Is diet soft drink bad for you?

Are zero-sugar drinks healthy?

A media headline caught my attention this week.

There are reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) are preparing to declare the artificial sweetener aspartame as a group 2b carcinogen (“possibly carcinogenic to humans”).

Those of you who have been following me for a while will know that I am not a fan of diet or zero-sugar soft drinks, especially for children, as they are generally loaded with harmful artificial sweeteners and additives.

The big soft drink companies have gone to great lengths to convince consumers that zero-sugar drinks are a healthier option and I now see many children and teenagers drinking diet soft drinks on a regular basis. McDonald’s even jumped on the diet soft drink trend late last year by removing regular Sprite from its menu.

Don’t get me wrong, I agree that regular soft drinks contain too much sugar but replacing them with a harmful chemical cocktail doesn’t seem like a great alternative.

Aspartame (951) is not just found in soft drink. It is also used in products like chewing gum, diet ice creams, ice blocks and other diet or low-sugar foods.

The fact that aspartame is being considered a possible carcinogen doesn’t really surprise me. Aspartame has already been associated with the following adverse effects:

• asthma

• depression

• dizziness

• weight gain

• headache and migraine

• insomnia

• memory loss

• mood changes

• aggressive behaviour

• hyperactivity

• learning difficulties

• skin ailments (eczema, dermatitis, itching, hives)

(Chemical Maze App, 2018)

For these reasons, I believe it is especially important for children with behaviour problems, learning difficulties, mental health issues, asthma and skin issues to avoid aspartame (and other artificial sweeteners for that matter).

At this stage it is unclear how much aspartame needs to be consumed to have a carcinogenic effect but I recommend avoiding it where possible, especially as there are more natural (and much safer) alternatives available.

Diet soft drinks are not a healthy option

Instead of commercial zero-sugar options, why not try sugar-free soft drinks made with natural sweeteners like Sodaly (made by Remedy) or Nexba? Or plain mineral water mixed with a bit of fruit juice?

Better still, choose to drink water and keep the soft drink for occasional treats!

If you’re interested in finding out more about diet soft drinks, check out this blog.