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Are Diet Sodas Really Healthier Than Regular Sweetened Sodas?

BY Lanny Schaffer, Ph.D

While a diet soda doesn't contain sugar that's about the only health advantage it has over regular sodas. Diet sodas contain caffeine, acids that promote dental erosion and artificial sweeteners which have raised some serious health questions on their own.

Most surprising is that diet soda may not even assist with weight loss. Several recent studies have linked a higher chance of weight gain to diet soda drinking. Scientists feel the artificial sweeteners interfere with the ability to regulate calorie intake, thus making diet drinkers more likley to overeat.

Diet sodas also do not promote healthy bones. This usually is a result of drinking a soda instead of a high calcium dairy product thus reducing the overall calcium needed to build strong bones.

Clearly, it's a myth that diet sodas are healthy to drink just because they don't have sugar. Here's a few suggestions if you're a diet soda drinker:

* Reduce the amount of diet soda you drink and substitute more healthy drinks.

* Even better, switch to nature's healthiest drink of all: water.

Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more nutrition and fitness ideas go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com

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