Now that you’re 40, it’s time to cut back on the soda. You might be tempted to continue your ways, but opting for the sugar-free or zero-calorie alternatives is about the worst thing you can do. The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas are bad for you. The only thing it succeeds in doing is boosting your craving for more soda. In many cases, these sweeteners are 200-600 times sweeter than sugar, so a lot less of it is used.

However, because of that high concentration, artificial sweeteners can trigger the pancreas to release insulin at the wrong time. Speaking of sweeteners, aspartame is one of the worst chemicals you can put into your body. As more research is being done, the list of adverse effects that aspartame is associated with continues to grow, from headaches to nausea and even blindness. This is one chemical you want to stay away from.