104 Year Old Woman Drinks Diet Coke
- Theresa Rowley, a 104-year-old woman, credits Diet Coke for her long life.
- The Michigan woman said she drinks one can of the diet soda per day.
- Nutritionist Malina Linkas Malkani told INSIDER that Rowley's soda consumption is likely not a factor in her longevity.
- Rather, it is genetics and lifestyle behaviors.
A 104-year-old Michigan woman recently proclaimed that her Diet Coke obsession has contributed to her long life — or so she thinks.
The woman, Theresa Rowley, told ABC13 that she drinks at least one can of Diet Coke per day because she likes the taste. Rowley was celebrating her birthday during the interview, and explained that she had to go shopping later to replace her soda stash.
"I drink it because I like it," Rowley said. "I'm going shopping Wednesday, and I need more Diet Coke. I have a bag full of empty Diet Coke cans that I need to return to buy more Diet Coke."
Rowley explained that she is surprised to have lived so long, even though her own father lived until he was 102. Malina Linkas Malkani, registered dietitian and National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told INSIDER in an e-mail that genetics play a major role in how long we live — but so do our lifestyle behaviors.
"There are many mechanisms — some within our control, some not — that influence the way our genes behave," Malkani said, creator of the Wholitarian™ Lifestyle.These include our environment, infections we might get, and the foods we eat, and according to Malkani, these can "turn on or off" certain genes.
"Healthy lifestyle behaviors such as eating a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet, being moderately physically active every day and effectively managing stress have been shown to affect gene expression in positive ways, such as helping to slow, halt and even reverse the progression of some types of diseases, thus improving longevity," she said.
As for Rowley's diet soda habit, Malkani said there is no evidence to her knowledge that drinking diet soda could possibly positively impact the length of your life. That said, some people use "non-nutritive sweeteners" to aid in weight management without extra calories, Malkani said. And maintaining an optimal weight in the long term could positively impact longevity.
Malkani noted, however, that there is only limited evidence pointing to the effectiveness ofnon-nutritive sweeteners as a successful long-term weight loss and maintenance strategy. In fact, there is also evidence pointing to the opposite — that artificial sweeteners cause weight gain. If you consume artificial sweeteners daily, you could develop nutritional deficiencies, a higher risk for disease, and uncontrollable cravings too.
Although Rowley is living her best life at 104, copying her Diet Coke habit likely won't result in a longer life for yourself, and could result in unwanted weight gain. Instead of looking for quick fixes and diet hacks, speak with your doctor about changes you could make to improve your health and fitness.
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104 Year Old Woman Drinks Diet Coke
Source: https://www.insider.com/104-year-old-woman-diet-coke-2018-1