A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that people who drank diet soda gained almost triple the abdominal fat over nine years as those who didn’t drink diet soda. It even took factors like diabetes, smoking and levels of physical activity.
Sugar-free sodas contain substances that sweeten up soda at 200-600 times the sweetness of sugar. The theory is that “Artificial sweeteners, however, confuse our bodies and weaken the link in our brains between sweetness and calories. Hazuda says, it can lead to weight gain and cravings for sweeter and sweeter treats.”
Another study showed that artificial sweeteners changed the gut bacteria of mice in ways that made them vulnerable to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance — both of which can lead to weight gain. And other mice research suggests that artificial sweeteners are associated with a drop in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin, Hazuda says. Leptin is the hormone that inhibits hunger. These study further supports another study that shows that diet soda consumption can cause diabetes.
Diet soda can triple abdominal fat
Drinking Diet Soda can lead to the development of diabetes
Diet sodas can change gut bacteria
Diet Sodas can cause weight gain.