Have you been drinking too much diet sodas these days? Chances are that it won’t end up well! Most diet sodas are free of carbohydrates, sugars, and calories, and are truly healthier and refreshing substitutes of sugary soft drinks. Despite all these, sodas aren’t free from causing a plethora of issues among women. Especially if you choose to have multiple servings of them through the day, there can be potent issues – both short-term and long-term. If you wish to know more, take a look at the common side effects that diet soda can bring about, if you don’t control your intake timely.

Takes A Toll On Tooth Enamel

Diet soda isn’t exactly like regular soda, so the sugar content is somewhat limited. But it’s extremely acidic and it can take a serious toll on the tooth enamel if you drink regularly. A test-tube study also revealed that both diet and regular soda can produce serious detrimental effects on the roughness and coating of the enamel and that can eventually lead to tooth erosion. Remember that damage to the enamel owing to acidity isn’t the same as problems because of cavities, after heavy sugar intake. Diet soda thankfully doesn’t cause dental cavities among children.

Gut Health Is Affected

Research also indicates the artificial sweeteners present in diet soda can negatively impact the gut microbiome, which constitutes the beneficial bacteria in our digestive system. Not many might be aware that the gut microbiome can help enhance our health in several ways – like nutrient absorption, immune function, heart health, and so on. A study conducted on seven people showed that saccharin, an artificial sweetener in diet soda, caused severe imbalances in gut bacteria and also impaired overall blood sugar management. Basically, there’s a non-nutritive sweetener in diet soda called aspartame that is often broken down in the body before it reaches the large intestine, where the gut microbiome is present.

Headaches Are Common

Continuous consumption of diet soda every day can result in headaches. Blame it on the aspartame, but links have been found among artificial sweeteners that result in terrible pains in the head. Besides, it is also found to produce numerous side effects if you consume a diet soda in high amounts. Apart from migraines, there can be irritability, nausea, giddiness, and more. Studies have also shown that caffeine is present in few sodas that could be a prime underlying factor for headaches to occur.

May Lead To Cardiovascular Complications

Observational studies have shown that diet soda drinkers on a regular level can develop heart ailments in the long run. But other findings, however, did not confirm the same. A study conducted on several thousands of women has shown that even when two drinks were consumed daily, chances of developing heart problems and even dying from coronary diseases are likely to be more. Not to forget that both regular and diet soda can be linked to an increased risk of stroke. Diet soda can also lead to a very high metabolic syndrome that boosts the perils of strokes, heart diseases, and even type-2 diabetes. Remember that the studies merely establish the association between heart problems and drinking diet soda. More research is still required to see if allied factors also play a vital role.

Bone Density May Decrease

The presence of several compounds in diet soda can produce toxic effects on bone health and even lead to bone loss! Mostly, the presence of phosphoric acid and caffeine can cause noticeable changes in bones over time. There was an interesting study conducted on women who drank both diet and regular sodas. Later on, the decrease in bone mineral density caused the risk of osteoporosis and serious fractures. The results are there for all to see – in one such study where almost 17000 adults were taken as subjects, they consumed strict drinks and that resulted in impaired bone fractures.

There’s no doubt that the consumption of artificial sweeteners has been witnessing a steady rise over time. For people who have developed type-2 diabetes, the outcomes can be deadly too. Again in another study, strangely, people who consumed more diet sodas were found to have insulin resistance! Since these facts haven’t been established, from the standpoint of one’s health – reduce consumption of diet sodas.