Diet Soda Does Not Cause Diabetes
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Recent reports on diet soda’s link with diabetes demonstrates how the media and blog community can further our ignorance of health and nutrition.
The reports stem from a recent study published in the journal of the American Heart Association. The study shows that consumption of soda - both diet and regular - is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Associate does not imply cause and effect. Soda consumption is linked with heart disease in the same way that wheatgrass consumption is linked with longevity. Wheatgrass doesn’t necessarily make you live longer, but the people who drink wheatgrass shots are more likely to make other healthy choices that would lead to a longer life.
The Washington Post gives a well-rounded explanation of the study and its drawbacks, and noted by the study’s senior researcher, Dr. Vasan Ramachandran:
People who drank one or more diet sodas each day developed the same risks for heart disease as those who downed sugary regular soda, a large but inconclusive study found. The results surprised the researchers who expected to see a difference between regular and diet soda drinkers.It could be, they suggest, that even no-calorie sweet drinks increase the craving for more sweets, and that people who indulge in sodas probably have less healthy diets overall.
The study’s senior author, Dr. Vasan Ramachandran, emphasized the findings don’t show diet sodas are a cause of increased heart disease risks. But he said they show a surprising link that must be studied.
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