What is sweet, fizzy, and sugar free? Diet Soda. It fills the shelves not only at the
local grocery store but also in our homes and offices
I am Dr. Edward Group of the Global Healing Center and today I want to talk to you about the dangers of this drink that has become part of our everyday lives.
These popular brands are readily available in over 150 markets around the world,
but what is it about these sweet global icons that make them so addictive?
Both regular soda and diet soda are made of exact same ingredients including caffeine
but have one key difference. Regular soda contains massive amounts of high fructose
corn syrup while diet soda contains massive amounts of the artificial sweetener, aspartame.
The artificial colors and flavors within diet soda are problematic, however I want to focus
on the addictive properties of aspartame and caffeine.
Aspartame is a popular additive in diet foods and drinks because it contains zero calories.
This controversial product was first introduced in 1981 and despite a high level of opposition,
it was approved by the FDA. However, this does not mean aspartame is safe for human
consumption despite the zero calorie label. The FDA warns of 92 separate health problems
linked to exposure to this artificial sweetener. They have received more than 10,000 complaints
about its negative effects. In fact, over 75% of the complaints submitted for foods
and food additives to the FDA have to do with the artificial sweetener, aspartame.
So, what about aspartame makes diet soda so addictive?
Simply put, aspartame appeals to the reward centers in your brain but never fully satisfies
you. This artificial sweetener has an immediate impact on the dopamine system in your brain
to produce positive reinforcing effects on your mood and cognitive processes of the brain
-- just like alcohol or other drugs do. This is what causes the addiction.
Tasting something sweet also activates the pleasure-generating brain circuitry. Clinical
studies show this circuitry is the same or overlaps with that which mediates the addictive
nature of drugs. This makes it difficult for you to fight the addictive elements.
A 2010 review in the journal Neuroscience found that artificial sweeteners activate
the “food reward” area of the brain but again without every really satisfying you.
It keeps you wanting more. Your brain tells your body to have a little more, and this
is how one Diet Soda turns into an on going dependency.
But as I said earlier aspartame is not the only guilty party when it comes diet soda
being a world wide addiction.
Caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world and is a major cause of addiction.
It is a psychostimulant and, when combined with the dopamine effects of aspartame, increases
the chance of addictive behavior. Chronic caffeine intake also increases the
sensitivity of serotonin receptors. By raising and adjusting serotonin levels, caffeine relieves
depression, makes you more relaxed, alert, and energetic, and can even relieve a headache.
This is why millions of people around the world claim they need caffeine just to function.
Caffeine increases the production of the feel-good dopamine neurotransmitter by occupying the
brain's adenosine receptors because to a nerve cell, caffeine looks like adenosine.
Caffeine increases all over cell activity while adenosine does the opposite. This prevents your body from fully resting and repairing
itself during your natural sleep cycles. This is why caffeine addicts need more and more
caffeine for the same results and experience withdrawals when they don’t enough.
The combination of aspartame and caffeine mixed in a sweet syrupy drink make the diet
soda addiction easy to develop and hard to kick. Mentally prepare yourself for the withdrawal
symptoms when removing this fizzy drink from your diet. Your body is addicted and you’re
going to have headaches, irritability, and problems focusing regardless of how you decide
to quit. For many people, going 14 days without caffeine will cause adenosine and other receptors
in your brain to normalize and eliminate your soda cravings.
The most effective way to escape your diet soda dependency is to quit cold turkey. It
is difficult to do but you can do it . You can also ween off of it gradually. This is a more dangerous
undertaking because your chances of relapsing are higher. One way to help yourself quit
is to just get all of the diet soda out of the house. If you don’t have it, you can’t
drink it. Replace it with something else. Water is best but decaf coffee or green tea
can give you some variety. If you like carbonation, give kombucha a try. It’s a fermented tea
with a tangy flavor that’s easy to make at home.
If you’ve spent every day for the last 10 years starting your day and ending your day
drinking a diet soda, it’s infiltrated your life and that’s hard to get rid of. It was
designed that way; to be addicting and that is why it is the second highest selling soda in
the world.
Know your triggers and avoid them. If you can, get a friend to quit with you. It will
be easier to accomplish your goals if you have someone that will be there to support
you throughout. You may also want to perform a full body cleanse to really help renew and
rejuvenate yourself. An intestinal cleanse, liver and gull bladder cleansing, parasite, chemical and heavy metal cleansing.
Just remember the withdrawal is temporary and that once you addiction is broken you
will feel better. Stay hydrated and try getting some exercise instead.
If you’ve given up diet soda, I’d like to hear from you, leave a comment and let
us know how you did it, share your tips. Many others who are watching could benefit from
your experience.
For more information about clean and healthy living, visit us online at GlobalHealingCenter.com