Can Diet Soda Make You Gain Weight?

Currently diet soda is replacing many sugary soft drinks and other beverages. Many of us choose lower calorie drinks because we are concerned about gaining weight.

However, can diet soda have the opposite effect than you expect and make you gain weight correctly? In any case, you should not use soda to replace water to hydrate and allow for the proper functioning of your body.

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The risks of consuming diet soda

Sugar-free soft drinks are soft drinks that contain no sugar and instead contain alkaline sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin or cyclamate. Although sugar-free soft drinks contain little to no calories, there may be a link between sweetener intake and the body’s response to sugar.

Some strains may promote insulin secretion in the same way as sugary soft drinks. This lowers the blood sugar level, causing a feeling of hunger.

Sweeteners may also affect the intestinal flora and modify the bacteria in the body. As a result, there can be an imbalance in the body in people who are sensitive to it.

Diet soda and weight

Researchers are increasingly studying the relationship between diet soda and weight. The studies are trying to find out whether sugar-free soft drinks can cause weight gain because it is a subject of so much controversy.

One of the latest published studies is ‘Sugar and artificially sweetened drinks associated with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis’. This shows a certain link between soft drink consumption and obesity. Read the aforementioned study in English here.

However, it is important to clarify that this study does not distinguish between sugary soft drinks and diet soft drinks. The results show that consumption of soft drinks, regardless of their sugar content, is higher in obese people.

Other studies suggest that sugar-free drinks, in addition to increasing the risk of obesity, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there is no clear evidence that or why this happens.

On the other hand, there are studies, such as this one by Plos One, that seem to show a link between the consumption of diet soda and a higher amount of belly fat. According to this study, diet soda may not be effective as a weight control measure. Read the scientific English article here.

Why might diet soda make you gain weight?

The compensation effect

Sugar-free drinks cannot cause weight gain by themselves, but they are related to certain lifestyle habits. You probably think you can replace the calories you save with diet soda by consuming more calories.

For example, drinking diet soda is not a reliable way to offset eating a hamburger and fries to  control your weight.

They can increase hunger

Again, these soft drinks can cause hunger pangs in those who consume them. In some cases, drinking diet soda may be associated with an insulin spike such as taking sucralose.

This means that your body reacts to sugar-free soft drinks in the same way as it does to regular soft drinks. The only difference is that the sugar doesn’t actually enter the body. In that case you will have to deal with a drop in the glucose level.

Sweetness Causes Addiction

Eating very sweet foods, whether or not they contain calories, has been shown to often activate brain regions related to pleasure and reward, leading to an addiction to very intense tastes and sensations.

The effects of sweet foods on the brain produce the same sensation as taking a drug, so you tend to want to eat more and more sugar and/or diet products.

Conclusion

If you want to lose weight, it seems logical to replace sugary soft drinks with sugar-free soft drinks. So far, they have been shown to be safe in moderate amounts and contain little to no calories.

However, science shows that drinking diet soda regularly sometimes doesn’t help with weight control, as it can cause you to eat more and gain more belly fat.

Weight gain is quite complex and you can’t blame any group of foods, products, or even sugar. That said , water should be the most important drink, both during and between meals.

But what if you want a soft drink? What do you choose, diet soda or regular soda? You can occasionally opt for diet soda, as no negative effects are found when consumed in small amounts.