Does Diet Soda Raise Blood Sugar? (10 Healthiest Options)

Last Updated on July 20, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD

Diet sodas are a great alternative to otherwise regular sugary beverages. They are good for keeping the overall carbohydrate intake low and calories in check.

Does Diet Soda Raise Blood Sugar?

It has been scientifically proven that Diet soda does not lead to sudden rises in blood sugar. But over time, it can be risky if not taken in controlled quantities. Hence, its consumption must be regulated. Therefore, it is best to keep the intake of diet sodas low and within healthy margins.

The artificial sugar found in diet sodas is harmless in the short term. They are not responsible for heightening your blood sugar levels upon consumption.

However, these sodas can, over time, show some adverse effects if not done in limited and safe quantities.

Therefore, diet soda does not raise your blood glucose levels. However, it can have certain other effects on the health and body and must be had with total information and considerations on health. So we will have a look at those as we move ahead.

The composition of diet sodas is very well-deserving to fit in one’s diabetic dietary routines. It contains 99% water and has lower than a gram of carbohydrate in each serving.

The total calories are also very low when compared to other sugary drinks.

This is the use of artificial sweeteners that are made to be safely consumed even by diabetics. They are highly sweet, even 100-200 times sweeter than white sugar, and hence are used in minimum quantities.

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Over the years, the use of artificial sugars has risen, and they have also been recommended to diabetic patients as safe substitutes. Several artificial sweeteners have been deemed safe and cleared many tests to be classified as healthy alternatives by the FDA.

Experts say that replacing your beverages with diet beverages containing artificial can be very helpful in keeping the diabetic levels low and out of risk.

Despite these clarifications, overuse of it can create issues. On top of that, diet sodas have other additives such as – colors, flavors, preservatives, acids, and caffeine, which can cause certain disturbances in diabetic health.

Safety is also dependent on the health of the individual to start with. For example, if you face excess fluctuations in your blood sugars, you should avoid having diet sodas.

All in all, diet soda should be had in moderation, and all possibilities of risks must be avoided with the right information and steps.

What is the healthiest diet soda? 10 Options

Apart from the most popular coke zero, many other diet sodas out there can help you maintain your blood sugar levels and control diabetes.

Let us have a look at the 10 healthiest diet sodas that you can shift to today.

Zevia Zero Calorie Soda, Cola
Zevia Ginger Root bear
Bubly sparkling water, cherry
Poland spring sparkling water, lemon-lime
La Croix
Polar Seltzer’ade
Vintage Seltzer water
Diet 7-Up
Sprite Zero
Diet Dr. Pepper

From the plethora of diet drinks available, these are some of the topmost choices as per consumers. This is because they have zero calories and zero sugar.

Some of the listed drinks do not even have any added caramel colors for better health management.

Healthier alternatives to sodas:

Green tea
Low-fat milk
Chamomile tea
Lemon ginger tea
Hibiscus tea

These are rather medicinal drinks with added nutrition and good benefits to the body.

Why is diet soda bad for diabetics?

Although diet soda may seem like a better option when asked to choose between diet and regular beverages, they still account for some risks. For example, they can make diabetic individuals more prone to certain discomforts in their health.

Let us have a look at some of the common problems diet soda can have:

Artificial sugar and its consumption over time are linked with weight gain. Keeping the body weight under safe levels and within the healthy BMI is essential for patients with diabetes.
- A growing waistline and an obese body are some of the prime causes of diabetes to start with.

They lack any nutrition. The lack of sugar and calories also makes these sodas lack any nutrition at all. There is hardly any goodness in these beverages.

Some experiments have found out that over-consumption or daily intake of diet drinks can also lead to diabetes. It is therefore not so much of an escape either.
- The only way to control it is by taking care of the portion sizes and preventing higher consumption. Otherwise, they can lead to several issues in the long term.

Diet sodas have also been linked to several metabolic syndromes in the body and related disruptions in health. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder. It is caused by a dysfunctional metabolism and also causes added harm to the body’s metabolism.
- Hence, having diet sodas can be very risky.

The many metabolic syndromes that can be affected ultimately give rise to a set of body tissues such as – cardiovascular risks, fluctuations in blood pressure, raising fat levels, higher cholesterol in the body, and so on.

It is not just about keeping the blood sugar levels low and within control. There are a lot of effects of diabetes on the health accompanied by several symptoms.

All of this needs to be paid attention to and mitigated. Diet sodas do keep you away from the risks of spiking blood glucose levels. But on the other hand, there are other risks attached to it that can avoid proper control of diabetic health.

Diet sodas do lead to diabetic complications if not controlled. Researchers have seen a 67% chance of developing Type 2 diabetes in the average population who drink diet sodas daily.

Therefore, it all comes down to maintaining the consumption quantities and limiting to healthy and low amounts for preventing risks.

Can diabetics drink coke zero?

Can-diabetics-drink-coke-zero

The Coca-Cola zero has been gaining rapid popularity for its no-sugar, no-calories quality. As a result, it is being preferred over regular sugary versions of Coca-Cola.

But coming to individuals dealing with diabetes, coke zero is still not a safe option. It must be seldom had and not overdone.

Coke zero might be more popular as a healthier alternative because it has no sugar and no calories. Thus, it may not affect the blood sugar immediately. However, other reasons can make it harmful for diabetics.

This aims to make it safer for people concerned about weight gain, sugar intakes, and fitness enthusiasts. Artificial sweeteners are used to retain the original coke flavor and feel in this diet version of coke.

Some of the most common artificial sugars used in coke zero are – Aspartame and Ace-K or Acesulfame Potassium. They are debatable for diabetics and are known to affect body weight and metabolic syndromes.

Many studies have shown that drinking coke zero daily can affect blood sugar levels and also lead to the development of diabetes. In addition, it can worsen pre-diabetic levels and also lead to a rise in risk.

Some other studies have found no such relation between rising chances of developing or severing diabetes due to intake of Coke Zero.

Be it diet coke or regular coke, the possibility of risk is mixed. Hence, the only efficient way out is to keep the intake amounts low and within moderate limits.

Coke Zero also has another side effect besides just diabetes, weight gain, and metabolic syndromes.

The high amounts of phosphoric acid found in coke zero can lead to tooth erosion. Coca-Cola zero can also have erosive effects on the enamel.

Therefore, this healthier substitute must be taken in limited amounts and with considerable thought for overall best results.

How much diet soda is too much?

A regular safe amount would limit each person to one or at most two cans of diet soda per day. However, this limit for diabetics has to be kept till a can daily only.

Diabetics should not consume diet soda every day, even if it is the limit. Over time, it can lead to complications. To avoid any long-term effects such as weight gain, one should stick to no more than 3-4 cans of diet soda per week.

Does aspartame raise blood sugar?

Over the years, various studies have concluded that aspartame does not affect the body’s blood sugar levels.

It has a glycemic index value of 0. This means that it does not affect the blood glucose of the body. One must limit daily aspartame to 50mg per kg of body weight to avoid any complications.

It has been deemed safe for individuals with diabetes. Nevertheless, it is crucial to check the items that contain aspartame as they may have other items that include sugars, chemicals, or preservatives, which can affect the diabetic levels.

It is important to maintain your overall diabetic health levels and use aspartame to encourage measures of control.

Dr Sharon Baisil MD

Medical Doctor at Beat Diabetes

Dr Sharon Baisil MD is an international award-winning doctor, known for creating innovative technologies for the prevention and treatment of Diabetes. He developed the android app called Beat Diabetes, which is presently the most downloaded diabetes app in India. It was chosen as ‘Diabetes-App of the Year’ globally by Healthline. Dr Sharon has helped over 100,000 individuals with Diabetes from 140 countries, during the past 4 years, to control their sugar levels. You can read all the best-selling Diabetes eBooks by Dr Sharon Baisil MD , by clicking here . All the diabetes articles written by Dr. Sharon are thoroughly researched and draw from peer-reviewed journals like the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, ensuring the highest quality and reliability of information.

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