Wednesday 25 August 2010

Time for a diet coke break!

... actually I should rephrase that to 'Time to take a break from diet coke'!

Whilst the occasional (and by that I mean once a week not once a day) fizzy drink is unlikely to do you much harm, if you have gotten into a regular habit it may be worth taking a break, and here's why:

Firstly 'diet coke' is a bit of a misnomer, as per my 'Just to good to be true' blog last week artificial sweeteners actually make you eat more calories than you would normally, so unless you're avidly calorie counting rather than following your appetite (an approach I'm not a fan of) then having a regular diet coke is likely to be thwarting any efforts to lose weight. So should you have a 'full fat' coke instead?

Well, sadly no as the high sugar content will also induce an insulin spike encouraging fat storage .. basically when it comes to losing weight you need to try and consume as little sugar and sweeteners as possible.

So diet coke is fine as long as you're not trying to lose weight?

Wrong again. Carbonated drinks contain phosphoric acid and so regular consumption can erode the stomach lining, which is needed to protect your stomach wall from acidic stomach juices and also is an important line of defence against bugs in your immune system.

The acidifying effect of phosphoric acid may also suppress production of hydrochloric (stomach) acid, needed for digestion. Without sufficient stomach acid food may remain undigested causing indigestion, gassiness or bloating. Phosphoric acid is excreted by the kidneys and so drinking lots of fizzy drinks also puts extra strain on your kidneys.

And there's more ... drinking acidic drinks also causes leaching of calcium from the bones to neutralise tissue and blood pH (calcium is alkaline), increasing the likelihood of both osteoporosis and kidney stones (as circulating calcium tends to be deposited in the kidneys).
 
Some research also suggests fizzy drinks may increase the incidence of oesophagus cancers by increasing acid reflux, certainly the incidence of oesophagus cancers has increased along with fizzy drink consumption in the UK, whilst in other countries where consumption hasn't increased at the same rate the incidence of oesophagus cancers has also not risen significantly.

And if you needed anymore reasons to kick you DC habit you should also avoid it for the caffeine content.
 
So what should you drink instead?
Well water should always be the number one choice but isn't always a popular choice when you're out for drinks.

Sparkling mineral water is a bit more exciting, especially mixed with some fruit juice, but is still slightly acidic due to the carbonation. The same applies for appletize, still better for you than a DC, and for a replacement mixer with alcohol go for fruit juice.

If diet coke is your afternoon pick me up switch it for a herbal tea or green or white tea (as in white-leaved, not black with milk) if you need the caffeine. And just like all unhealthy treats enjoy them occasionally .. just don't let them become a habit.
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