in food manufacturing. So, although they’re better option than spoonfuls of sugar. A much better option is a plant based sweetener, such as Stevia.

What are the risks?

While diet soft drinks are safe, they provide no nutrients. Although they contain carbohydrates, milk and 100% fruit juices can be wise choices when you consider the nutrients they provide. Be sure to limit fruit juices due to their high natural sugar content. A 2000 study investigated the risks of drinking colas in youth. The study found that drinking carbonated beverages was associated with bone fractures in teenage girls. Most of the girls drank regular sugar sweetened soda, while only 20 percent drank the diet version. 

Although the same wasn’t shown for boys, the study did raise concerns about replacing milk with soda during a critical time for bone development. Diet soda consumption for adults only becomes problematic when the quantity consumed is very excessive. This can lead to higher intakes of caffeine if the beverages are caffeinated. Replacing all water and dairy or 100% juice with diet soda in the diet can lead to missing essential nutrients. 

Cons of drinking diet soda with diabetes include

• You’re consuming few to no calories but gaining no nutritional benefit.

• It’s full of potentially harmful 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.

Alternatives

While water is the top recommendation for hydration, most people prefer drinks with some flavour added in. If you prefer not to reach for a diet soda, there are several great options to choose from instead. Milk is also an acceptable choice, though it’s best to limit sweetened milk, like chocolate milk, and keep track of carbohydrates, since cow, rice, and soy milk all contain carbohydrates.

Other non-dairy milk alternatives may have fewer carbs, but they lack the nutritional value of cow’s milk or soy milk. Unsweetened tea is another option. Whether you prefer hot or cold, you can choose from a large number of different flavors and types of tea. Remember that adding a natural sweetener such as honey does add carbohydrate and can raise blood glucose levels. 

Finally, when in doubt, try fruit-infused water. You can add 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’s carbohydrate- and calorie-free. 

Takeaway

Whether it’s to lose weight or manage diabetes, becoming proactive about reducing sugar intake is a positive step. Switching to diet soda may help you meet your goal. Drinking a zero-calorie beverage may be a better option than the sugared variety, and there are many acceptable sweetener choices available. Be mindful of your eating habits, physical activity, and beverage choices. This will help you better manage your blood glucose levels.

Extracts taken from Jeri Burtchell from https://www.healthline.com