The evidence is strong that cutting back on sugary drinks—or eliminating them altogether—may help with weight control and will almost surely lower the risk of diabetes and maybe even heart disease. However, the evidence is less clear-cut for artificially sweetened drinks, so are diet drinks evil or not? Evil may be a bit of a strong word, but diet soda and other artificially-sweetened beverages are certainly not all they’re cracked up to be.
According to the Harvard School for Public Health, for adults trying to wean themselves from sugary drinks, “diet soda may be the beverage equivalent of a nicotine patch: something to be used in small amounts, for a short time, just until you kick the habit.” For children, the long-term effects of consuming artificially-sweetened beverages are unknown, so it’s best for kids to avoid them.
To date, the FDA has approved the use of five artificial sweeteners. Gram for gram, each one is far sweeter than sugar. They include:
- aspartame (Equal®, NutraSweet®, others), 180 times sweeter than sugar
- acesulfame-K (Sunett®, Sweet One®), 200 times sweeter than sugar
- saccharin (Sweet’N Low®, Necta Sweet®, others), 300 times sweeter than sugar
- sucralose (Splenda®), 600 times sweeter than sugar
- neotame (no brand names), 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar
Despite the abundance of these artificial sweeteners, it’s best to go calorie-free the all natural way. “Diet” drinks with artificial sweeteners may condition our taste buds to crave super-sweet foods. Plain old water is the best calorie-free beverage—but for some people, plain old water may be just too plain. Here are some ideas for low and no-sugar beverages that you can prepare at home:
Sweet Peach & Sage Infused Water From StyleBlueprint.com
1. Infused water. You can find fancy flavored waters in the grocery store, including some that are free of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Spas also serve water that has been flavored with herbs, fruits, even vegetables. But you can easily make your own naturally-infused spa water at home. Try adding any of the following to a cold glass or pitcher of water:
- Sliced citrus fruits or zest (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)
- Crushed fresh mint or other herbs
- Peeled, sliced fresh ginger or sliced cucumber
2. Sparkling water with a splash of juice. Sparkling juices that are sold ready-made are often heavy on the juice, and may have almost as many calories as sugary soda pop. Instead, make your own sparkling juice at home with 12 ounces of sparkling water and just an ounce or two of juice. For a flavor twist, add sliced citrus or fresh herbs.
3. Fresh fruit coolers.Store-bought or cafe smoothies are marketed as “health” foods, but they are often loaded with sugar and high in calories—some have upwards of 300 calories in a 12 ounce serving. Try making a refreshing fresh fruit cooler instead. There’s no added sugar, and just a small amount of fruit, so this drink is only about 18 calories for each 12-ounce glass.
- 1/2 cup of ice
- 3/4 cup of sugar-free sparkling water
- 1/3 cup of melon or berries
- Chopped mint leaves or citrus slices (optional)
Place ice, sparkling water, and fruit in a blender. Blend until slushy, pour into a glass and garnish with mint or citrus slices. Serves 1.
