WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Walking back to work after a trip to Chauncey Hill for fountain soft drinks, the two women had their health in mind.
Suzanne Payne had a regular soft drink, but knew it was a rare, sugary treat that she probably wouldn't finish. Susan Corwin chose a diet, caffeine-free drink.
Which soft drink — regular or diet — is the healthier choice?
That's the wrong question to ask, said Susie Swithers, a professor of psychological sciences and a behavioral neuroscientist at Purdue University. She said the real question is: What is our daily sugar intake?
"It's about the overall sweetening of our diets," she told the Journal & Courier.
A cultural shift has made having daily soft drinks acceptable, she said.
"It's really candy in a can. If people think of it as candy, they would say that they wouldn't have candy at every meal."
The message has been that diet soda is healthier since it has artificial sweetener and no calories, but Swithers said tracking sugar intake means limiting real and artificial sugars.
She reviewed recent scientific studies about the long-term link between artificial sweeteners and health outcomes.
"Findings from a variety of studies show that routine consumption of diet sodas, even one per day, can be connected to higher likelihood of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure, in addition to contributing to weight gain," she said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/diet-soda-healthier-regular-report-article-1.1397209
Suzanne Payne had a regular soft drink, but knew it was a rare, sugary treat that she probably wouldn't finish. Susan Corwin chose a diet, caffeine-free drink.
Which soft drink — regular or diet — is the healthier choice?
That's the wrong question to ask, said Susie Swithers, a professor of psychological sciences and a behavioral neuroscientist at Purdue University. She said the real question is: What is our daily sugar intake?
"It's about the overall sweetening of our diets," she told the Journal & Courier.
A cultural shift has made having daily soft drinks acceptable, she said.
"It's really candy in a can. If people think of it as candy, they would say that they wouldn't have candy at every meal."
The message has been that diet soda is healthier since it has artificial sweetener and no calories, but Swithers said tracking sugar intake means limiting real and artificial sugars.
She reviewed recent scientific studies about the long-term link between artificial sweeteners and health outcomes.
"Findings from a variety of studies show that routine consumption of diet sodas, even one per day, can be connected to higher likelihood of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure, in addition to contributing to weight gain," she said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/diet-soda-healthier-regular-report-article-1.1397209