Is giving up diet soda really worth it?

ThinLizzie0802

Look, soda is unnecessary, and on your weight loss journey you are training yourself to cut out useless junk. You don't need a treat. You are not a dog. Yes, soda is not good for you. I didn't say it was bad for you, what I said was it isn't good for you. Which no one can prove to you that it has any benefits. Your original post says it all- you are going through withdrawal. And if something causes you to go through withdrawal then why would you want to be consuming it? Caffeine, sugar, drugs, alcohol- all cause your body to go through withdrawal because we aren't meant to consume them. Your body is telling you straight up you've done damage to it and now it needs to recover. Should a heroin addict give up treatment because their body is sick from withdrawal? No. Can you imagine how nice it will be to have control over your body again and not let it decided what you need and want?

jonnythan

OK I went and looked up one of the studies the health blog blurb talks about. Here's the actual results of the study:

"Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened (diet) soda was independently associated with eGFR decline ≥30% (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.01) and ≥3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.55). No increased risk for eGFR decline was observed for <2 servings per day of diet soda. No associations were noted between diet soda and MA or sugar soda and MA or eGFR decline.
Conclusions Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened soda is associated with a 2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women."

Here's part of the health blog's interpretation of these results:

"Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day."

Uh huh.

ThinLizzie0802

OK I went and looked up one of the studies the health blog blurb talks about. Here's the actual results of the study:

"Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened (diet) soda was independently associated with eGFR decline ≥30% (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.01) and ≥3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.55). No increased risk for eGFR decline was observed for <2 servings per day of diet soda. No associations were noted between diet soda and MA or sugar soda and MA or eGFR decline.
Conclusions Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened soda is associated with a 2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women."

Here's part of the health blog's interpretation of these results:

"Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day."

Uh huh.

I have seen this happen first hand. My childhood best friend was a diet coke drinker from under the age of ten until she became pregnant with her daughter last year at the age of 24. She did not drink hardly any water, just diet coke. She has kidney failure, full blown, at the age of 24. And SHE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS IF SHE HAD CUT OUT THE UNNECESSARY CONSUMPTION OF A MAN MADE DRINK.

jonnythan

OK I went and looked up one of the studies the health blog blurb talks about. Here's the actual results of the study:

"Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened (diet) soda was independently associated with eGFR decline ≥30% (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.01) and ≥3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.55). No increased risk for eGFR decline was observed for <2 servings per day of diet soda. No associations were noted between diet soda and MA or sugar soda and MA or eGFR decline.
Conclusions Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened soda is associated with a 2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women."

Here's part of the health blog's interpretation of these results:

"Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day."

Uh huh.

I have seen this happen first hand. My childhood best friend was a diet coke drinker from under the age of ten until she became pregnant with her daughter last year at the age of 24. She did not drink hardly any water, just diet coke. She has kidney failure, full blown, at the age of 24. And SHE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS IF SHE HAD CUT OUT THE UNNECESSARY CONSUMPTION OF A MAN MADE DRINK.

You don't know what caused her kidney problems.

ThinLizzie0802

That's funny because her doctor has endlessly discussed with her how her consumption of diet coke has been extremely toxic to her body and has led to her kidney failure. Every time I see you in a post your combative and unsupportive and advocating for your unhealthy eating habits. You never, ever take into consideration that what works for you may not work for others. You constantly act as though people are idiots for not wanting to consume crap. In general, you're unpleasant. No other factors in her life, genetic or environmental, predispose her to kidney failure other than her lack of water/constant coke swilling.

gsgitu

OK I went and looked up one of the studies the health blog blurb talks about. Here's the actual results of the study:

"Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened (diet) soda was independently associated with eGFR decline ≥30% (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.01) and ≥3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.36 to 3.55). No increased risk for eGFR decline was observed for <2 servings per day of diet soda. No associations were noted between diet soda and MA or sugar soda and MA or eGFR decline.
Conclusions Consumption of ≥2 servings per day of artificially sweetened soda is associated with a 2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women."

Here's part of the health blog's interpretation of these results:

"Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day."

Uh huh.

I have seen this happen first hand. My childhood best friend was a diet coke drinker from under the age of ten until she became pregnant with her daughter last year at the age of 24. She did not drink hardly any water, just diet coke. She has kidney failure, full blown, at the age of 24. And SHE WOULD NOT HAVE THIS IF SHE HAD CUT OUT THE UNNECESSARY CONSUMPTION OF A MAN MADE DRINK.

You don't know what caused her kidney problems.

yes, bold claim to make. sorry about her friend but i hope there is some lab/blood work and a whole lot of tests to back up this claim. to come on here stating a form of a beverage is a cause of major kidney failure, based on a hunch, is not right.
from the neutral party. here is my search results, and none show anything other than a link to lifestyle choices and health.
http://scitechdaily.com/study-links-diet-soda-with-depression-in-older-adults/
http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singleformat2.asp?newID=3861
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050613/drink-more-diet-soda-gain-more-weight
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-there-a-link-between-diet-soda-and-heart-disease-201202214296
http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-011-1968-2
http://bionews-tx.com/news/2013/05/23/ut-health-science-center-study-reveals-how-diet-soda-contributes-to-obesity-poor-health/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20075358-10391704/new-study-is-wake-up-call-for-diet-soda-drinkers

beatleschic87

I think it's all about moderation.

Soda, whether diet or not, is not natural. It's syrup, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, more chemicals than I care to prounounce and yet it's amazing and delicious. Coke Zero is seriously amazing and I love it, but I probably only have it once a month or so.

It's not a weight loss thing, I just don't like that junk going in my body in excess.

jushanna

I asked the same thing. Me and a co-worker made a compact to limit our drinks to 20oz a day. This about killed me, I had the worse cravings ever. I decided to quit cold turkey and had no problems. Every now and then I get the need for some carbonation and I get a 20oz Dt Mountain Dew. When I stopped the drinks, I increased my water and drank regular tea- the result was a 10lb weight gain. I hope us giving up the drinks help in some way. Keep it up, meet you at the finish line!

RaineMarie

Back in 2008 I gave up soda for about 6 months. I couldnt believe how much better I felt. The first few weeks were tough with caffeine withdrawal - I am not a big coffee drinker, so soda was my only caffeine source. I also only drank regular soda - the taste of diet soda is absolutely disgusting to me. Anyway, after 6 months I started drinking it again. At first it tasted icky, but if you drink it more often you get used to it again. So about 6 months after that I started cutting it out again and I was soda free for about a year. After that I started occasionally drinking it - like once every month or so. I consider it a treat now, but honestly, I really just dont like spending my calories on soda, when I can drink water and save those calories for something else.

H_Factor

I gave up diet soda first in April 2011 (lasted until September 2012 when I had some regression because of some nasty life things)....and again around Memorial Day this year. Both times I gave it up, I had some caffeine withdrawal headaches (I don't drink any other caffeine....only water). Know that water is an acquired taste. Right now, it may seem like a taste that you'd rather not acquire....but I can tell you from personal experience that the taste of water grew on me both times I kicked diet soda to the curb. After a couple of weeks each time I went to water-only, I began feeling more energized. I no longer had the highs and lows from caffeine in my system. I feel better when I drink only water. simple as that.

mclgo

LOL

KatLifter

<sips a diet coke>

42hockeymom

Without all the scientific background to back me up and just my personal experience, in a word: YES.

I didn't give it up for my "health" though, really. It was hockey season, my daughters coach asked that the kids not drink soda, so I figured that if she was doing it, I could, too. Sort of a solidarity thing for her. Was I setting a good example for her? Maybe. Probably. But I just figured it wasn't a bad idea so, why not?

It's been interesting to see our soda consumption since that day. I never started drinking it again, really. And when I have I can't because the carbonation is just to much for me now, that, and for me, personally, it's like drinking syrup anymore. So I don't drink soda.

My daughter will have one occasionally but if it's 1 in 3 mos I'd be shocked. She's like me and drinks a lot of water, neither of us really miss soda.

While I can't vouch that my health has changed either for the better or worse because I've stopped drinking soda, I can say that I'm happy I don't drink it anymore and that I don't have to depend on it.

If it's the caffeine that's making you like this, keep going, you'll start to feel better soon I promise. If it's the sugar/sweetner same answer. If it's worth it to you (and only you can answer this, and I'm not belittling you in that statement) then quit, if it's not that big of a deal, don't quit. Don't let anyone bully you into it. However if you've been told by your healthcare provider it'd be a good idea, I'd definitely give it a good try.

Keep it up.

blacroix8289

I have been successful at giving up soda a day or 2, but not for any extensive period. I'm not a coffee drinker, so diet soda really gets me my caffeine fix. I would try limiting the number of cans of soda daily first, then after getting to 1, try 1 every other day. I admire your cold turkey approach.

pchesnut

I have never been a big soda drinker but one thing I DID love to drink was Red Bull. I loved the energy I got from them and the clearness of mind they provided. But when I started my health journey I knew they had to go. They were empty calories and I could only imagine how unhealthy they were (I never really wanted to think about that before)
I quit cold turkey and the first 5 days I had a horrible headache from the lack of caffeine. Thank Goodness for Excedrin extra strength (which actually has caffeine)
Once I got through those first few days and felt better, I no longer feel the 'need' for the rush of caffeine. I still crave the taste but because it's so addictive I steer clear. Addictions (in ANY form) rob you of your freedom to choose and that just plain SUCKS!

I'd rather keep my freedom.

Good luck on your journey

rachseby

I think it's all about moderation.

Soda, whether diet or not, is not natural. It's syrup, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, more chemicals than I care to prounounce and yet it's amazing and delicious. Coke Zero is seriously amazing and I love it, but I probably only have it once a month or so.

It's not a weight loss thing, I just don't like that junk going in my body in excess.

This!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

No.

rachseby

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sugary-vs-diet-drinks/

This article presents both sides of the argument. And points to, as many have suggested, moderation.

EasilyLed

I am lucky/unlucky (depending on your view) in the case that I can't have a sweetener without a terrific headache. So diet drinks have never been much of an issue....... However after reading all this I am craving a full sugared cola!

MaryPoppinsIAint

Like the OP, I can't have just one a week. If it's in the house, I will drink it. Makes it tough on my hubby who still likes to drink soda, but he is considerately only buying the smaller bottles for his lunches and not keeping 2 liters in the house (once it goes flat I won't drink it ... blech).

So I'm another all-or-nothing person. Occasionally (like last week) I get maaaaaaaaaaajor soda cravings, so I'll have a glass while we're eating out, or buy one little bottle or can, but for the most part I don't drink soda anymore. It's been years since I was a regular soda drinker.

I ALWAYS feel better when I'm off the soda. My muscles don't twitch, it's MUCH easier to stay hydrated, and I don't get the periodic caffeine-crash headaches from going too long without.

Short answer, yes, it's worth it.

RachyLovesRattys

Before joining this site, I drank 4 liters of full sugar Coke every day. In one year, I gained 20 pounds. I also would be violently nauseous every morning until my first few sips (usually to the point of vomiting) and slept horribly. AND i still drank 8 glasses of water a day....it just didn't matter anymore. Finally, I read a story of a young woman who died doing the same thing. She woke up every morning and vomited just like I did. Then suddenly, she was dead. I gave up cold turkey, and 7 months later---I don't even miss it! I bought a SodaStream though---for seltzer (my new addiction!)

Fullsterkur_woman

It's an interesting thing I'm noticing....

A lot of people demonize diet soda because of aspartame, though no one seems to have much of a problem with Crystal Light. And you never hear much about sucralose. Coke Zero has sucralose instead of aspartame but it's still part of the "diet soda = evil" group.

A lot of people demonize diet soda because of caffeine, but no one seems to have a problem with coffee.

A lot of people demonize diet soda because of the carbonation, but no one seems to have a problem with seltzer.

I totally agree with all of your points about "can't prove a negative" and the funny biz about "caffeinated diet soda = bad, coffee = good", "diet soda = bad, seltzer = good" or "diet aspartame soda = bad, Crystal Light = good".

However, it is not true that Coke Zero has sucralose instead of aspartame. That was Diet Coke with Splenda and it wasn't as good as Coke Zero. I just looked up coca-cola.com and got the ingredients of Coke Zero:
Carbonated Water, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Aspartame, Potassium Benzoate (to protect taste), Natural Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Acesulfame Potassium, Caffeine

You can see that they're mixing Ace-K and aspartame, which is what accounts for the better taste. Sweeteners have a synergistic effect, so you can get the same amount of sweetness for less product. It probably also improves the flavor profile by stimulating slightly different receptors with each sweetener.

Also of note is phosphoric acid instead of citric acid that most sodas use. Coke Zero and Diet Dr Pepper both use phosphoric acid instead. There is some indication that it can cause a slight increase in calcium loss, but only in the presence of caffeine, and they hypothesized it might only be temporary, leading to a reduced calcium loss later. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphoric_acid#In_soft_drinks For my part, I've had numerous DEXA scans and bone density checks throughout the most hardcore periods of caffeinated diet soda use, and it did not cause me a problem with bone density loss. However, the plural of anecdote is still not data...

Here's a bit of cool news though, in a few weeks, we can expect to see that last ingredient dropped from some Coke Zero. They're launching a caffeine-free version! Yay!

Of course, it won't be in fountains or vending machines, which is when I want to drink it. I promised not to drink soda around my husband because he's decided to quit. I know how mind-stunningly annoying it is to watch him get to eat whatever he wants and not get fat, so I don't want to put him through the same thing with soda. I think I can be happy with one bottle a day at work, plus Mio Energy in the morning and plain Mio the rest of the day. On weekends I'll probably enjoy iced tea with Splenda at restaurants.

But since I drink something that contains "chemicals" (ALL THINGS ARE CHEMICALS!) people are going to tell me that's not good enough. Good thing I'm too old to care what people tell me...

jerrydoll321

I was a Diet Coke addict. I probably drank a six pack or more a day. A year ago I developed digestive issues, mainly diarhea and stomach cramps. They took my gall bladder out. No change. After a colonoscopy I was diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis. Tried to eat better but no change. Every time I would eat anything, I would have to run to the bathroom about an hour later. Sometimes even sooner.

A month ago, I gave up Diet Soda. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But the payoff aphas been worth it. I did not change my diet in any other way. Within a week I had returned to normal bowel movements. No more stomach cramps and no more running to the bathroom as soon as I eat.

I wish I had tried this a year ago, but live and learn, I guess.

There have beebpn two times in the last month that I did have a small diet coke because the was nothing else to drink. It didn't bother me, but it just didn't taste good to me anymore either.

I won't say I will never drink it In the future. But I will be very careful with it In the future. It is poison to my system. Not being on it anymore has changed my life!

Amelia7779

I quit diet coke as a nye resolution this year...cold turkey. Cravings stopped after a few days (I had been in the 4-6 can a day range for years).

Here's the thing...after a couple months, I felt...no different. At all. And I missed it so I started drinking it again. Whatevs. Diet coke has no bearing on MY weight, energy, or anything else.

Amandawith3kids

i mostly gave up soda because its too much friggin money. hard to buy enough food on 100/wk and still buy soda too. i'll have one out or something, but it's rare. i never did drink diet cause i think its nasty.

was it worth it? yes, because i had enough money for food for my kids. for me? meh. i wasnt hooked on it. now cigarettes.. THOSE i was hooked on. ( i quit those too btw)