Several weeks ago the media was buzzing about a study
reported in General Dentistry that said
drinking diet soda pop had the same effect on your mouth as using methamphetamine
or cocaine. To illustrate this point a really gross photo compared the mouth of
a meth user and the mouth of a 2-liter a day, diet soda pop drinker. But, it turns out that the study was a
bit exaggerated and the diet soda pop drinker was a woman who hadn’t seen a
dentist in over 20 years. Read
further into the study and you find out that the sample group was only 3 people
who admittedly did not practice good oral care. It is true that drinking large quantities of diet soda pop
can rot your teeth but there is a limited risk of developing “meth mouth” if
you brush and floss your teeth regularly.
However, there are lots of other reasons why you should stop drinking
diet soda pop:
- Women who drink diet soda pop are at increased risk of developing depression.
- The long-term effect of consuming large quantities of artificial sweetener is not known but research suggests that artificial sweetener has an adverse effect on kidney function.
- When you consume sweet liquids you crave sweets.
- Carbonation causes belly bloat.
- Many diet soda pop drinks contain caffeine. Caffeine is addictive and has been linked to insomnia, anxiety and fatigue.
- Acidic chemicals in diet soda pop are believed to cause inflammation and corrosion of body tissue. Translation . . . Consuming diet soda pop makes your skin look older.
- Diet soda pop drinkers are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a combination of metabolic disorders including obesity, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and hormone resistance that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
- The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), used to coat the inside of soda pop cans and to produce polycarbonate plastic bottles, has been linked to all kinds of health issues including reproductive problems.
Drinking diet pop every now and then is not going
to kill you, rot your teeth or make you obese. Just make sure you limit your consumption and stop being
that gal who is never without her Diet Coke. Most likely you will feel better and look better.
Make time to be good to you and stop making your
bed! When you leave the bed unmade
dust mites are deprived of the humidity they need to survive.
Good Health!
Terry
“Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one
day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the president's
spouse. I wish him well!”
~Barbara Bush, Wellesley College
Commencement Address June, 1990
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