How many times have you thought: "Oh yes, I’m not consuming sugar, I drink Diet Soda"…
Don't be too happy about that!
Many of us feel thrilled when we see our favorite soda drink calorie-free. I used to drink a lot of so-called "diet" sodas. And I always wondered, how come there is no sugar in this and I still enjoy the same taste? There is something quite odd, right?
Well, Ladies & Gents, the answer is Aspartame.
So what’s Aspartame, you may ask?
Aspartame is a broadly utilized, low-calorie, artificial sugar and one of the most well-known sugar substitutes in low-calorie food and beverages, including diet soft drinks, ice creams, gum, yogurt, candy, or even sauces. Aspartame is a sugar type that has 4 calories per gram, which is very similar to the composition of sugar while being 200 times sweeter. Hence, this makes a small quantity capable of providing a similar taste.
So now we figured out the taste consistency, let's check the health consequences that may be caused by aspartame. Here you go:
Our bodies process parts of aspartame by releasing methanol in large quantities, which could be very harmful to your body. First of all, it could increase your appetite, which would then lead to consuming more food and gaining excessive weight. Secondly, it could cause glucose intolerance, which predisposes some of us to type 2 Diabetes! Furthermore, Aspartame affects mood negatively and promotes Alzheimer's and cancer, sometimes headaches and dizziness, and many other dangerous diseases.
Therefore, my call to action to you will be to STOP DRINKING ANYTHING THAT HAS ASPARTAME!
You can become more health aware by reading labels of what you plan to ingest. And to prepare natural, and healthier, diet soda, put some ice in your glass, pour in some water, add some lime and lemon, and there you go! If you still insist on adding a sugary taste, you could also get some monk fruit extract. This is an Asian fruit, i.e. a natural product that is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is low in calories and can be considered an amazing superfood. Cheers!
Pierre, the Healthy Foodie
