Zero Calorie Drinks - Opinions?
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I think water is any body's best bet. But once enough water has been had, i don't see any harm in a tea or diet soda in moderation. My current favorite is Professor Fizz from Whole Foods. Very refreshing!0
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Awesome responses - thanks - I would say 100% of people here agree to go ahead and drink away! I like that answer!!!
This is the kind of stuff I was talking about reading:
The study concluded that eating artificially-sweetened foods would eventually lead to greater weight gain than eating foods sweetened with regular sugar would. “Diet” doesn't mean calorie-free. If you still want to drink diet soda, consider that the “no calorie” claim doesn't actually mean “zero.”
Diet soft drinks were once viewed as the ultimate solution to sugar-filled, calorie-laden juice drinks and sodas. Zero calories with the same soda taste? I’ll admit it; I fell for it, too! My diet-soda addiction was basically out of control until I quit cold turkey years ago. I had no idea how harmful the artificial sweeteners and chemicals in my soda could be to my body until I did the research. Once I did, it was easy for me to give it up. Here’s what you DON’T know about diet soda and why it’s actually not helping you lose weight.
Diet soda is loaded with artificial sweeteners and chemicals that can be harmful to your body. Most are sweetened with at least one of these sugar substitutes: acesulfame potassium (marketed under the brand names, Sunett®, Sweet One®), aspartame (Equal®, NutraSweet®), or sucralose (Splenda®). And, yes, they are approved by the FDA, but now hear this: For the past few decades, scientists have studied the effects of artificial sweeteners on both animals and humans. The scientific studies vary significantly: Some show no conclusive, harmful effects to humans, while other studies, mostly on laboratory rats, link these sugar substitutes to cancers, tumors, thyroid issues, and — ironically — even weight gain. According to the National Cancer Institute, laboratory rats that were given cyclamate and saccharin had higher rates of bladder cancer. This led the FDA to ban cyclamate in the United States in 1969. Aspartame was linked to lymphoma and leukemia in rats at very high doses (eight to 2,083 cans of diet soda daily). Although aspartame and other sweeteners including acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and neotame, are still considered safe for humans to consume, is it really worth the risk to your health?
Research has shown that artificial sweeteners may cause you to eat more. When we eat regular sugar, our bodies register the sweetness and come to understand that very sweet things contain a lot of calories. Studies suggest that using artificial sweeteners, tricks our bodies so that our internal ability to count calories is thrown way off. A study from Purdue University’s Ingestive Behavior Research Center showed that rats given “no calorie” sweetener ate more, thereby gaining more weight and body fat than rats that ate regular table sugar. The psychologists in the study reasoned that the artificial sweetener tricked the rats’ brains into thinking they would be consuming more calories, and when the calories didn't come, their metabolisms got shaken up and had trouble regulating appetite: This made them want to eat more. The study concluded that eating artificially-sweetened foods would eventually lead to greater weight gain than eating foods sweetened with regular sugar would.
“Diet” doesn’t mean calorie-free. If you still want to drink diet soda, consider that the “no calorie” claim doesn’t actually mean “zero.” Although diet sodas with aspartame may be labeled as “calorie-free,” aspartame breaks down in the body into methanol and amino acids, which generate calories. The caloric amount is small enough for beverage companies to list as “no calorie” (fewer than five calories per labeled serving, according to FDA standards), but keep in mind that drinking diet soda in excess will definitely add extra calories to your diet. For "low-calorie" sodas, by the way, the FDA standard is greater than 30 calories but no more than 40 calories per labeled serving.0 -
“Diet” doesn't mean calorie-free. If you still want to drink diet soda, consider that the “no calorie” claim doesn't actually mean “zero.”
You'd have to drink a lot of diet soda/zero calorie drinks for them to have any real effect on your weight. We're talking about <5 cals per 12 oz. serving.0 -
ColoradoDan wrote: »Awesome responses - thanks - I would say 100% of people here agree to go ahead and drink away! I like that answer!!!
This is the kind of stuff I was talking about reading:
The study concluded that eating artificially-sweetened foods would eventually lead to..... <snipped>
That's Internet blog trash. Don't fall for Internet blog trash would be my advice. There's a ton of it out there and it's written in a way to pass itself of as science and facts, but it isn't.
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ColoradoDan wrote: »Awesome responses - thanks - I would say 100% of people here agree to go ahead and drink away! I like that answer!!!
This is the kind of stuff I was talking about reading:
The study concluded that eating artificially-sweetened foods would eventually lead to..... <snipped>
That's Internet blog trash. Don't fall for Internet blog trash would be my advice. There's a ton of it out there and it's written in a way to pass itself of as science and facts, but it isn't.
+1. Nothing but scaremongering. There's a long thread here on MFP about aspartame which lists numerous studies debunking the "dangers" of it. The rat studies 1) used rats which are genetically inclined toward cancerous tumors and 2) administered artificial sweeteners in staggering amounts far beyond what any human would consume.
Since the article wasn't linked/attributed, I searched for it. Links included results by Hyman and Mercola, both noted crackpots. Not surprising in the least.0 -
Good to know.0
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Because it feels lonely all unnoticed in the other thread.
"Thus, one would ask, “Why is there a need for a comprehensive review of aspartame safety data at this point in
time?” Questions about its safety continue to be raised by a few individuals. Safety issues long ago resolved to the
satisfaction of regulatory agencies and expert committees are today resurrected by some as if new. Early on these
issues were based on scientific hypothesis, misinterpretation of data, and/or anecdotal reports of adverse health
effects. Recently spurious and imaginative, hypothetical questions that are lacking even anecdotal support or a
logical scientific rationale have compounded these issues. Given the extensive safety database and many years
of safe human exposure, the continuing debate about aspartame is most unusual."
http://seriecientifica.org/sites/default/files/scl_enc_butchko.pdf
This is a long, very, very, long review of tons of available studies on aspartame, the main sweetener which those fear mongerings are directed at. There is another good one by the EFSA, also very very long.
They both come to the conclusion that there is absolutely no dangers coming from them in the amounts considered safe and the quoted part above rips into the fear mongering already in the introduction.0 -
georgyporcupine wrote: »No calories but they're made of pure yuck!
Green tea is made of yuck? Interesting conclusion.
I love teas, but any artificial sweetener (like in your sobe drink you mention, and diet soda) gives me massive headaches, as does MSG laden foods.0 -
georgyporcupine wrote: »No calories but they're made of pure yuck!
Which is better for you than impure yuck I guess?0 -
georgyporcupine wrote: »No calories but they're made of pure yuck!
Which is better for you than impure yuck I guess?
At least if it's pure yuck, you can still consider it "clean eating".
Seeing as how any soda is about 95% water, I can't see how it could be considered "pure yuck".0 -
georgyporcupine wrote: »No calories but they're made of pure yuck!
Which is better for you than impure yuck I guess?
At least if it's pure yuck, you can still consider it "clean eating".
Seeing as how any soda is about 95% water, I can't see how it could be considered "pure yuck".
It's watered down yuck!0 -
Big_Gulps_Huh wrote: »I drink it quite a bit. There was a time when I thought they were sick. Coke Zero is my jam. I still have milk and juice and stuff. And booze of course. Whatever floats ones boat I guess.
Says the person with big gulps as their user name. I believe you!0 -
I drink sparkling water (LaCrox) like it's going out of style. There is a berry flavor and a passionfruit that is to DIE for - so refreshing and 0 calories (no artificial sweetners, either). The water saves me most days - when I'm hungry I drink a can, and then I'm good
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I do water and coffee..... Cut soda out over two years ago. If you ask me soda's are pure yuck and aren't healthy for you at all. But that's opinion and preference!0
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ColoradoDan wrote: »So I want to get everyone's opinion.
Recently I have been drinking Pure Leaf (brand) Unsweetened Green Team and Black tea in the morning. Is that okay - I don't like hot tea but these are cold and something that tastes different than water!
Today someone offered me a SobeLife Water - they said have this instead - more flavor and still ) sugar, 0 calories, and 0 artificial sweeteners.
I think I have always heard to steer away from the zero calorie drinks like that because whatever they use to sweeten them still can cause weight gain. I have always heard drinking Diet Coke and Coke Zero is almost as bad for you as regular coke and that is has been proven to cause weight gain in some.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS?
Those things you heard are the baseless ravings of paranoids and conspiracy nuts. There is zero science that supports these assertions.0 -
Love all this info - such smart informed people here.0
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I don't generally prefer artificially sweetened drinks - the weird aftertaste and they sometimes make me feel crummy in general. I don't know what's in there, but a diet coke seems to make me feel kind of bloated and sluggish. Might be in my head. I can be weird about things like that.
But that's just me. A calorie is a calorie, so I mean, if you like them, knock yourself out.0
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