Diet Soda

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  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    sullus wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    No - I am saying that opinions, by definition, cannot be backed up by anything at all.

    Opinions are essentially unarguable because they are never based in fact. If they were, they would be "facts" and not "opinions".

    If someone tells me it is their "opinion" that the sky is purple how can I argue with that? I can certainly say "Go outside, you knucklehead, and take a look. The sky is blue". What if, after being proven wrong, the person still insists the sky is purple? What then? Nothing.

    I find this useful in those situations: http://theconversation.com/no-youre-not-entitled-to-your-opinion-9978

    Oh I like this. Thanks!
  • HaggisWhisperer
    HaggisWhisperer Posts: 125 Member
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    I think it still comes down to opinion though - two people can weigh up the same evidence and come to a completely different conclusion. In "my" opinion there is insufficient evidence to say that artificial sweetners are "safe". By "safe" I mean have no untoward effects on the body in any person. I would also say that in my opinion that artifical sweetners are not toxic in the great majority of people. I reserve the right to change my opinion as more research is carried out.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    glevinso wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    No - I am saying that opinions, by definition, cannot be backed up by anything at all.

    Opinions are essentially unarguable because they are never based in fact. If they were, they would be "facts" and not "opinions".

    If someone tells me it is their "opinion" that the sky is purple how can I argue with that? I can certainly say "Go outside, you knucklehead, and take a look. The sky is blue". What if, after being proven wrong, the person still insists the sky is purple? What then? Nothing.

    I find this useful in those situations: http://theconversation.com/no-youre-not-entitled-to-your-opinion-9978

    Oh I like this. Thanks!

    I keep it bookmarked. Seems a need for it comes up in these forums more often than not ...
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    __drmerc__ wrote: »

    This is indeed one of the studies I was referring to.

    Cherry picking your studies?

    Me? I didn't post the study. I'm just saying it's one of those I read about the effects of artificial sweeteners on gut bacteria. If there are more which show no effect specifically on gut bacteria, I'm unaware of it and would love to see it.

    As I stated before, the jury is still out for me on this issue.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    I think it still comes down to opinion though - two people can weigh up the same evidence and come to a completely different conclusion. In "my" opinion there is insufficient evidence to say that artificial sweetners are "safe". By "safe" I mean have no untoward effects on the body in any person. I would also say that in my opinion that artifical sweetners are not toxic in the great majority of people. I reserve the right to change my opinion as more research is carried out.

    If the bolded part is true, it implies there are insufficient data to form a proper scientific conclusion.

  • tomsarno
    tomsarno Posts: 105 Member
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    ^^^That looks like science to me. To say that diet soda can not cause weight gain you would have to believe that 0 calories are the only factor to consider when drinking it. I know of people on Hormone Replacement Therapy that take a zero calorie pill and gain weight. Explain how that works.
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
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    tomsarno wrote: »
    ^^^That looks like science to me. To say that diet soda can not cause weight gain you would have to believe that 0 calories are the only factor to consider when drinking it. I know of people on Hormone Replacement Therapy that take a zero calorie pill and gain weight. Explain how that works.

    You cannot compare a medical issue to consumption of diet soda in a normal relatively healthy person. To do so is absurd. Weight loss=calories in<calories out. It's simple math really.
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
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    I also don't consider WebMD to be "science."
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    tomsarno wrote: »
    ^^^That looks like science to me. To say that diet soda can not cause weight gain you would have to believe that 0 calories are the only factor to consider when drinking it. I know of people on Hormone Replacement Therapy that take a zero calorie pill and gain weight. Explain how that works.

    The study, by its own description, did not actually have a control group. They had two difference experimental groups with different configurations, but no control. There was also no way to correlate the rise in blood sugar in the second group to the use of artificial sweeteners. Until I see direct measured evidence of a rise in blood sugar after eating artificial sweeteners, with an appropriate control to ensure the direct cause of the blood sugar rise is the consumption of the artificial sweetener, I will continue to believe the rest of the mountain of evidence that says there is nothing wrong with these things.

    If you want to argue that, like alcohol, consuming artificial sweeteners somehow influences your decisions to eat other things, well maybe you have something there. However that is a different factor altogether and is related not to the sweetener itself but perhaps something it causes psychologically.
  • HaggisWhisperer
    HaggisWhisperer Posts: 125 Member
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    glevinso wrote: »
    I think it still comes down to opinion though - two people can weigh up the same evidence and come to a completely different conclusion. In "my" opinion there is insufficient evidence to say that artificial sweetners are "safe". By "safe" I mean have no untoward effects on the body in any person. I would also say that in my opinion that artifical sweetners are not toxic in the great majority of people. I reserve the right to change my opinion as more research is carried out.

    If the bolded part is true, it implies there are insufficient data to form a proper scientific conclusion.

    Yes, I would agree with that - take for instance new drug approvals. A pharmaceutical company might submit a new drug application with all the evidence on the safety and efficacy of their drug neatly presented. They firmly believe in their drug or they would not have gone to the expense of arranging the submission at that time. the FDA might then weigh up the presented evidence and refuse approval. Maybe completely or maybe requesting more evidence. Some things in science are irrefutable but for others the collection of data just keeps moving things forward until a definative conclusion can be made.

  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    __drmerc__ wrote: »

    This is indeed one of the studies I was referring to.

    Cherry picking your studies?

    Me? I didn't post the study. I'm just saying it's one of those I read about the effects of artificial sweeteners on gut bacteria. If there are more which show no effect specifically on gut bacteria, I'm unaware of it and would love to see it.

    As I stated before, the jury is still out for me on this issue.

    There are 100's of studies showing aspartame is safe and 1 poor rat study that shows it effects gut bacteria.
    Focusing on the one would be cherry picking


    Weird. When I do a search for studies that show specifically the effects of aspartame on gut bacteria, I'm not finding any others. Could you point me in that direction?

    Also, there was a human study. It was very small.


  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,604 Member
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    The thought that Diet Coke is a healthy alternative to regular Coke is absurd. SOME people may be able to lose weight & feed their diet coke addiction, but I didn't lose mine until after I kicked it.
    So it's your opinion and experience. Science would show you that reducing weight helps to reduce risk of weight related health issues. Even the ADA (American Diabetics Association) recommends diet drinks for diabetics as an alternative.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    The thought that Diet Coke is a healthy alternative to regular Coke is absurd. SOME people may be able to lose weight & feed their diet coke addiction, but I didn't lose mine until after I kicked it.
    So it's your opinion and experience. Science would show you that reducing weight helps to reduce risk of weight related health issues. Even the ADA (American Diabetics Association) recommends diet drinks for diabetics as an alternative.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    90fxd1l8v2mg.jpeg
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    The thought that Diet Coke is a healthy alternative to regular Coke is absurd. SOME people may be able to lose weight & feed their diet coke addiction, but I didn't lose mine until after I kicked it.
    So it's your opinion and experience. Science would show you that reducing weight helps to reduce risk of weight related health issues. Even the ADA (American Diabetics Association) recommends diet drinks for diabetics as an alternative.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    90fxd1l8v2mg.jpeg

    HAHA!!
    q6rw8bsks1rv.jpg
  • tomsarno
    tomsarno Posts: 105 Member
    edited November 2014
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    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    tomsarno wrote: »
    ^^^That looks like science to me. To say that diet soda can not cause weight gain you would have to believe that 0 calories are the only factor to consider when drinking it. I know of people on Hormone Replacement Therapy that take a zero calorie pill and gain weight. Explain how that works.

    Water weight genius

    Weight gain != fat gain

    Steroids cause gains through water weight and weight gain = fat gain? Glad you cleared that up genius.

    I am not saying that diet soda is safe or not, or that it does or does not cause weight gain. I believe ANYTHING put in the body effects how it performs its functions to support life. Saying that it has zero calories so it can not effect a persons weight in any way (either negative or positive) does not seem possible. Even the amount of water a person drinks changes body functions

  • moremuffins
    moremuffins Posts: 46 Member
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    Interesting that a lot of people are using artificial sweetener and aspartame interchangeably. Aspartame is just one of many artificial sweeteners, though it seems to get bagged on the most, and I don't believe the OP specified.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    Interesting that a lot of people are using artificial sweetener and aspartame interchangeably. Aspartame is just one of many artificial sweeteners, though it seems to get bagged on the most, and I don't believe the OP specified.

    It doesn't exactly matter. It appears that all artificial sweeteners are "bad" because "reasons". Let's not let logic get in the way of a good battle of uninformed opinions :)
  • emmanuel4everjackson
    emmanuel4everjackson Posts: 53 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Don't mess with my diet coke!! You can't prove it's unhealthy!! I'm not addicted, I can stop anytime I want!! You are ignorant if you disagree!! (sarcasm)