Diet soda ups risk of metabolic syndrome

Grabbing a diet soda with your hamburger combo may save you some calories, but it could be dangerous for your heart. According to a recent study in Circulation, diet soda, red meat, and fried foods are all linked to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a medical condition that often leads to heart disease.

In a study of 15,000 middle-aged black and white adults who ate a Western diet, high in red and processed meat, fried food, refined-grains and soda and low in fruit, vegetables, fish, and whole-grains experienced up to 18% higher risk of metabolic syndrome than people who did not eat this way.

The researchers expected to see a link between the Western diet and an increased risk of heart disease and death, but they did not anticipate the effect that diet soda had on health. Adults who consumed one serving of diet soda per day had a 34% higher risk of metabolic syndrome than people who didn’t drink it, even after accounting for other risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This is something the researchers say needs to be investigated further.

Canada’s Food Guide recommends two servings (5 oz/140 g) of fish, poultry, lean meat or alternatives a day for adults. Choose vegetables, fruit and whole grains more often.  

Learn more about the basics of a heart-healthy diet. 

Source: Lutsey PL, Steffen LM, and Stevens J. Dietary Intake and the Development of the Metabolic Syndrome. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Circulation, Jan 2008; doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.716159