Diet carbonated drinks are increasingly being marketed as a zero-calorie, no-sugar alternative to regular carbonated drinks. The trend of consumption is especially higher in the youth, who are starting to become more conscious of their health. However, city doctors have strongly refuted the claim of diet carbonated drinks being healthy at all, much less a healthier alternative to regular carbonated drinks. According to Dr Sudhir Gupta, a liver specialist, diet carbonated drinks are even worse than their sugary counterparts. They contain concentrated artificial sweeteners like aspartame and other chemicals, which lead to myriad of health issues -- right from insulin resistance and weight gain to chronic heart and liver conditions.

 

“Diet carbonated drinks contain artificial sweeteners, which actually increases one’s sugar cravings, making them want to consume more carbohydrates and sugar.” “If someone is having a regular carbonated drink with sugar, they will have a subconscious understanding that it is bad for their health and limit themselves to one glass. But that is not the case with diet drinks. Because of the marketing gimmick, people assume zero calories and no sugar equals to healthy drinks, and consume multiple cans. Frequent consumption over time disrupts your gut microbiome, and leads to metabolic disorders, even Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), a chronic condition caused by obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol where excess fat is built up in the liver.” Dr Gupta also said that consumption in children can lead to enamel of teeth getting eroded, and brain and mood elevation because of the presence of caffeine.

 

Dr Sameer Choube, a kidney specialist, also echoes Dr Gupta’s sentiments. He said that these diet carbonated drinks are not healthy at all, and this has been proven beyond doubt by science. They have adverse effects on the heart, brain, and gut lining, all of which are interconnected and impact various organs, and even bone health. “Parents should be mindful of what their children are consuming. It is extremely important in this day and age, where the quality of packaged food is extremely poor. More importantly, there should be laws that require all this information to be put in big, bold letters on the package, rather than in the fine print. It is also prudent that people make it a habit to read and understand labels and ingredients to see what they are consuming,” he cautioned.