By: Nick Smith

               When people are in the mood for a bubbly carbonated beverage many satisfy this urge with a soft drink. On average one twelve ounce can of soda contains about eleven teaspoons of sugar. To put this into perspective, this is equivalent to twenty sugar cubes. This is already more than the daily recommended dose of sugar. Most people don’t just consume sugar through their sodas. They go on to consume more calories throughout the day by eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all of which contain substantial amounts of sugar.  

               Many people are now going to wonder, “Ok, so what’s a good alternative?” Some gravitate toward the diet beverages. The label attracts attention by saying it has zero calories, zero carbohydrates, and zero grams of sugar. People tend to use diet drinks as weight loss products, and they should not be used in this fashion. The research shows that diet drinks can cause weight gain if abused. According to a study done by researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio, middle-aged adults who drink diet beverages drastically increase their risks of gaining weight later on.

               We cannot completely blame diet soda for this weight gain. However, it does contribute to the problem. The research done at the University of Texas in San Antonio shows that a person who drinks a diet soda daily may believe that it is acceptable to make up for those calories with another high calorie food. Researchers noticed that the tongue is only temporarily satisfied from the sweet taste of the diet soda, which in turn fools the brain into making them crave more calories for energy.  When people consume more calories than they burn, they gain weight.  

               The artificial sweetener used in diet drinks is called aspartame. While there is no proof that aspartame is lethal, many still clam that this chemical can cause health problems.  Eighty five percent of all the complaints to the FDA are about aspartame. Some complaints and possible side effects of aspartame listed by the FDA include abdominal pain, bloating, blood sugar control problems, brain cancer, which went up drastically when they first introduced aspartame in the 1980s for human consumption, confusion, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, hair loss, hives, hypertension, inability to concentrate, insomnia, irritability, muscle spasms, migraines, and rapid heart beat.

               The research done at the University of Texas San Antonio on artificial sweeteners and diet drinks shows us that people should not abuse them. Despite the superficial logic that consuming fewer calories will produce weight loss, the evidence is very clear that using artificial sweeteners will cause a paradoxical effect and actually cause weight gain. In fact, these continued studies show that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain in the body. We all know that sugar isn’t great for us, but it has become very clear that, when compared to artificial sweeteners, sugar is preferred because it is natural.

               “So what’s a good alternative?” There are many great alternatives out there, including all natural fruit juices, milk, healthy energy drinks, and, of course, water. If some still have a craving for carbonation, they can get their favorite fruit juice and mix it with club soda.  This will give you the same sensation as a soda but without artificial sweeteners or excessive calories.  Next time you put $1.00 into the Coke machine, perhaps you will consider a healthier alternative to soda.