Dangit! Now Diet Soda is Bad for You, Too?!?

by Liberty on February 7th, 2008

Okay, okay. It’s taking me a while, but I’m starting to get the hint that soda, in all its glorious forms, is bad for you. Are you getting that idea, too?

First there was the upheaval over caffeine. Then came the whole dark soda attack. Now, my beloved diet soda is under fire, but this time, we are faced with perhaps the most compelling reason to quit the stuff that I’ve seen yet.

The thing is, some darned scientists decided study the dietary habits and overall health of more than 9,500 men and women ages 45 to 64 over a period of nine years. Sure, they found that the usual suspects of fried foods, refined grains and red meat contributed to an 18 percent increase in the risk for metabolic syndrome (the collection of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, such as abdominal obesity, high cholesterol/blood glucose levels, and high blood pressure.)

What they didn’t expect to find (and why I firmly believe that sometimes ignorance really is bliss) is that we saps who drink a measly one can of diet soda per day were faced with a 34 percent higher risk for metabolic syndrome than those who abstain from the fizzy delight altogether. One measly can! You know what that means, right? That whole “everything in moderation” theory just had a gaping hole blown right through it! Hmph.

Unfortunately, no conclusions have been drawn about the “why’s” of this devastating statistic. More studies must be done to show whether the cause is a chemical found in the diet soda or whether it’s more about the habits of the person drinking the diet soda.

All I know is that now I’m off to the What Happens to Your Body if Drink a Coke Right Now post for a little support. Or, wait! We can start our own right here! Any diet soda drinkers care to detox with me? Maybe if we do this together, it won’t seem as hard…