For St. Thomas junior Pete Nielsen, drinking diet soda is a regular part of his day.

“I probably have two Diet Mountain Dews a day,” Nielsen said. “If I can’t get a Mountain Dew; Diet Pepsi. At least two though.”

Nielsen said that there are several reasons he chooses diet soda.

“I love the taste,” Nielsen said. “And its caffeine, big time caffeine.”

Though diet soda is low-calorie, Nielsen admits it may not be the healthiest choice.

“I could be drinking alternatives like water or milk or something that’s actually better for me,” Nielsen said. “Diet Dew doesn’t really benefit me in any way.”

According a study found in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, people who drink diet soda daily are 43 percent more likely to suffer a vascular event.

St. Thomas professor and registered dietitian Christina Meyer-Jax also reviewed the study. Meyer-Jax said that although the research was done well, there were some factors missing.

“As a dietitian and health professional, I usually take a step back on these studies and go, ‘What else is it about this population of people who are habitual diet soda drinkers that could also contribute?’” Meyer-Jax said. “Do they have different mechanisms for stress management? Do they eat a poor diet?”

Meyer-Jax also said that other studies have found that diet soda does negatively affect the body.

“It gives people an increased appetite for sweet things,” Meyer-Jax said. “Their taste palate increases so they tend to seek out sweeter tasting foods to get that satisfaction of sweetness.”

Although research points at diet soda being bad for your health, Nielsen said this won’t stop him from drinking it.

“I think there are negative consequences to drinking a lot of things,” Nielsen said. “If you drink orange juice, which is supposedly good for you, in mass quantities… it’s a lot of sugar, it’s a lot of calories building up.”

Katherine Curtis can be reached at curt1354@stthomas.edu.