Infographic: Is Diet Coke bad for you?

The same gentleman who created the infographic demonstrating the negative effects of drinking coke has stepped into new territory, this time with an infographic on the negative effects of Diet Coke.

So just how bad is Diet Coke for you? It can’t be worse than regular Coke, can it?

RELATED:Infographic: Is Coke bad for you?

According to Naik it could actually be worse, most especially because Diet Coke’s use of artificial sweeteners like “aspartame” and it’s relatively high phosphoric acid content. Naik cites studies that have found drinking diet soda is linked to higher risk of weight gain, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

What exactly happens to your body when you drink Diet Coke? Naik lays it out for us in his timeline on http://therenegadepharmacist.com:

>First 10 Minutes – Tricks Your Taste Buds And Attacks Your Teeth

The phosphoric acid attacks the enamel in your teeth, while the artificial sweeteners like aspartame hit your system. Aspartame may trigger taste receptors and trick your body into thinking it has just processed sugar.

>20 Minutes – May Switch On Fat Storage Mode

Like regular Coke this can trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode.

>40 Minutes – Can Cause Addiction

The potentially deadly combination of caffeine and aspartame creates a short addictive high similar in the way cocaine works. Excitotoxins are released which may exhaust your brain by overstimulating it’s neuroreceptors, especially if consumed on a regular basis.

>60 Minutes – Depletes Nutrients, Makes You Hungry & Thirsty For More

Unlike the small amount of satisfaction you get from regular coke your body may still crave sweets. This makes you likely to reach for another soda, or worse, some other junk food you consider to be safe and the cycle continues.

A can of diet coke provides no nourishment and would replace a more nutritious drink you could have drunk while potentially depleting your body of essential minerals

It will never quench your thirst as it dehydrates rather than hydrates your body. A lack of vital water can lead to brain fog, poor concentration, fatigue and feeling irritable.

Matt Lee is a Web producer for Metro New York. He writes about almost everything and anything. Talk to him (or yell at him) on Twitter so he doesn’t feel lonely@mattlee2669.