In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health found that rates of kidney disease are increasing. This may be due, in part, to the consumption of large amounts of soda in the American diet, along with other sweet drinks. Diet soda, in particular, appears to raise the risk of developing kidney disease among women.
The Soda-Kidney Disease Link
Kidney disease is strongly associated with diabetes and several other illnesses. However, drinking large amounts of diet soda and sweet drinks appears to increase chances of developing kidney disease. Kidney function appears to decline with age. As a result, approximately 54 percent of people over the age of 75 have some level of kidney disease. However, the age of onset of kidney disease is decreasing while rates of the disease are on the rise. In fact, the rate of kidney disease has doubled twice in the past two decades.
Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital studied the effects of diet soda on kidney function. They found that women who drank fewer than two diet sodas daily showed no impact on kidney function. However, if study participants drank more than two sodas daily, they showed a decline in kidney function of 30 percent or more.
Aspartame Dangers
The most common artificial sweetener in soda and diet drinks is aspartame. Introduced in the 1970s as a “safe” alternative to sugar and saccharine, aspartame has been linked to numerous health problems. Recent studies have linked the chemical to neurological degeneration, seizures, cancer and death. Aspartame is also known to cause severe allergic reactions in people sensitive to the drug. Aspartame has also been linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity onset.
Although aspartame has been touted as made from sugar, extensive research has shown it to be an unsafe additive for foods and beverages. However, the Food and Drug Administration continues to grant food makers approval to use the chemical as an artificial sweetener.
The best option to avoid the sweet trap is to not start in the first place. However, sweeteners are a staple in the American diet. Given a choice, drink plain water instead of soda. You can add a slice of lemon, lime or orange to brighten up the flavor. Other healthier alternatives to soda include seltzer water and fresh juice.
Do you get sucked into the diet soda trap? What are your favorite alternative beverages?
– The Alternative Daily
