Diet Coke vs Water??-- 0 cals vs 0 cals

eba2003

I love this thread, especially all the people who are CONVINCED that soda, diet or otherwise, doesn't harm your body, asking for "credible sources" of evidence for anything they don't want to hear and coming up with bs "evidence" backing up their claims that soda is fine. It's a battle we can't win, it's their lives..

I challenge all the regular soda drinkers (a can a day) to not drink it for two weeks and see how they feel after that. They would be surprised.

Hornsby

I've done that. It did nothing for me.

robertw486

Water for me. Because I think Diet Coke is just plain nasty tasting. I never liked the stuff even when I drank a lot of other soda drinks.

I'd rather have the water even if the Diet Coke had health benefits. Some of the others aren't so bad, but I prefer real soda if I'm going to drink something sweet. Real or fake, that sugary taste does seem to make me want more of that sugary stuff at some point. But when I all but quit drinking it (still have a soda a few times a year maybe) I've never missed it. Now it often seems strange when I drink it with certain foods.

AnvilHead

Hornsby wrote: »

I've done that. It did nothing for me.

Ditto. Numerous times. Made no difference whatsoever. I can easily go without diet soda for weeks at a time, just like I can go without beer/alcohol for weeks at a time. Doesn't make any difference to me either way. I drink both of them because I enjoy them, not because I need them or have cravings for them. Everything in moderation.

paperpudding

eba2003 wrote: »

I love this thread, especially all the people who are CONVINCED that soda, diet or otherwise, doesn't harm your body, asking for "credible sources" of evidence for anything they don't want to hear and coming up with bs "evidence" backing up their claims that soda is fine. It's a battle we can't win, it's their lives..

I challenge all the regular soda drinkers (a can a day) to not drink it for two weeks and see how they feel after that. They would be surprised.

There would be times when I don't drink any soda at all for a week or so, other weeks when I have it almost daily.

I feel no different in those times.

Btw, if you feel sources people provide are not credible, then it would be better to explain why - a study was flawed because....., a claim is based on a blog without scientific backing, whatever.

Just saying 'people come up with bs "evidence" doesn't really carry much weight.

mathjulz

paperpudding wrote: »

eba2003 wrote: »

I love this thread, especially all the people who are CONVINCED that soda, diet or otherwise, doesn't harm your body, asking for "credible sources" of evidence for anything they don't want to hear and coming up with bs "evidence" backing up their claims that soda is fine. It's a battle we can't win, it's their lives..

I challenge all the regular soda drinkers (a can a day) to not drink it for two weeks and see how they feel after that. They would be surprised.

There would be times when I don't drink any soda at all for a week or so, other weeks when I have it almost daily.

I feel no different in those times.

Btw, if you feel sources people provide are not credible, then it would be better to explain why - a study was flawed because....., a claim is based on a blog without scientific backing, whatever.

Just saying 'people come up with bs "evidence" doesn't really carry much weight.

I agree.

I've seen a lot of the sources on both sides. And, as someone with two degrees based in understanding research, and evaluating the quality of it, I have to say that most of the "bs 'evidence'" is coming from those who say it's bad for you.

(Before you ask, one degree is in the Social Sciences - where we are all required to take research methodology courses; the other is math & physics)

Interbeing

AnvilHead wrote: »

Interbeing wrote: »

There are a number of peer reviewed studies out now that have shown that artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain and is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Links to said research?

"Diet Soda Intake Is Associated with Long-Term Increases in Waist Circumference in a Biethnic Cohort of Older Adults: The San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging."
A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that increasing diet soda intake is directly linked to greater abdominal obesity in adults 65 years of age and older. Findings raise concerns about the safety of chronic diet soda consumption, which may increase belly fat and contribute to greater risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.
Metabolic syndrome--a combination of risk factors that may lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke--is one of the results of the obesity epidemic. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.9 billion adults were overweight (body mass index [BMI] of 25 or more) in 2014. Of this group, 600 million people fell into the obese range (BMI of 30 or more)--a figure that has more than doubled since 1980.
In an effort to combat obesity, many adults try to reduce sugar intake by turning to nonnutritive or artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose. Previous research shows that in the past 30 years, artificial sweeteners and diet soda intake have increased, yet the prevalence of obesity has also seen a dramatic increase in the same time period. Many of the studies exploring diet soda consumption and cardiometabolic diseases have focused on middle-aged and younger adults.
"Our study seeks to fill the age gap by exploring the adverse health effects of diet soda intake in individuals 65 years of age and older," explains lead author Sharon Fowler, MPH, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "The burden of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, along with healthcare costs, is great in the ever-increasing senior population."
The San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging (SALSA) enrolled 749 Mexican- and European-Americans who were aged 65 and older at the start of the study (1992-96). Diet soda intake, waist circumference, height, and weight were measured at study onset, and at three follow-ups in 2000-01, 2001-03, and 2003-04, for a total of 9.4 follow-up years. At the first follow-up there were 474 (79.1%) surviving participants; there were 413 (73.4%) at the second follow-up and 375 (71.0%) at the third follow-up.
Findings indicate that the increase in waist circumference among diet soda drinkers, per follow-up interval, was almost triple that among non-users: 2.11 cm versus 0.77 cm, respectively. After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, interval waist circumference increases were 0.77 cm for non-users, 1.76 cm for occasional users, and 3.04 cm for daily users. This translates to waist circumference increases of 0.80 inches for non-users, 1.83 inches for occasional users, and 3.16 inches for daily users over the total 9.4-year SALSA follow-up period.
"The SALSA study shows that increasing diet soda intake was associated with escalating abdominal obesity, which may increase cardiometabolic risk in older adults," Fowler concludes. The authors recommend that older individuals who drink diet soda daily, particularly those at high cardiometabolic risk, should try to curb their consumption of artificially sweetened drinks.
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Full citation: "Diet Soda Intake Is Associated with Long-Term Increases in Waist Circumference in a Biethnic Cohort of Older Adults: The San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging." Sharon P.G. Fowler, Ken Williams and Helen P. Hazuda. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; Published Online: March 17, 2015 (DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13376).
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jgs.13376

“The Carcinogenic Effects of Aspartame: The Urgent Need for Regulatory Re-Evaluation”
Aspartame (APM) is an artificial sweetener used since the 1980s, now present in >6,000 products, including over 500 pharmaceuticals. Since its discovery in 1965, and its first approval by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in 1981, the safety of APM, and in particular its carcinogenicity potential, has been controversial. The present commentary reviews the adequacy of the design and conduct of carcinogenicity bioassays on rodents submitted by G.D. Searle, in the 1970s, to the FDA for market approval. We also review how experimental and epidemiological data on the carcinogenic risks of APM, that became available in 2005 motivated the European Commission (EC) to call the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) for urgent re-examination of the available scientific documentation (including the Searle studies). The EC has further requested that, if the results of the evaluation should suggest carcinogenicity, major changes must be made to the current APM specific regulations. Taken together, the studies performed by G.D. Searle in the 1970s and other chronic bioassays do not provide adequate scientific support for APM safety. In contrast, recent results of lifespan carcinogenicity bioassays on rats and mice published in peer-reviewed journals, and a prospective epidemiological study, provide consistent evidence of APM’s carcinogenic potential. On the basis of the evidence of the potential carcinogenic effects of APM herein reported, a re-evaluation of the current position of international regulatory agencies must be considered an urgent matter of public health. Am. J. Ind. Med. 9999;1-17, 2014
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Full citation: " The Carcinogenic Effects of Aspartame: The Urgent Need for Regulatory Re-Evaluation." Morando Soffritti, MD, Michela Padovani, MPH, Eva Tibaldi, PhD, Laura Falcioni, DMV, Fabiana Manservisi, PhD, and Fiorella Belpoggi, PhD. American Journal of Industrial Medicine; Am. J. Ind. Med. 9999;1-17, 2014. (DOI10.1002/ajim.22296).

“A Pavlovian Approach to the Problem of Obesity”
Choosing a diet soft drink over a regular, sugar-packed beverage may not be the best way to fight obesity, according to new research from Purdue University. But the researchers said this doesn't mean you should grab a regularly sweetened soft drink instead. Professor Terry Davidson and associate professor Susan Swithers, both in the Department of Psychological Sciences, found that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body's natural ability to "count" calories based on foods' sweetness. This finding may explain why increasing numbers of people in the United States lack the natural ability to regulate food intake and body weight. The researchers also found that thick liquids aren't as satisfying – calorie for calorie – as are more solid foods. Based on the research, Davidson and Swithers suggest paying more attention to calories consumed and engaging in regular exercise to battle the bulge.

Abstract: During the past 15-20 years the incidence of overweight and obesity in the United States has grown rapidly. The processes that underlie this alarming trend remain largely unspecified. We hypothesize that degradation of the ability to use certain orosensory cues to predict the caloric consequences of intake may contribute to overeating and excessive weight gain. The results of two preliminary studies with rats are consistent with this hypothesis. In one study, the ability of rat pups to regulate their caloric intake after consuming a novel, high-calorie, sweet food was disrupted if they had received prior training with sweet tastes that failed to predict the caloric consequences of eating. Another study found that altering the normal predictive relationship between food viscosity and calories led to increased body weight in adult rats. Dietary factors that degrade the relationship between sweet tastes, food viscosity and calories may contribute to overeating and weight gain.
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Citation: “A Pavlovian Approach to the Problem of Obesity.” Davidson TL, Swithers SE. International Journal of Obesity. 2004; 28: 933–935. DOI:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802660

Interbeing

Still not convinced to give up diet sodas? According to Harvard Health Publications, the artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks (iced tea included) may actually change the way we taste food. Artificial sweeteners are far sweeter than table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, so once we become accustomed to that intense sweetness, less-sweet healthy foods like fruits and vegetables become even less appealing. That means people who regularly drink diet beverages may become more likely to choose high-sugar, highly processed food over whole foods on a regular basis.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030

WinoGelato

Interbeing wrote: »

Still not convinced to give up diet sodas? According to Harvard Health Publications, the artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks (iced tea included) may actually change the way we taste food. Artificial sweeteners are far sweeter than table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, so once we become accustomed to that intense sweetness, less-sweet healthy foods like fruits and vegetables become even less appealing. That means people who regularly drink diet beverages may become more likely to choose high-sugar, highly processed food over whole foods on a regular basis.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030

I've been drinking 1-2 diet sodas a day for about 25 years (I think that qualifies as pretty regularly). I haven't experienced what you are proposing. I enjoy whole foods and highly palatable foods alike. Maybe it kicks in after year 26?

100df

Interbeing wrote: »

Still not convinced to give up diet sodas? According to Harvard Health Publications, the artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks (iced tea included) may actually change the way we taste food. Artificial sweeteners are far sweeter than table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, so once we become accustomed to that intense sweetness, less-sweet healthy foods like fruits and vegetables become even less appealing. That means people who regularly drink diet beverages may become more likely to choose high-sugar, highly processed food over whole foods on a regular basis.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030

I think there is something to artifical sweeteners and overeating. However, quitting diet coke isn't going to magically make it so you don't have cravings and drop weight without effort.

I do feel better now that I don't drink 5 to 6 cans of diet coke a day. I just have one in the morning. I think I feel better because of the lack of caffeine. Not the artificial sweetner.