Diet and Nutrition

Diet soda drinks

05/07/2007 10:19AM

Question:

What happens to a perswon who drinks many diet soda drinks per day?

Answer:

This is an excellent question as many people have turned to diet soda in their efforts to lose weight and maintain weight loss.

While diet soda is typically calorie free, it can contain up to 100 mg of caffeine (the same as a 6 oz cup of coffee). Drink 4-5 per day and you may as well have a pot of coffee.

It is also a source of phosphorus, a mineral found in bone. While phosphorus is necessary for bone development, too much in the diet can upset the balance of calcium in the body, and lead to bone loss. Researchers have found that women that drink even just one caffeine-containing soft drink per day (regular or diet), experience more bone loss in their hips than women that don't consume any.

Another disadvantage of drinking "too many diet soft drinks" is that it often replaces more nutrient-dense beverages such as milk or fruit juice. This is especially troubling for teens and young women- as they need adequate calcium in their diets for normal bone growth to prevent osteoporosis later in life. Calcium is not just needed for bones. It also helps to maintain blood pressure and has been found to prevent colon cancer and possibly aid in weight reduction.

Finally- soda (of any kind) can be dehydrating to the body and should not be seen as a replacement for water. It also contains artificial colors, sweeteners and other additives- compounds that hold no nutritional value.

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Response by:

Lisa Cicciarello Andrews, MEd, RD, LD
Adjunct Faculty
College of Nursing
University of Cincinnati