Diet soda is what many people turn to when they are looking for a lower calorie alternative to sugary, high calorie sodas. While certainly not healthier than regular sodas, diet sodas are sugar free and often have no calories. They are a viable alternative for those looking to cut calories for weight loss, or for diabetics. However, just because a person drinks diet soda, that does not mean that they will lose weight. In fact, they might even find themselves gaining weight.

Diet sodas are artificially sweetened beverages, either with aspartame, sucralose, saccharin (though not as common), and Ace K. They are marketed toward the weight and health conscious, and are popular for their no-calorie appeal with a similar taste to regular sodas.

There are really no health benefits to drinking diet sodas over their sugary counterparts, other than calorie reduction because of their lack of calories and sugar. Many diet sodas are loaded with caffeine, a stimulant that helps perk you up and keep you alert temporarily. Caffeine has been shown to cause (in large doses) a temporary increase in high blood pressure, sleep problems, and it can aggravate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Caffeine is also a diuretic, which will cause an increase in the need to urinate. Drinking more caffeinated soda than water can lead to dehydration.

Diet sodas also contain artificial sweeteners. While most have not been shown to have any negative long-term effects on the body, many years ago the sweeter cyclamate was found to cause cancer in lab rats. It was banned from use in the United States in 1970. These sweeteners are what give diet sodas their similar (though some might disagree) taste to regular sodas, and keep the calories down.

Drinking diet soda alone will not make a person lose weight. While it is true that the lack of extra calories found in regular sodas is better for watching your waistline, the only thing that will really help you lose weight is proper diet and exercise. In fact, a recent study has shown that drinking diet sodas might actually increase a person’s chances for gaining weight, by some 40%. This might be due to the fact that we are fooling our bodies into thinking we are getting something flavorful and full of calories, and when the body discovers that the calories are not there, it craves them. This might cause a person to overeat, and thus gain weight.

Diet soda drinkers should be aware that the beverage is not technically a diet aid. While it is great to reduce calories where you can, a diet soda is just a beverage. Furthermore, drinking diet soda should not be used as an excuse to eat more. This will only cause you to gain weight. Maybe a sensible way to cut calories to lose weight is to use diet soda drinks only as part of a calorie-controlled diet!