Review states the lack of evidence to support sugar-free drinks as a healthier option

Diet sodas(with artificial sweeteners) may seem like a healthier choice. But there is something that this industry does not want us to know. According to a recent review it was concluded that artificially sweetened soft drinks neither helps people in gaining a healthy body weight nor can it be a substitute to natural food. The review was done on previously conducted research. A new research was not conducted as reported in few news portals. Artificial sweeteners sends our body into a fat storage mode and eventually leads to weight gain. Regular diet soda consumers experience that naturally sweetened food like fruits appear less sweeter to them. There is no evidence that Diet Sodas exactly help us in what the name suggests – Diet. In fact it is harmful to our body and can lead to health issues such as diabetes.

The review was done in institutions in US, UK and Brazil such as Imperial College London, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Sao Paulo. A narrative review was conducted to analyze whether diet sodas are truly a healthier option. A narrative review summarizes  the different researches done on Diet sodas and draws conclusions from them which is then converted into interpretations or conclusions based on the reviewers’ experiences and theories. Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) and observational studies were conducted by the researches  to draw evidences for the review.

The review was published in an open-access, peer-reviewed medical journal PLOS medicine. Anyone can avail it online. This was mainly done to raise public awareness of this chemical drink and the impacts it can have on the human body.  Artificial sweetener has strong links with global obesity and non-communicable diseases. The review also mentions impacts such as triggering insulin in the body, increased appetite and increased need for sweetened food. However, these statements do not have any evidence supporting them.

The researchers said that the lack of evidence to support  Artificial Sweetened Beverages as a healthier diet supplement is a reason enough for us to stop consuming it and avoid the impacts. The review mainly talks about global obesity and the negative impacts that artificial sweeteners have on the environment. A natural diet is always recommended and it should not be mixed with any ASBs (Artificial Sweetened Beverages).

Professor Naveed Sattar (Professor of metabolic Medicine) at the University of Glasgow said,”I do not agree with the suggestion that diet drinks are no better than sugary drinks in terms of body weight. Whilst I agree the evidence base in terms of proper trials comparing sugary drinks with diet drinks are lacking for real end-points like weight or heart disease, intuitively a drink which contains lots of calories  versus one that contains few or no calories must be worse for health given clear adverse effects on dental health and clear gain of calories and so weight gain potential. To suggest otherwise would be impossible”.