Diet sodas are advertised as a better option to regular cola drinks, but the artificial sweeteners of the zero-calorie beverages may actually be hurting your metabolism.
In a new report published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers argue diet sodas can potentially cause worse long term health problems.
"In lots of ways, (artificial sweeteners) have been given the benefit of the doubt just because they don't have any calories," lead author Susan Swithers, of the department of psychological sciences and ingestive behavior research center at Purdue University, told Fox News.
According to Swithers, the link between the artificial sweetners and health problems has never been thoroughly examined.
"The typical response has been to dismiss this from the perspective of, 'It's only people who are unhealthy or heavy who drink diet soda in the first place,'" Swithers said.
The dangers associated with the sweeteners stem from the body's reaction to them. Normally sugar signals the body to intake both calories and the sugar. Hormones are released to prepare the intake, which in return keep one from getting big blood sugar spikes, according to Fox News.
When your baby tastes something sweet, but no "real sugar" is introduced to the blood system, it may confuse the body's response mechanism.
"What happens when you have a sweetener is you get that sweet taste - but calories and sugar don't show up," Swithers said. "Your body says, 'Wait, this isn't what I was expecting to happen,' and over time you may not produce those same anticipatory responses."
Dangerous reactions can occur when the body doesn't produce what it needs.
"Blunting those responses could cause people to overeat and experience consistently higher blood sugar levels, which could potentially lead to the onset of Type 2 diabetes, according to Swithers," Fox News reports.
The American Beverage Association responded to a similar report from NPR.org:
"Low-calorie sweeteners are some of the most studied and reviewed ingredients in the food supply today. They are safe and an effective tool in weight loss and weight management, according to decades of scientific research and regulatory agencies around the globe."
