The document discusses the health effects of diet soda. It notes rising obesity rates and the creation of "healthier" foods like diet sodas. However, scientific research links diet soda to health risks like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. While diet sodas are low in calories, some studies suggest they may disrupt gut health and microbiomes. The document concludes that experts recommend limiting diet soda consumption and drinking more water instead.

1. DIET SODA, IS IT
GOOD FOR YOU?
BY : N AVA R AT V I V U TA N AY U C U N

2. WHAT’S THE FUSS?
• Obesity rate rises steadily
– Poor diet
– Sedentary jobs
– Lack of physical activity
• Birth of “healthier” foods and beverages
– Diet sodas

3. PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS
• Obesity
– Heart disease
– Stroke
– Type 2 diabetes
– Premature death
– Common, serious, and costly

4. PHYSICIAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS
• Healthier diet
– Less meats
– Less fats
– Less sugar
– Less… almost everything
– MORE VEGETABLES!!

5. BIG COMPANIES’ TAKE ON DIET SODA
• Products created
– Sugar-free sodas
– Zero calorie sodas
– DIET sodas

6. DIET SODAS?! WOW, MUST BE
HEALTHY!
• Consumer point of view
– That must mean it’s healthy
– I can drink this instead of regular sodas
– I can drink it everyday
– I had a diet soda today so I can eat whatever bad foods I want.
That’ll balance it

7. NEWS ARTICLES’ HEADLINES ON DIET
SODAS
• “Sugary Drinks Tied to Shorter Life Span”
• “Death by Diet Soda”
• “Drinking two or more diet beverages a day linked to high risk
of stroke, heart attacks”
• “Diet drinks may seem like a good idea, but their effects may
surprise you”

8. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
• “Prodigious consumers of artificially sweetened drinks were 26%
more likely to die prematurely than those who rarely drank sugar-
free beverages” (Jacobs, 2019)
• “Women who consumed artificial sweetened beverages each day
were 31% more likely to have a clot-based stroke than women who
drank diet sodas less than once a week” (LaMotte, 2019)
• “Drinking one diet soda per day almost tripled a person’s risk of
stroke and Alzheimer’s disease” (Villines, 2019)

9. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (CONT.)
• “Sweeteners such as saccharin have been shown to change
the type and function of the gut microbiome” (Zhang, 2018)
• “Aspartame decreases the activity of a gut enzyme that is
normally protective against Type 2 diabetes” (Zhang, 2018)
• One or more glasses of sodas a day was associated with
deaths from digestive diseases and circulatory diseases
(Reiley, 2019)
• Diet soda consumers gains a lot of weight (Mayo Clinic, n.d.)

10. OPPOSING VIEW
• Christopher Gardner – Stanford Professor of medicine
– All bad health claims are not proven (Haspel, 2019)
– All plausible (Haspel, 2019)
– Supports Low-Calorie Sweeteners (LCS)
– Takes a large amount of sugar consumption to disrupt gut
microbiome (Haspel, 2019)
• Little evidence to prove LCS is harmful to our stomach (Haspel,
2019)

11. AHHH!! WHAT DO I DO?
• LIMIT CONSUMPTION OF DIET SODAS!
• DRINK MORE WATER!!
– Carbonated
– Flavored

12. WHAT DO RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
THINK ABOUT DIET SODAS?
• The optimal intake of sugar drinks is zero (Bakalar, 2019)
– No health benefits
• According to Vasanti S. Malik, diet drinks are a reasonable
alternative, with the ultimate goal of switching to water
• Diet sodas tricks our brain (DiSalvo, 2017)

13. REFERENCES
• Bakalar, N. (2019). Sugary Drinks Tied to Shorter Life Span. Retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/well/eat/sugary-drinks-tied-to-shorter-life-span.html
• DiSalvo, D. (2017). Why Is Diet Soda So Bad for Your Brain? Retrieved from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/04/27/why-is-diet-soda-so-bad-for-your-
brain/#6007b89d5fad
• Haspel, T. (2019). The case for diet soda: It gets a bad rap, but the research tells a different story.
Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-case-for-diet-soda-it-gets-a-bad-
rap-but-the-research-tells-a-different-story/2019/06/21/70ad3f54-92da-11e9-b570-
6416efdc0803_story.html
• Jacobs, A. (2019). Death by Diet Soda? Retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/health/diet-soda-health-death.html
• LaMotte, S. (2019). Drinking two or more diet beverages a day linked to high risk of stroke, heart
attacks. Retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/14/health/diet-soda-women-stroke-heart-
attack/index.html

14. REFERENCES (CONT.)
• Mayo Clinic. (n.d). Why drinking diet soda isn’t the best way to manage weight. Retrieved
from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui1RdRVfPn0
• Reiley, L. (2019). It doesn’t matter if it’s sugary or diet: New study links all soda to an early
death. Retrieved from: https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2019/09/04/doesn-
matter-sugary-diet-new-study-links-all-soda-early-
death/AkxaPprz4kdQuiiJNxhyRO/story.html
• Villines, Z. (2019). Is diet soda bad for you? Know the health risks. Retrieved from:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325919.php
• Zhang, E. (2018). Diet drinks may seem like a good idea, but their effects may surprise you.
Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/diet-drinks-may-
seem-like-a-good-idea-but-their-effects-may-surprise-you/2018/06/01/85859710-5d06-
11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html