- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Nutrition basics (21)
- Diet soda: Is it bad for you?
- Nutrition rating system: What's behind the new food labels?
- Underweight? See how to add pounds healthfully
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (8)
- Diverticulitis diet: Can certain foods trigger an attack?
- Butter vs. margarine: Which is better for my heart?
- Detox diets: Do they offer any health benefits?
- see all in Healthy diets
Healthy cooking (10)
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- Lentils: How do I cook with them?
- Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
- see all in Healthy cooking
Healthy menus and shopping strategies (6)
- Sea salt vs. table salt: Which is healthier?
- White whole-wheat bread: Is it nutritious?
- What is BPA? Should I be worried about it?
- see all in Healthy menus and shopping strategies
Nutritional supplements (15)
- Vitamin D toxicity: What if you get too much?
- Prenatal vitamins: OK for women who aren't pregnant?
- Fiber supplements: Are they safe to take every day?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
Diet soda: Is it bad for you?
I drink diet soda every day. Could this be harmful?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Drinking a reasonable amount of diet soda a day, such as a can or two, isn't likely to hurt you. The artificial sweeteners and other chemicals currently used in diet soda are safe for most people, and there's no credible evidence that these ingredients cause cancer. Some types of diet soda are even fortified with vitamins and minerals. But diet soda isn't a health drink or a silver bullet for weight loss. Although switching from regular soda to diet soda may save you calories, some studies suggest that drinking more than one soda a day — regular or diet — increases your risk of obesity and related health problems such as type 2 diabetes.
Healthier choices abound. Start your day with a small glass of 100 percent fruit juice. Drink skim milk with meals. Sip water throughout the day. For variety, try sparkling water or add a squirt of lemon or cranberry juice to your water. Save diet soda for an occasional treat.
Next questionNutrition rating system: What's behind the new food labels?
- Artificial sweeteners and cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners. Accessed Oct. 16, 2009.
- Dhingra J, et al. Soft drink consumption and risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults in the community. Circulation. 2007;116:480.
