According to a recent report published by Imperial College London, diet drinks are not a healthy option.
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While they were once billed as the guilt-free alternative to your sugary drink fix, they could be doing as much harm to our waistlines, and even more damage to our health.
Here are 5 things you need to know before reaching for your favourite diet soda.
1. They could make you fat
Diet drinks could derail your diet! On average, the waist measurements of people who drink two or more diet soft drinks a day increase by five times as much as non-drinkers over the course of a decade.
Scientists believe that artificial sweeteners trigger hormonal changes which stimulate appetite and encourage the body to store fat.
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2. They could ruin your smile
Diet soft drinks can cause as much damage to tooth enamel as their sugary counterparts. It’s all down to their acid content. In fact, habitual diet soda drinkers suffer the same degree of erosion as methamphetamine users.
3. They could increase your cancer risk
Animal studies suggest that artificial sweeteners could increase the risk of developing certain kinds of cancers, including urinary and bladder cancers.
4. They could impede kidney function
In a group of nurses followed over twenty years, those who drank at least two diet sodas a day experienced a 30% reduction in kidney function compared with non-drinkers. Sugary versions were not associated with increased dysfunction.
5. They’re associated with an increased risk of depression
Over a ten year period, those who drink four cans of diet or regular soda per day are 30% more likely to be diagnosed with depression.
