Did You Know…that one of the dangers of diet sodas (and other diet foods) have been clinically proven to cause weight gain?
Diet sodas may be calorie-free, but they aren’t without health consequences—including fattening you up. A 10-year study by the University of Texas (UT), San Antonio found that the dangers of diet sodas can actually cause you to gain weight, especially in the stomach area. 
According to Professor of Medicine, Helen Hazuda, of the University’s Health Science Center, artificially sweetened diet sodas may also increase a craving for sweets, distort appetite, and even damage brain cells.
Waistlines Expanded 70% – 500%!
The UT study involved nearly 500 men and women, and the negative effects of diet soda were observed even among those who consumed very small amounts. The waistlines of those who consumed diet drinks expanded 70% faster than those who quenched their thirst with other beverages, including regular soda!
Even more alarming was that those who drank 2 or more cans of diet soda a day saw a whopping 500% greater increase in their girth (i.e., the measurement of a person’s stomach or waistline), Hazuda told the American Diabetes Association.
Along with greater girth, the dangers of diet sodas sets off diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. The study results were not altered by other factors including:
- Exercise
- Social class
- Education
- Smoking
How Diet Soda Triggers Weight Gain
Researchers theorize that diet-soda induced weight gain might stem from artificial sweeteners distorting appetite and making people crave extra-sweet foods. Additionally, artificial sweeteners may damage the brain cells involved in helping us feel full.
Obesity researcher Sharon Fowler, coauthor of the UT study, explained in an interview with the Daily Mail, “Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don’t deliver something that will squelch the appetite.”
Dr. Hazuda recommends that people stop consuming diet sodas altogether, as she herself has done, saying, “They may be free of calories, but not of consequences. I think prudence would dictate drinking water.”
Humans Aren’t Meant to Ingest “Nasty Chemicals”
Mike Geary, certified nutrition specialist, calls artificial sweeteners “nasty chemicals that the human body is simply not meant to ingest.” Geary points out that in addition to the serious problems acknowledged by the UT studies, artificial sweeteners have also been linked to:
- Negative effects on the liver, kidneys, and other organs
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Developmental problems in children and fetuses
- Headaches
“I don’t know about you,” says Geary, “but I’d rather protect myself and my family and steer clear of these possibly dangerous artificial chemicals.”
The Single Most Important Change for Better Health
Dr. Joseph Mercola is a highly respected integrative physician who concurs that it’s extremely important to avoid diet sodas. He says that the No. 1 action a person who is new to natural medicine can take to dramatically improve overall health is…to immediately stop drinking soda and diet soda, and choose pure, healthful water instead.
