Experts have warned people against too many diet soft drinks saying the negative impacts on your body can start within minutes. Diet drinks, especially those higher in caffeine, can cause a chain of reactions as soon as you drink them, according to experts.
In the first 10 minutes, the acid in diet drinks starts to harm your teeth and can can chip away at enamel, according to dentists who spoke to The Sun. This can leave you with erosion, cavities and sensitivity over time.
After 20 minutes, some dentists have claimed that bodies switch on the "fat storage mode", reports The Mirror. It's said diet soft drinks trigger your body to produce insulin, the hormone that normally breaks down sugar in the blood.
But Douglas Twenefour, head of care at Diabetes UK, says this is not always the case and often depends on the type of drink being consumed as well as the person drinking it.
He said: "Studies on the effects of artificial sweeteners on insulin production have varying results, with some showing more insulin produced. The results can differ depending on the artificial sweetener used and on whether test subjects had diabetes."
After 40 minutes of drinking a a diet cola, your body can experience a short, addictive high, according to Dr Raj Juneja. He said: “The potentially deadly combination of caffeine and aspartame creates a short addictive high similar to the way cocaine works. Excitotoxins are released which may exhaust your brain by overstimulating its neuroreceptors, especially if consumed on a regular basis.”
The fourth side effect you may experience is thirst and hunger. After around an hour of taking the first sip you may feel like you are thirstier than you were before and need to eat something.
This is because the caffeine in the drink causes dehydration. Dr Juneja said: “Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it can contribute to dehydration.”
A Coca-Cola spokesperson told The Sun: “Diet Coke has been enjoyed by millions of people around the world for more than 30 years.
“As with all the drinks we sell, its ingredients are perfectly safe and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle.”
