Do sugary drinks cause *obesity? The US New York State Supreme Court’s Justice Milton Tingling isn’t convinced. Last month he dismissed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on oversized soda drinks.
While we know that sugary drinks are loaded with calories, which are believed to cause weight gain, many questions remain. For example, is diet soda any better? Does the carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks damage our bones? Here are the facts behind some claims made about sugary drinks and how they affect our health.
The claim: Diet soda is better for you than regular soda.
The reality: “Diet soda is no panacea”, Lisa R. Young, a professor of nutrition at New York University, told The Huffington Post.
Sugar-free doesn’t mean healthy. In fact, the “false sweetness” of diet soda can be quite problematic, according to Young. The theory is that the brain mistakenly thinks the sweetness in the drink means calories are entering the body, triggering metabolic processes that can lead to weight gain.
These studies don’t necessarily prove drinking diet soda regularly causes health problems, Young cautions, but there’s certainly nothing nutritious about it.
The claim: Clear soda is healthier than dark soda.
The reality: While the caramel coloring responsible for that dark hue can discolor your teeth, Young said, the big difference between clear and dark sodas is typically caffeine. Think Coca Cola versus Sprite.Since the average can of soda contains less caffeine than a cup of coffee, most soda drinkers probably don’t have to choose Coca Cola over Sprite. But if you are nearing the caffeine tipping point, it might be a rule worth considering.
BY MENGBING QIU
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