Diet pop - is it really bad for you?

13

Replies

  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    erinb419 wrote: »
    Diet pop contains a lot of sodium, and that's why it should be avoided. Try tea.

    Got a little secret to tell yah, if you do not have high blood pressure, sodium is not an issue.

    Drink enough fluids and your body flushes the excess sodium.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    erinb419 wrote: »
    Diet pop contains a lot of sodium, and that's why it should be avoided. Try tea.

    40mg, that's an irrelevant amount.
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    So far, I have no reason to believe that diet pop is truly harmful to me.
    Sodium - (Diet Pepsi = 35 mg) - Even on my highest day it wouldn't account for 10% of my RDA
    Caffeine - (Diet Pepsi = 35mg) - While over doing it isn't good, drinking 10 cans will still be less than 2-8oz cups of regular coffee
    Aspartame - scientifically proven to be made up of elements that are already a natural part of many things we eat.
    Natural Color - may dye my insides, but I can live with that one ;)
    Water - well that's what got this started!
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    erinb419 wrote: »
    Diet pop contains a lot of sodium, and that's why it should be avoided. Try tea.

    Water contains a lot of sodium, and that's why it should be avoided.
  • threnjen
    threnjen Posts: 687 Member
    You got it. Ignore the fear mongers. Diet soda is not going to kill you. Just make your wallet lighter (and mine too, curse the addiction!)
  • peter56765
    peter56765 Posts: 352 Member
    erinb419 wrote: »
    Diet pop contains a lot of sodium, and that's why it should be avoided. Try tea.

    40 mg per 12 oz can is hardly "a lot of sodium".
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    erinb419 wrote: »
    Diet pop contains a lot of sodium, and that's why it should be avoided. Try tea.

    The can of Diet Dr Pepper I'm drinking has 55 mg. I hardly think that's going to put a dent in my already- high numbers.
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    Just had my regular visit with my dentist, so I asked him about diet pop and my teeth. He said that the asorbic acid in pop will change the ph value in your saliva which creates an environment which bacteria can thrive in. Bacteria that can damage your enamel. When you drink any pop, you should not sip on it continually all day long. You are better off drinking it quicker and then follow it with some water to rinse or brush your teeth. He also said that you should make to do the same at night before bed.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Here is a link to a blog here http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2014/09/real-issues-with-artificial-sweeteners/

    It does give me pause because I do drink diet drinks and I have blood sugar issues. I don't think they are related, just that I should be careful with food choices. I haven't read every post but the ones I have are mostly saying use moderation and that is what this says, too.
  • wmcmurray61
    wmcmurray61 Posts: 192 Member
    I avoid diet drinks like the plague because they contain aspartame which is a big migraine trigger for me. I gave up regular soda after being a major soda addict for years. I went cold turkey with water and it really sucked. So I started adding sparkling water to juice and then gradually reduced the amount of juice to almost nothing. I usually have one of these a day. It's my little treat. The rest is water, coffee and tea but mostly water.
  • darylspindler
    darylspindler Posts: 35 Member
    Diet soda does not contain fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar that contains calories. If you have a diet soda that contains fructose, it is impossible for it to have zero calories.
    spencekelliem wrote: »
    I know that when I hit a dreaded weight plateau, after being stuck for weeks, i cut the diet pop and my weight started moving again - It may have 0 calories, but think about the chemicals. And it still contains fructose and there is some evidence that the body treats that just like it does plain sugar

  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    Bump
  • RoseyDgirl
    RoseyDgirl Posts: 306 Member
    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/caramel-coloring-chemical-linked-to-cancer-found-in-too-high-levels-in-some-colas/

    Recent research is showing that the caramel coloring could cause cancer. I linked the article since I know how folks around here love sources. :)
  • Pandapotato
    Pandapotato Posts: 69 Member
    Nothing to add, but to the OP-- your before and "in progress" picture is fantastic! good for you.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    are you looking for a reason to keep it or give it up?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    yoovie wrote: »
    are you looking for a reason to keep it or give it up?
    No, he's just bumping his months-old thread.

    I am thrilled to be off the caffeine, delighted to have an extra 500-600mg of sodium to play with and do not miss the munchies. My teeth are happier, my body is definitely happier and I have more money.

    Never going back. (I hope. Knock on wood.)
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,307 Member
    To have an extra 500 -600 mg to play with by giving up diet soda, you must of been drinking at least 10 cans per day.
    Most people do not drink that much.

    What have you replaced the fluid with that has so much less sodium - given the amount of sodium in soft drinks is about the same as in most drinks, including water?

    And caffeine is only in cola drinks - diet lemonade etc do not have caffeine anyway.
  • free1220
    free1220 Posts: 416 Member
    I need diet cola to give me a much needed sweet "hit" daily.I find it keeps me off the cake and candy....most of the time.
  • mykaylis
    mykaylis Posts: 320 Member
    really bad for me. gives me seizures.
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    Pandapotato wrote: »
    Nothing to add, but to the OP-- your before and "in progress" picture is fantastic! good for you.

    Thanks a work in progress, but it feels good to on my way.
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    yoovie wrote: »
    are you looking for a reason to keep it or give it up?

    After my initial thread run, I lowered the diet pop issue on my priority list. However, I have made some adjustments and have been drinking water more as I do believe that too much of anything isn't good for you.
    I have seen several others asking questions on other threads that I think may benefit from some of the information here.
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    free1220 wrote: »
    I need diet cola to give me a much needed sweet "hit" daily.I find it keeps me off the cake and candy....most of the time.

    Yes I feel this way also. I have a pretty serious sweet tooth and having something that tastes sweet with no calories helps keep it on check.
  • BRaye325
    BRaye325 Posts: 1,383 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »

    I am thrilled to be off the caffeine, delighted to have an extra 500-600mg of sodium to play with and do not miss the munchies. My teeth are happier, my body is definitely happier and I have more money.

    Never going back. (I hope. Knock on wood.)

    Good for you. Glad to hear you have made that change for yourself.
    I have decided to more aggressively address a serious cutback in caffeine and diet pop consumption in Stage 3 of my plan which is due to start as soon as I drop another 16 lbs.
    It's great to hear from someone that already made the change and feels so positively about it.
  • Slasher09
    Slasher09 Posts: 316 Member
    I used to be a die-hard diet soda fan as my mom switched our sodas to diet when I was 12/13. I almost never drank regular soda unless I was splitting one at the movies with my boyfriend. However, I stopped drinking it while pregnant, as my OB advised against artificial sweeteners, and when I tried drinking them again after he was born they started triggering migraines (which I had semi-regularly before getting pregnant). Now that I don't drink them anymore I notice that I really don't have migraines like I used to. It could be a coincidence, but aspartame seems to affect me negatively.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited December 2014
    BRaye325 wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    How much is a lot of diet soda? Is diet soda taking the place of plain water?

    IMO having to have something sweet all the time is a bad habit. I have a diet soda everyday, I also drink lots of plain water everyday. I don't need something flavored or sweetened (fake or otherwise) all day long.

    I do drink a lot - like 75-100 oz/day.

    75-100 oz. of diet soda per day is excessive if you ask me. Perhaps try limiting yourself to one or two cans per day.
  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
    I used to drink diet coke constantly, and it always made me want chocolate because it tasted so good with it. It's just not worth it, find a cordial or fruit juice instead.
  • popsicklestar
    popsicklestar Posts: 166 Member
    There are a lot of conflicting opinions from the scientific community on this topic. Based on the research I've read and my personal experience, I feel that it is not that harmful in small amounts, but of course, it would be healthier to just drink water. I definitely wouldn't drink it too frequently. I like to drink it at times where I feel snacky and want to eat something, but I'm not really hungry and don't really need to eat. So, I kind of use it as a weight-control tool. There are also certain foods that I feel it compliments really well, like popcorn and pizza, probably because I grew up eating those foods with soda as a kid. I'm kind of sensitive to sugar, so non-diet soda makes me feel kind of crappy. I genuinely feel it has helped me meet my weightloss goals.
  • snikkins
    snikkins Posts: 1,282 Member
    lewispwest wrote: »
    I used to drink diet coke constantly, and it always made me want chocolate because it tasted so good with it. It's just not worth it, find a cordial or fruit juice instead.

    Just funny that you mentioned chocolate exactly because that's something I don't enjoy with diet colas. I like salty things with mine, but that's a fairly new development.

  • josul75
    josul75 Posts: 41 Member
    It's fine. I'm losing on average 2lbs a week, drinking 2 cans of Coke zero a day. I also take calcium, iron and omega 3 supplements every day too, though. Nothing wrong with diet drinks at all.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited December 2014
    josul75 wrote: »
    It's fine. I'm losing on average 2lbs a week, drinking 2 cans of Coke zero a day. I also take calcium, iron and omega 3 supplements every day too, though. Nothing wrong with diet drinks at all.

    75-100 oz. of diet soda per day? I beg to differ.
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