Can Diabetics Drink Diet Soda(Soft Drinks) ?

Those with diabetes might have the same cravings for the bubbly fizz of soda, but worry that they shouldn't drink regular soda because of the high level of sugar--the average can of soda contains the equivalent of eight teaspoons of sugar. Diet soda, sweetened with NutraSweet or some other artificial sweetener, might provide a safe alternative for diabetics.

Diabetes

When you consume food or drink, your digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates and releases

them into your bloodstream. Your pancreas detects the elevated blood sugar and releases the hormone insulin, which transports the sugar into cells for energy or into fatty tissues for later use. Diabetes disrupts this process. With type 2 diabetes, the cells no longer respond to insulin, or not enough is made, so blood sugar levels build up in the bloodstream, eventually causing damage. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas can't produce any insulin. In either case, blood sugar remains high in the bloodstream, and over time, various organs suffer, including blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, heart and brain. Diabetics must alter their diet to reduce the amount of carbs and sugar they ingest. Consumption of regular sweetened soda must be limited.

Diet Soda OK for Diabetics

Diet soda contains no carbohydrate. While regular soda is sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, diet sodas are sweetened with artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, or NutraSweet; sodium cyclamate; saccharin, or Sweet N Low; neotame; and sucralose, or Splenda. These sweeteners do not affect blood sugar levels and do not affect insulin levels. Diet soda is a "free" food in diabetic diets. They do not count toward calories because they have no carbs and no calories.

Diet Soda Nutrition

Nutritionally, diet soda has no vitamins, minerals or any other nutrients. On the plus side, it has no calories, fat or cholesterol. It has a nearly negligible amount of sodium. The most if offers is hydration, and even that can be at least partly offset if it contains the diuretic stimulant caffeine.

Health Problems with Diet Soda

Many experts say diet soda can have adverse effects on health. For example, the February 5, 2005, "New York Times" notes that drinking diet soda might be linked to metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by abdominal obesity and elevated cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas have been implicated in numerous medical conditions, including brain tumor rates, seizures, headache


Love Dr Tango
 Dr Tango is a  Consultant Physician with facts and Figures Email- caremed001@gmail.com Blackberry Pin - 74282d21