Artificial Sweeteners And Weight Gain

In the 1980s, the San Antonio Heart Study examined consumers of artificially sweetened drinks who gained about 8kg/year and had greater rises in the body mass index than the controls. The weight gain correlated with dosage.
Artificial sweeteners, as they are 200 times sweeter than normal sugar, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence. Repeated exposure trains flavour preferences.

Add Fizz to Your Forehand

In a new study, tennis players were given bicarbonate soda and another group a placebo. The bicarb group showed no loss of skill level whereas the placebo group experienced significant skill losses. It all comes down to the alkalizing effect of the bicarb, which counteracts the muscle tiring that comes from the buildup of lactic acid when you exercise. However, long-term excessive bicarb soda intake can cause problems for your blood pressure and stomach. If you want to alkalise your body in a sustainable way, eat plenty of vegetables, especially greens.

Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

Fructose Fuels Gout

Gout is caused by excess uric acid levels in your body forming needle-like crystals that deposit in your feet, causing pain and potential immobility. Over the past three decades there has been a 250 per cent increase in the rates of gout, which has been linked to an increased consumption of fructose-rich drinks such as soft drinks and orange juice. Women who had one 180mL serving of soft drink per day were 74 per cent more likely to develop gout than women who consumed one per month or less. Women who had 180mL of orange juice per day were 41 per cent more likely to develop gout.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association

BEET for BRAINS

A new study showed that after having beetroot juice there was an increase in blood flow to white matter in the frontal lobes of the brains. These are the areas of the brain associated with dementia and loss of other mental functions. The reason beetroot juice has this effect is its high nitrate content. In your mouth, good bacteria convert nitrate to nitrite and nitrites help open up blood vessels in your body.

Source: Nitric Oxide: Biology and Biochemistry