The vice of soft drinks is as strong as the vice of cigarettes. And while you can’t give it up, find out which is better, your regular or diet soda…

Is diet soda really better than regular?

There are vices to vices and a drink on the rocks, a sunny day and on the beach, uff! there is nothing more refreshing. A rich flavored drink, bubbly and sugary enough to bring you back to life.

However, there is that slight conflict every time you order it because you are not sure that the regular (yes the normal) is your healthiest option, you know because of the sugar and obesity or diabetes or, the diet that is the light, which in theory is reduced in this ingredient or has a substitute to give it flavor and as you can imagine, that represents another small problem, because because it is an artificial sweetener, it is still a chemical and well, now with all the boom of the naturist, the ecological and the organic, because you will even be doubting if its consumption will not cause cancer.

Sugary drinks are a risk factor for multiple diseases

Vasanti S. Malik and Frank B.Hu of the University of Toronto in Canada for an article in Nature Reviews, on the role of sugar in beverages in the global epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases, write that these types of beverages are a very important risk factor for weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer and, believe it or not, these are the largest source of sugar in the diet of people.

That’s right, if you thought your fat came from your sugary donut that you eat three times a week, you’re delusional, because it’s more likely because of the cappuccino on the corner, the industrialized fruit juice, the sachet water, the sports drink or the soda that you jambs day by day. They mention that a typical 355 ml portion of soft drink has between 35 to 37.5 grams of sugar, which represents between 140 and 150 calories and that, at least in the American population, it is estimated that it is the daily consumption and corresponds to 6.5% of the total. of calories. This considering that the daily recommendation of sugar by the WHO should not exceed 10% as much as free or added sugar.

Which drink is more sugary drinks?
The same study narrates that a survey of the consumption of these drinks (which is a good idea to stop, since this has benefits for your health and body) by adults in 187 countries found that the highest consumption is made in the middle-aged population. income and in regions of Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, greater consumption is observed in men than in women in all regions and in middle-income countries, at least 54% of adolescents consume one of these drinks per day.

Which is better regular or diet soda?

Regular soda is sweetened with sucrose, which is practically the normal sugar you use at home, cane sugar. The diet soda or the zero version, normally has what they call artificial sweeteners, which are substances obtained from a chemical synthesis, which have a sweetening power and are added to drinks or food. The most used by the food industry are acesulfame, acesulfame K (with potassium), saccharin and aspartame. These have a taste similar to conventional sugar and are practically considered non-caloric.

What is known about sugary drinks such as soft drinks is that scientific evidence shows that their consumption increases the risk of mortality. A study shows that consuming one or more drinks of this type is associated with a 31% risk of death from cardiovascular disease, compared to drinking one or none per month; another study shows an 8% risk of death from a heart condition for consuming it once a day, which coincides with another (REGARDS) that found that the risk of mortality rises by 11% for consuming one a day. In our country, 6.9% of deaths in adults are attributed to the consumption of these beverages.

These studies were with sugary drinks. Now, interestingly, a crossover study published by Regis C. Pearson in Nutrition and Health of SAGE Journals, sought to make a comparison between the consumption of a control meal and regular drinks (with sugar), diet (with aspartame) and water on postprandial metabolism (ie the effects after eating and drinking) in 8 subjects. The answer to your question and this controversy is here.

The impact on fat oxidation, carbohydrates, blood sugar levels, insulin levels, triglyceride concentration and resting metabolism were investigated. In short, what was found was that consumption of diet soda increases fat oxidation (more than normal and surprisingly, even water) and reduces carbohydrate oxidation; Obviously, as expected, it does not stimulate insulin secretion, nor does it increase blood glucose levels (which happens in a similar way with water) and it could even impact metabolism positively, increasing it but without increasing caloric intake.

So hey, your healthiest beverage choice over either will always be water. And regarding the consumption of soft drinks, undoubtedly it is much better that you consume soft drinks or light drinks than those that are declared without regret or remorse to have 100% sugar.

What other drinks are healthier than regular or diet soda?
So if you don’t want to die early, considering that your palate isn’t that fond of water (but not skipping it) or soda, you might as well consider these other options:

• Tea or coffee
• Infusions or iced tea (natural)
• Kombucha
• Coconut water
• Natural vegetable juices or at least combined with the fruit (without removing the fiber)
• Mineral water