Things That Happen When You Finally Stop Drinking Diet Soda
Here’s why you wont miss it.
You’ve decided to give up diet sodagood idea! Maybe you weren’t hitting your weight-loss goals or couldn’t stomach that long list of ingredients anymore. Or perhaps you heard one too many times that it’s just not good for you.
Whatever the reason, eliminating diet soda from your diet will improve your health from head to toe. Research on diet soda is still in its infancy, but there’s enough out there to identify what you can look forward to when you put down the can and cool down with an unsweetened iced tea instead.
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Migraines Disappear and Focus SharpensIt turns out the headaches you expected from a diet-soda withdrawal didn’t materialize. And now that you’ve quit the stuff, you probably find yourself thinking clearly for the first time in a while. That’s because the chemicals that make up the artificial sweetener aspartame may have altered brain chemicals, nerve signals, and the brain’s reward system, which leads to headaches, anxiety, and insomnia, according to a review in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. And a 2013 animal study found that rats that drank diet soda had damaged cells and nerve endings in the cerebellumthe part of the brain responsible for motor skills.
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What Can I Drink To Reduce Bloating
Dont Overdo Carbonated Drinks. Instead, drink water flavored with lemon, lime, or cucumber. Or just reduce the number of fizzy drinks you consume each day. Try some peppermint tea for a soothing beverage that may help reduce bloat.
What naturally reduces bloating?
Here are additional suggestions to decrease bloating:
Does drinking water get rid of bloating?
While it may seem counterintuitive, drinking water may help to reduce bloat by ridding the body of excess sodium, Fullenweider says. Another tip: Be sure to drink plenty of water before your meal too. This step offers the same bloat-minimizing effect and can also prevent overeating, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Does It Make You Constipated Give You Ibs Or Cause Other Bowel Problems
The Rumor: Seltzer messes with your stomach, irritating your stomach lining or intestines with its carbonation â leading you to either not poop, poop constantly or develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome .
The Truth: This is yet another case of information getting twisted in the endless game of Telephone that is the internet. Some doctors advise people suffering from IBS to not consume carbonated beverages, as they increase gas and bloating, and can lead to stomach pain. However, seltzer will not give you IBS. It also wont erode your stomach lining and it wont constipate you â in fact, since our bodies process seltzer essentially the same way that they process regular water, seltzer should help you fight constipation the same way a glass of plain water would.
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Does Sparkling Water Make You Bloated
Bubbly water is a refreshing, healthy swap for soda. But is there such a thing as too much?
Whether you get fix via store-bought cans or a DIY SodaStream, theres no denying that sparkling water makes hydrating a little bit more fun. For the most part, thats great news: Most flavored seltzers are made without sweeteners and naturally contain zero calories, so theyre a great swap for soda when youre craving bubbles. But, do these bubbles cause inconvenient side effects like belching or bloating? We asked a gastroenterologist to explain why this might happen, and what you can do it avoid it.
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Diet Soda And Bloating
Some diet fizzy beverages use certain sweeteners that may cause or increase the risk of stomach bloating and digestive distress. For example, sugar alcohols, which are found in some diet sodas and other diet foods, cause digestive issues such as gas, bloating and even diarrhea in some people. The amount needed to cause gastrointestinal upset varies greatly from person to person. Some people can tolerate a moderate amount of sugar alcohols, while others experience gas or other side effects with small amounts. Sugar alcohols end in “-ol,” which includes sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol. If you see any of these listed in the ingredient list of your diet drink, it’s sweetened with sugar alcohols and may be causing the bloating you’re experiencing.
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After 2 Months I Replaced The Carbonated Flavored Water With Flavored Drink Mixes
Lastly, for the last week at least, Ive replaced the bubbles with drink packets and straight water. I have a bikini/bodybuilding show in 2 weeks, and I just need to bring my waist down as small as I can, and I dont think the carbonation is going to give me an edge.
So, now Im drinking True Lemon drink packets , and MiO drops . And its been working!
Is Carbonated Water Good For Digestion
In addition to seeking out drinks which taste good, a growing number of people are also considering the health benefits of their beverage choices. Whether theyre looking for a low-calorie alternative to sweetened drinks, or want a drink that provides additional nutrition as well as hydration, the days when a drink was selected on flavour alone are long gone. We decided to investigate the evidence out there to discover whether carbonated water has any health benefits, particularly as an aid to digestion. Detailed below are our findings, providing an intriguing insight into sparkling waters potential as a healthy choice.
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So Whats The Best Way To Beat The Bloat
If stomach bloating is an issue you deal with regularly, its time to put your detective hat on. Many of us continue to eat foods that we may have a low-level sensitivity to without even realizing it. While its not a big deal once and awhile, its not normal to always feel bloated.
Call your doctor. Make a plan to change your diet or see if you have an allergy to something. If you know you tend to eat a lot of high FODMAP foods, try making a small change on your own. You may find that youve been silently struggling with something that can be managed with a diet tweak or the right supplement.
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Can Sparkling Water Cause Bone Density Loss
Sparkling water has no negative effect on bone health. The only drinks that cause bone loss are dark colas, which have phosphoric acid that leads to losing calcium in your bones. Sparkling mineral water has calcium in it, which can improve bone health. And the carbonated mineral waters with magnesium and calcium may have bone-boosting benefits.
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Your Tooth Enamel May Be Damaged
You know that the sugars in soda and other sugary beverages can give you cavities, so you may think switching to diet beverages is the answer. Well, sugar-free drinks may cause the same amount of dental erosion as their sugary sisters, according to a study in Operative Dentistry. Researchers found that diet sodas contain phosphoric acid, the same acid found in sugary soda that can weaken tooth enamel and cause decay over time. The pH of saliva ranges from 5.5 to 6.5. The acids in diet sodas can drop saliva pH to below 5.5, the threshold at which more rapid demineralization of enamel occurs, say researchers. Sipping soda through a straw and rinsing your mouth with water will help protect teeth. So will brushing, but wait an hour after drinking sugary or diet sodas to allow your saliva to return to neutral pH before brushing, dentists say.
Can Cows Bloat On Alfalfa Hay
Grazing fresh young alfalfa can induce bloat in cattle. Bloat can sometimes be fatal to cattle. Bloat in cattle is a seasonal problem for producers which can be caused by grazing forage such as certain legumes and to a lesser extent by the fresh growth of winter annual cereals and leafy forages such as turnips.
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How To Beat The Bloat
Many foods that cause bloating also contain essential nutrients. So you dont want to cut them all out, especially without consulting your doctor. As always, consult your doctor if you plan to make any major changes to your diet or lifestyle. Once youve done that, here are a few ideas to help you beat the bloat.
Pay Attention To Food Allergies
Bloating can be a sign of a food sensitivity. If a certain food, drink, or ingredient in your diet is consistently causing your stomach to bloat, it may be time to cut it out.
- Get tested for a food intolerance
- Try an elimination diet, under the guidance of your doctor
- Ask your healthcare provider for other strategies
Try A Low-Fodmap Diet
Since high FODMAP foods are responsible for a lot of bloating and digestive issues, you may want to seek out grains, fruits, and vegetables that align with a low-fodmap diet. See a nutritionist, or ask your doctor for an approved list of foods. Here are a few examples of approved foods:
Fruits:
Sip On Peppermint Tea
In traditional medicine, peppermint has long been used to help soothe digestive issues.33,34Additionally, peppermint oil may help ease bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.35
To try it for yourself, brew a cup of tea with peppermint leaves or buy bagged peppermint tea.36
Snack on Potassium-Rich Foods
Potassium-rich foods, like bananas, can help naturally lower sodium levels that could be causing you to bloat.37
How Long Do Fodmaps Take To Trigger Ibs Symptoms
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So youve just had breakfast and 30 minutes later youre in the bathroom. You havent eaten anything since dinner last night, so it must have been breakfast, right?
Actually, you may be surprised, in the case of FODMAPs it is more likely to be what you ate for lunch or dinner yesterday that has sent you running to the bathroom.
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The Sweet Tooth Hypothesis
Katz agrees that the research linking diet sodas to weight gain is scant and inconclusive. But he’s still concerned that artificial sweeteners condition people to want to eat more sweet foods.
âWe refer to a âsweet tooth,â not a âsugar tooth,â â Katz says. âI think that is absolutely right. Our taste buds donât really differentiate between sweet in sugar and sweet from, say, aspartame. The evidence that this sweet taste is addictive is pretty clear.â
His theoretical concerns are bolstered by 20 years of real-world experience with his patients.
âWhat I have seen in my patients is that those who drink diet soda are more vulnerable to stealth sugars,â Katz says.
Katz says stealth sugars are those added to processed foods that donât taste sweet, such as crackers, breads, and pasta sauce. They usually come in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.
Although some commercial pasta sauces contain no added sugars, others contain more than ice cream toppings, Katz says.
âThe question is, who prefers marinara sauce with all that high-fructose corn syrup?â Katz says. âThe answer is, a person with a sweet tooth.â
In their research review, Popkin and Mattes concede that use of no-calorie sweeteners probably does promote a preference for sweeter-tasting foods. But they conclude that it’s not clear whether that affects weight gain — and they say calorie-free sweeteners could help people control their weight, if used instead of higher-calorie sweeteners.
Diet Soda Drinkers Who Diet Lose Weight
Popkin cites research, including his own, showing that people who drink artificially sweetened sodas as part of a calorie-restricted diet lose weight. So does Maureen Storey, PhD, who is senior vice president of science policy for the American Beverage Association.
âThe current body of available science shows that low-calorie sweeteners — such as those used in diet soft drinks — can help reduce calories and aid in maintaining a healthy weight,â Storey tells WebMD.
She points out that the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association support the use of no-calorie sweeteners to restrict calories and sugar intake.
âDrinking diet beverages alone, however, is not enough to counter overeating — the only way to maintain a healthy weight is by balancing calories consumed with calories burned.â
Nutrition researcher David L. Katz, MD, who directs the Yale Prevention Research Center, says the research as a whole suggests sugar substitutes and other non-nutritive food substitutes have little impact on weight one way or the other.
âFor every study that shows there could be a benefit or harm, thereâs another that shows no ‘there’ there,â Katz tells WebMD.
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Can Sparkling Water Help You Lose Weight
Yes. For people watching their weight, hydration is key. Sparkling water provides true hydration, and its a much better option than drinking regular soda or even diet soda, which doesnt provide adequate hydration. If a persons not hydrated, they may always feel hungry because the body cant tell the difference between hunger and thirst. But people who are watching their weight should be careful which type of carbonated water they drink. Tonic water, for example, has about 15 grams of sugar in a serving thats about a third as much as a regular soda. So drinking a lot of tonic water is not the best option. Instead, drink club soda or sparkling water with no added sugar.
Youre Not Eating Enough
Nearly every client who comes to my practice complaining of GI symptoms and thinking they need an elimination diet is eating too few calories to support an active lifestyle and not allowing themselves to eat certain foods and food groups, says Jones.
It doesnt take long for them to notice improvements in GI symptoms by increasing portion sizes and the variety of foods they eat. Speak to your dietitian or slowly increase portion sizes to see if it helpsyou dont want to overdo it and eat too much, of course.
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Bloating And Weight Gain With Diet Cola
If youve switched to drinking diet cola rather than regular cola to maintain or lose weight, you may want to rethink this option. True, diet cola has fewer calories and less sugar, which should theoretically help you lose weight, but the ingredients in diet cola may have the opposite effect. Sucralose and aspartame, the artificial sweeteners found in some diet colas, play tricks on your body and brain, causing you to overeat and choose less healthy foods. The sweeteners coupled with carbonation may also cause gas and bloating. It won’t be easy to kick the habit, but consider replacing diet cola with unsweetened beverages, such as tea and water, to protect your health and your waistline.
What Happens If You Drink Coca Cola Everyday
According to one of the largest, the landmark U.S. Framingham Heart Study, drinking just one can of soda daily has been linked to obesity, increased waist size, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart attack, stroke, poorer memory, smaller brain volume, and dementia.
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Carbonated Water And Joint Pain
Arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States, according to the Arthritis Foundation. When you suffer from debilitating joint pain, you may be looking for any remedy to provide relief. But there doesnt seem to be any evidence linking carbonated water and joint pain.
You may have heard that carbonated beverages affect your ability to absorb calcium, which may be why youre thinking there may be a connection between carbonated water and joint pain but even that rumor isnt true, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
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‘big Mac And Diet Coke’ Mentality
It may also be that people with very poor diets disproportionately drink diet sodas.
Popkin calls this the âBig Mac and Diet Cokeâ mentality.
âEspecially in America, we have a lot of people who eat high-fat, high-sugar diets, but also drink diet sodas,â he says.
Sharon Fowler, MPH, who led the San Antonio study, acknowledges this, but she also thinks something else is going on.
“I am not convinced these sweeteners are as safe as they should be, given their widespread use,â says Fowler, a faculty associate in the division of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. âI am concerned that we are in the middle of a giant experiment and we donât know the outcome.â
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Your Body Cannot Break Down Artificial Sweeteners
The body is not good at breaking down the sweeteners that are found in diet sodas and it can cause your stomach to bloat as the intestines struggle to handle the artificial ingredients.
Diet sodas are actually not very effective for helping you lose weight, so if this is why you drink them, you are better off switching to an herbal tea such as green tea that is made out of all-natural ingredients that the body can handle instead of diet soda which has been found time and time again to make people more hungry and bloated when they drink it.