Hey friends! Happy Tuesday! Is diet soda bad for you? We’re breaking it down today on The Grapefruit & Granola Podcast.

One of the reasons I wanted to record this episode is because I have become increasingly interested in diet soda intake as it relates to insulin resistance. I’ve found some of my clients drinking A LOT of regular soda because their physicians have said to them that diet soda is just as bad as regular soda- this statement has given them the impression that it’s just as bad for their blood sugars as regular soda, which I think is debatable when consumed in large quantities.

Before I get into today’s episode, I think this is a perfect opportunity to discuss how nutrition information is not one-size-fits-all. For a client with extremely high blood sugar and Type 2 diabetes, discussing limiting soda consumption may be appropriate. For a patient with an eating disorder, discussing eliminating soda, or any food/beverage, may be triggering. Please keep this in mind as you listen to today’s episode.

I can’t believe we are already at episode 10 of the podcast. It has been a lot of fun- and a lot of work- creating this show! One of my favorite parts has been being able to connect with other amazing dietitians like today’s guest, Andy De Santis. You may know him as “Andy the RD” on social media. Here are the show notes for today’s episode:

Is Diet Soda Bad for You? (Episode 10: Grapefruit & Granola Podcast)

What is diet soda?

In diet soda, the caloric part of the soda, which is typically high fructose corn syrup, is replaced with a small amount of artificial sweetener (such as aspartame or sucralose) that doesn’t have any calories

Is the artificial sweetener bad for us?

It obviously saves you the calories but we’re now starting to see studies about how it affects your health in the long-term
Most studies have been observational rather than cause-and-effect
Studies have found that people who drink diet soda regularly don’t have good health outcomes
- However, this may be for reasons other than their diet soda consumption such as diet, lack of exercise, or other lifestyle factors
Research doesn’t show a lower risk of disease for diet soda drinkers
We shouldn’t be consuming diet soda liberally with the notion that there won’t be any consequences

What about aspartame?

One of the most commonly studied substances in food science
It’s on the FDA’s list of foods that are generally recognized as safe
Would like to see studies about the effects if a person consumes a large amount over a large period of time

What are doctors saying?

Doctors are telling people that diet soda is as bad as regular soda
Unfortunately, patients are taking this to mean that they can drink regular soda instead, rather than cutting back on both
There is a large amount of research on added sugars and the negative impact they have on health

What does Andy say?

Reducing calories from soda can drastically reduce the number of calories and help with weight management
Nothing is definitive – there’s no hard evidence that supports one side or the other
For people who ask “should I be drinking regular or diet coke?”
- It depends – you should be having so little of either that it shouldn’t matter
- If a person struggles to manage their weight, maybe diet soda would be the better option
- If you’re having either a lot, maybe you should cut down!

Studies related to diet soda

Weight Management

Diabetes

The Brain

About Andy De Santis, RD, MPH (Andy the RD)

Andy is a private practice dietitian and nutrition blogger from Toronto, Ontario. He holds a Master’s degree in public health nutrition from the University of Toronto and is an avid advocate for effective nutrition communication as a means for improving people’s health. That’s exactly why you will find him doing so much blogging and instagramming!

Website: https://andytherd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AndyTheRD/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndyTheRD/