I am 16 years old and I have a diabetic question. My mom’s mom had diabetes and my dad’s brother has diabetes. I know I am at high risk for it. I am wondering if it is better to drink diet drinks such as diet soda or is it okay to drink non diet drinks such as regular soda? I have heard from a friend that the replacement for sugar in diet soda is much worse than regular soda if you don’t have diabetes.

I would recommend using the diet sodas or beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Sucralose (trade name is Splenda) is one of the best tasting artificial sweeteners on the market today. There is no documented evidence based clinical studies to prove any harm from drinking aspartame or sucralose containing beverages in moderation. Some people may be sensitive to artificial sweeteners and may experience headaches or other side effects. Those folks would be better avoiding these beverages. It is certainly better to drink carbohydrate free sodas than waste unnecessary carbohydrates (a lot of them) on sugar sweetened beverages.

JMS

[Editor’s comment: You might also look at the flavored waters that are available in many stores. Some may be made with Splenda. You can also choose tap water or other bottled waters that have zero calories. You might also want to drink unsweetened tea, to which you could add Splenda, if you choose.

BH]