” I have a healthy lifestyle and I count my calories every day. I drink diet soda instead of high calorie food”. A lot of people feel that gulping down loads of diet soda is healthy. They think it’s harmless and helps in cutting down on calories. But actually, it’s a myth. Watch out! Diet soda is deceiving!

Not only adults but even youngsters find it alluring to hold a can of soda in their hand and think it helps pose a cool style statement ignoring the damage it can cause. What starts as a harmless imitation of others, gradually turns into an addiction that causes more harm than good. Most people are unaware about the harmful side effects of the diet soda which can turn their life upside down.

Here are 6 adverse and shocking side effects caused by the diet soda:

Fat deposit : Instead of weight loss it causes weight gain and a study conducted by a school of medicine at Texas, San Antonio stated clearly, that there is a 500% increase in the waist line if more than two servings of diet coke is consumed in a day. It even makes you feel more hungry. Moreover, it doesn’t give any nutrition to your body and have adverse consequences . The artificial sweetener in the drink causes migraines, dizziness and even memory loss.

Weakens the bones: There is phosphoric acid in soda which sucks calcium from the body. The calcium is excreted in urine and loss of calcium from the body causes osteoporosis (bones become fragile) . If you drink a lot of diet soda then the extra disposition of calcium is deposited in the kidneys causing nephrolithiasis (kidney stones).

Cell damage : There is presence of sodium benzoate in the soda which on combining with vitamin C produces a compound called benzene that can harm the mitochondria of the cells and cause neurodegenerative diseases.

Skin damage : The complexion and natural sheen and glow of skin is affected as high consumption of soda reduces the pH levels in the body. High intake of diet soda can also cause early aging. People tend to cut down on milk products and other minerals which gives nourishment to the skin, because they have replaced healthy food with diet soda. Cutting down on essential vitamins or minerals and increase in diet soda can cause wrinkles and make your skin appear more dull.

Leads to heart strokes and diabetic problems : Drinking too much diet soda increases the risk of heart attacks. Even diet sodas have sugar and it aggregates harmful lipids in the blood increasing the risk of stroke. The high level of sugar disturbs the insulin level in diabetic patients which can become uncontrollable and this may cause metabolic disorders, weight gain, cataracts, etc.

Can cause a miscarriage : Diet sodas have caffeine and consumption of more than 200 mg of caffeine on a daily routine can shoot up the risk of miscarriage. A fetus cannot metabolize the caffeine easily and chances of miscarriage increases. Thus, pregnant women are told to avoid diet sodas.

There are many other side effects of consuming diet soda which can cause significant health problems. A joy of few minutes can risk your whole life. Cut down on your intake of diet soda. Instead drink a glass of fresh fruit juice that is good for health or just cold water which will help flush out toxins in your body. Eat and drink healthy, Stay healthy!

Paul is a freelance writer that works for mealreplacementratings.com and love to share tips when it comes to helping people stay healthy.