DIET SODA AND REGULAR SODA

Diet Soda and regular soda

Diet Soda and regular soda

Outline

The heart and core of this paper discusses the concept of diet soda and regular soda and what impact does their use make on human body. The paper would consist of following part:

Definition of diet soda and regular soda

Use of diet soda for dieting purpose

Physical impact of diet soda

Diet Soda or Regular Soda

It's the sugar in soda pop that makes it fattening. According to the Coca-Cola Company, one eight ounce serving of Classic Coke has 97 calories, with 27 grams of carbohydrates. At four grams of carbohydrates per teaspoon of sugar, there are about six and one quarter teaspoons in every serving. Most of us drink a lot more than eight ounces of pop at one time. Cans have 12 ounces; plastic bottles often have 20 ounces, for a whopping 240 calories.

Diet pop does away with the sugar. Instead, it's flavored with chemicals that taste sweet but don't provide any energy. These chemicals make it possible for diet pop to taste sugary, so you can satisfy your soda cravings but still have zero calories.

There are five artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA. They are:

* Aspartame

* Sucralose

* Acesulfame Potassium

* Saccharin

* Neotame

Artificial Sweeteners and Your Health

Most people who talk about why diet pop is bad are worried about the artificial sweeteners. Over the years, various diseases and other problems have been blamed on these chemicals. However, as of mid-2007, the FDA continues to state that they're safe. For the most recent information, check the FDA web site.

There is some evidence that aspartame can cause headaches or dizziness in some people. Many other health concerns have been debunked, but the research isn't perfect. For more information about safety studies on artificial sweeteners, visit the Food Additives Page at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

A Reason Why Diet Pop is Bad: The Connection with Weight Gain

Even if artificial sweeteners are safe, there may be another reason why diet pop is bad. Drinking diet soda has been linked to weight gain.

According to a 2005 report from a scientist at the University of Texas, people who drink a lot of diet pop are more likely to become overweight than people who drink sugared soda. The study tracked weight gain among 1,177 people over seven to eight years. At the beginning, none of the participants were obese. By the end of the study, the risk of becoming obese had increased by 41 percent for each can of diet soft drink subjects drank per day. For each level of consumption (less than one half can a day, one half to one can a day, one to two cans a day, or more than two cans a day), diet soft drink users had a higher risk of being overweight than people who drank regular soft drinks.

Does this mean that there's something about diet pop that makes you gain weight? Not necessarily. It's possible that people who notice they're getting fatter switch to diet drinks, but ...