Diet Sodas Increase Risk of Diabetes

Yet again a new large scale study has demonstrated the connection between diet sodas and developing Type 2 Diabetes. This time French researchers found that by drinking just ONE 12 ounce can of artificially sweetened drink PER WEEK will increase the risk of developing Diabetes by 33%.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and covered 66,118 middle aged adults whose dietary habits and health were tracked from 1993 to 2007.

The results went even further and extrapolated that those participants who drank diet soft drinks had a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than those who drank regular, sugar filled sodas. Those who drank 100% natural squeezed fruit juices instead had NO additional risk.

Researchers tried to explain the connection by stating that aspartame, one of the main artificial sweeteners used today, causes “an increase in glycaemia and consequently a rise in the insulin level in comparison to that produced by sucrose (fruit sugar)”.

The translation: drinking artificially sweetened drinks makes you crave and desire other sweet things and that despite the claims that aspartame is a benign sweetener, the data shows the body does indeed react the same way to it as it would to plain old sugar.

This is data we’ve known for years. I wonder if the Nutritional Councils will ever get it right for our kids?

Bottom line, eat and drink more natural foods. Simple enough to me.

Reference:
Early report of Journal of Clinical Nutrition at www.yahoo.com