Are you on a calorie deficit diet and craving to gulp down a bottle of soda?
But what about the calories you will take in?
Then how about going for a diet soda or – even better: a zero-calorie drink?
Yes, you read it right! Pepsi has introduced its variant- “Pepsi Max,” which is a zero-calorie drink; it is available in many flavors.
Apparently, it seems to be the perfect substitute for your soda craving without putting in any extra calories.
But is drinking a zero-calorie or sugar-free drink like Pepsi Max actually beneficial for your health?
Does it help you not put on weight?
Let’s investigate and get a clearer picture of what you are consuming with these beverages.
Contents
What is Pepsi Max?
Pepsi Max is a variant of regular Pepsi with no sugar and zero calories.
Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
Pepsi Max was introduced in the early 90s in Europe and the UK and soon spread out in US and Asia.
Pepsi Max is available in quite a few flavors, with a majority of flavors available in European countries, Australia, the UK, and the US.
Pepsi Max has been advertised all over the world with the slogan “Maximum Taste No Sugar.”
This has been an attractive slogan for many people looking for healthy soda drinks to fulfill their desire without worrying about their health and weight.
Like every other soda, Pepsi Max is a carbonated drink that tastes amazing with no sugar content. Some people find it even sweeter than the original Pepsi!
However, several artificial sweeteners have been added to it, along with caffeine.
Although Pepsi Max may claim to be sugar free, is it actually healthy with all the artificial sweetener and caffeine content in it?
Is it healthy to drink Pepsi Max?
Carbonated soda is not a healthy option.
No matter how much they claim to make the drink sugar-free, it still has many constituents that are hazardous for your health.
Fizzy drinks like Pepsi Max still contain aspartame and acesulfame K, which are artificial sweeteners and, of course, not good for your health.
The presence of these sweeteners has been linked to increased chances of getting liver damage, premature birth, cancer, allergies, and even brain tumors.
Fertility, prenatal developments, and cognitive memory functions are also said to be affected by regular use of these drinks.
These zero-calorie and no-sugar drinks are believed to be free from caffeine. But the truth is the contrary!
These drinks, including Pepsi Max, have even higher caffeine content, making them more addictive and harmful to the body.
Studies show that the caffeine content in Pepsi Max is the highest as compared to all other Pepsi variants. Now, do you really think drinking Pepsi Max is a healthy option?
Can Pepsi make you gain weight?
As opposed to the common belief that diet soda drinks and zero-calorie drinks will help you not gain weight, or at least maintain the weight you are on, diet drinks are likely to make you gain weight.
A study showed that a person who drinks Pepsi Max regularly is likely to gain twice as much weight as his counterpart, who drinks regular Pepsi. Mind-boggling, isn’t it?
These “sweet” little bottles will trick your body into gaining more weight by:
· Making your body produce more insulin, getting no real sugar in your body. This results in a metabolic syndrome of which high blood sugar and a wider waist are common symptoms.
· Artificial sweeteners are sweeter than regular sugar, conditioning your taste buds and body to get addicted to sweet things and increase sugar craving.
· Thinking that no calories add up in your diet after gulping down an entire can of supposedly “zero-calorie” Pepsi, you feel like you still have the margin of taking in more calories, making you eat more than usual.
What happens if you drink Pepsi Max every day?
Drinking any kind of carbonated soda is terrible for your health and if you are a regular Pepsi Max drinker, then be prepared to deal with multiple health issues.
The major consequence of drinking Pepsi Max every day is suffering from metabolic syndrome.
The artificial sweetener will signal your mind to produce insulin.
But the insulin will find no sugar in the blood resulting in metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome disrupts your metabolic activity, increases blood sugar level, and widens your waist.
Artificial sweeteners in Pepsi Max are also responsible for increasing the risk of Type II diabetes in people who take Pepsi Max regularly on their diet.
Pepsi Max has a much higher percentage of caffeine than regular Pepsi, making it a pretty easy to get addicted to.
High caffeine levels can cause several health issues, including irregular heartbeat, nervousness, hormonal imbalance, anxiety, sleep disorders, and addiction.
With a regular intake of Pepsi Max, it is likely that your appetite will increase. Increased appetite can lead to obesity and other health issues.
How often should you drink Pepsi Max?
Pepsi Max and other carbonated drinks should be avoided as much as possible.
You can drink a few sips as a treat if you are highly addicted to it.
But this treat should only be given in combination with a healthy diet and lots of physical activity.
You can find alternatives like flavored sparkling water, coffee, detox waters, and herbal drinks and teas to overcome the Pepsi Max addiction.
Going cold turkey toward Pepsi Max can be difficult, but gradually pulling yourself away from it and switching to healthy drinks will prove beneficial in the long run.
