The reason soda companies make diet soda is to cut the number of calories we are drinking and to appeal to people who want to lose weight. Regular sodas like Pepsi, Coke, and Sprite are loaded with tons of sugar and other ingredients that destroy our teeth and bodies. Diet soda was invented as a low-calorie alternative that also satisfies sweet tooth cravings. Many people think that diet soda will help them lose weight, which is possibly why they keep buying it. Although it sounds like the drink of the future, diet soda has more negative effects than positive.

Scientists have recently discovered that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda trick your body into thinking its consuming real sugar, which your body then processes as real sugar, which brings a slew of negative health consequences, like excessive weight gain, Type 2 Diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Diet soda affects our “gut bacteria”- bacteria that breaks down food – in a negative way. If you avoid diet soda, your body will be able to process food the right way and your chances of possessing excess stomach fat are lowered.

If you’re truly health-conscious, try to eliminate soda altogether, instead of switching over to the diet alternative. Either way, your body will be filled with unnecessary amounts of real or artificial sweeteners.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/24/health/soda-makers-cut-calories/index.html?iref=allsearch