Is diet soda an alternative health care therapy? One word…

Strange Medicine

If you’re careful about choosing specific foods and beverages to avoid kidney stone formation, then I hope you’ll have a good laugh and just pass on by when you hear the conclusion of new research that finds potential kidney stone prevention in…

Seriously…you won’t believe it…

Let’s pretend this never happened

Dr. Brian Eisner of the University of California San Francisco actually showed up at the recent meeting of the American Urological Association and with (presumably) a straight face informed his fellow scientists that kidney stone patients might get some help in avoiding stone formation by drinking diet soda.

Never thought I’d see the day when diet soda would actually be offered as alternative health care.

Keep in mind, this is strictly theory, based on the fact that some diet sodas contain small amounts of alkalis – compounds that may neutralize the uric acid that contributes to stone formation.

Dr. Eisner admits that he doesn’t know how the soft drinks get their alkali content, but guesses it may come from citrus juice used for flavoring. In 15 diet sodas tested, all the beverages in the top 10 were fruit flavored. Diet colas and root beers landed at the bottom of the list.

Of course, non-diet sodas also contain fruit flavoring. So why only test diet sodas? Dr. Eisner explains to MedPage Today: “We chose diet drinks because we wanted to be able to recommend something that was healthier for our patients.”

Ah! Makes perfect sense! He doesn’t want to recommend junk. He would rather recommend something that’s just slightly better than junk.

Except it’s not.

In the e-Alert “Junk in the Trunk” (8/7/07), I told you about a study that followed health records for more than 6,000 soda drinkers for four years. Subjects who drank one or more sodas each day were nearly 45 percent more likely to develop obesity, increased waist circumference, impaired fasting glucose, higher blood pressure, high triglycerides, and higher LDL cholesterol.

Yikes! That’s a daunting list. But even more impressive: Results were virtually identical for non-diet and diet soda drinkers.

Say sayonara to soy

AUA spokesperson, Anthony Y. Smith, M.D., told MedPage Today that kidney stone patients shouldn’t start drinking diet soda instead of water. (Good call!) But he did say: “This study suggests instead that people with stone disease who do not drink soda may benefit from moderate consumption.”

Can. Not. Believe it.

You don’t drink diet soda? Well start now! But keep it moderate.

As long-time e-Alert readers know, there are FAR better methods for avoiding kidney stone formation.

First of all…keep soy at arm’s length.

A few years ago I told you about a study in which researchers found extremely high oxalate concentrations in soybeans, tofu, and commercially processed soy products. Oxalate is a compound that binds with calcium in the kidneys and can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Researchers concluded that soy products are unsafe for anyone at risk of developing kidney stones.

Secondly…we can take away at least one good detail from Dr. Eisner’s study: Lemon juice may help prevent stones. But go easy on the sweetening or you’ll be drinking lemonade, which is pretty close to a soda.

And in the e-Alert “Easy Pass” (7/28/08), HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., discusses the merits of apple cider vinegar as a kidney stone preventive.

Sources:
“Citrate, Malate, and Akali Concentrations in Commonly Consumed Diet Sodas: Implications for Urinary Stone Patients” The Journal of Urology, Vol. 181, No. 4, April 2009, jurology.com
“AUA: Diet Sodas May Help Prevent Kidney Stones” Charles Bankhead, MedPage Today, 4/26/09, medpagetoday.com