People trying to avoid sugary drinks, often opt for diet sodas which contain sweeteners instead of sugar. However, previous studies have shown that diet soda is linked to weight gain and metabolic syndrome. Now a new study shows that diet and regular soft drinks could increase salivary insulin levels.
Insulin is a hormone that allows the body’s cells to use glucose for energy. It also signals the liver to store blood sugar to use it later. Issues with insulin levels and the body’s response to it can lead to diabetes. The study, published in the journal Food Research International, highlights the negative impacts of overconsumption of diet and regular soft drinks. The findings showed that regular and diet soft drink intake resulted in higher salivary insulin levels, according to Medical News Today.
The study also showed that levels of the artificial sweetener aspartame in saliva were higher after intake of diet soft drinks. Notably, the researchers found aspartame in saliva after an extended time, indicating it stays in the body for a longer time and could impact the body’s response to the sweetener, as per Medical News Today. They also discovered that increased levels of salivary aspartame with diet soft drink consumption were linked to higher levels of salivary insulin.
Diet soft drinks should not increase insulin levels, but the findings of this study challenge this perception. “Theoretically, insulin should not be released after drinking diet soda since it should not raise blood sugar, and not call for insulin to be released. It has been heavily debated, whether artificial sweeteners can in fact raise blood sugar and insulin levels,” dietitian Karen Z Berg, not involved in this research, explained to Medical News Today.
Higher insulin levels could lead to weight gain due to excess fat deposition and increase cardiovascular risks. The study shows that overconsumption of diet and regular soda are associated with health risks.
“It’s no secret that both regular soda and diet sodas have negative health implications. This study, while super small, had an interesting approach to studying saliva after consumption of these beverages,” Berg added, as reported by Medical News Today. The findings show that people should be more cautious about consuming diet sodas as these substitutes could cause complications.
