Ever heard of the phrase 'Too much of something isn't good for you'? Well, that sort of applies here too. Now that people have become a lot more health-conscious, they tend to opt for a better lifestyle which includes getting more physical activity and consuming the right diet. While one may think that the right diet includes proteins, veggies and fibres, what it also includes is excluding sugar.
Sugar is one of the most prominent ingredients when it comes to foods that can lead to health issues like obesity and diabetes. This is why many people have now started cutting it out of their diets. Or have they? Most people who love sugary foods and drinks like soda are more likely to opt for zero-calorie cola or sugar-free sodas to compensate for their sugar craving. They're also more likely to start opting for sugar-free foods and ingredients.
Here's where that turns into a problem. A new study has found that drinking all those calorie-free and sugar-free drinks isn't really doing you any good. The reason for this is that people subconsciously assume that they've made a healthy lifestyle change and tend to start binge eating and drinking sugar-free and calorie-free foods and drinks. But unfortunately, soda is soda and the more you drink it the more likely you are to gain weight.
In fact, researchers recently conducted a study on around 5000 US adults and found that drinking diet soda is linked to weight gain in the long run. These people might actually be setting a trap for themselves by switching to diet sodas and diet fizzy drinks. “Consumers of artificial sweeteners do not reduce their overall intake of sugar,” Professor Peter Clifton, lead author of the research, explains. “They use both sugar and low-calorie sweeteners and may psychologically feel they can indulge in their favourite foods.”
As we mentioned earlier, because of the mindset that they're drinking 'diet' soda, these people might binge drink and this might lead to obesity later on. And as if that wasn't enough, the study also found that these artificially sweet products might even affect gut bacteria and interfere in the digestive process. “Artificial sweeteners can also change the gut bacteria which may lead to weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes,” Clifton says.
Well, this certainly proves that too much of something (even when considered healthy) can truly be bad for you. Stay tuned for more updates.
