Aspartame in diet sodas causes diabets and weight gain?!
sarahdancerq
Posts: 3 Member
While my parents were getting onto me about my weight that was brought up. Not used this appsince high school. I'm 21 now and 226.6 lbs 5'4"..... Yay. Is it true? Cause I love my diet soda and zero soda alternatives to regular soda 
(
( 29
Replies
-
No, it's not true.36
-
It does not. What causes diabetes is being over-fat, being inactive and genetics. Things like smoking/drinking can also have some effect. And in fact, the american diabetes foundation promotes diet sodas as a means to cut calories.33
-
People that are overweight and have diabetes are more likely to drink diet sodas14
-
6
-
Just read this yesterday:
Is Diet Soda Actually Bad For You?
Here's what the experts have to say about diet soda
BY NINA BAHADUR FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH September 6, 2017
Diet soda may seem like a fairly harmless treat. After all, it's low-calorie and not sweetened with sugar! But experts are worried about the chemicals present in diet soda, as well as studies linking it to health problems. Which begs the question: Is diet soda bad for you?
Turns out, there's not a huge consensus on the topic. For some experts, diet soda is just not worth it. "Just get rid of it," Keri Glassman, R.D.N., advises. "It is filled with unhealthy chemicals, including artificial sweeteners, which actually make you crave more calories later." Glassman notes that diet drinks are linked to weight gain, increased blood pressure, and diabetes.
But Cara Harbstreet, R.D., of Street Smart Nutrition thinks the issue is a bit more nuanced. She points out that a lot of the research is self-reported by participants, so it may not be completely accurate. Plus, she says that observational studies can't establish a distinct "cause and effect" relationship. "Consumers of diet soda who engage in other lifestyle behaviors associated with poor health outcomes are at a greater risk than those who balance their intake of diet soda with other healthful habits," she says. Variables at play, she says, include being sedentary versus being active, tobacco and alcohol use, and more. "The variables make it difficult to pinpoint whether diet soda consumption alone is the cause of negative health outcomes, or whether it’s the culmination of a number of factors," she says. "I lean towards the latter, since nothing in nutrition or health exists in a vacuum."
Harbstreet says that many of her clients struggle to give up carbonated beverages entirely, because who doesn't love bubbles? "Choosing to drink (or eat) any one specific item is always a deeply personal choice," Harbstreet says. "So I pose the question, which is the lesser of two evils? You always have a choice and in this case it comes down to whether you’d rather have a small amount of artificial sweetener in your drink or a high amount of refined and added sugar." For those looking to cut down, she recommends taking a few steps like switching to seltzer or no longer keeping soda in the house, but ordering it at a restaurant or bar. (Kick-start your new, healthy routine with Women's Health's 12-Week Total-Body Transformation!)
Harbstreet also encourages her clients to look at the bigger picture, and keep everything they consume in context. "A single ingredient or food doesn’t have the ability to completely derail an otherwise balanced and nourishing way of eating," she says. "So if they want to indulge from time to time, I support that. After all, I do that myself!"
The bottom line: Diet soda consumption is linked to some pretty serious health problems. But if it's your go-to indulgence, it's not the end of the world—especially if you're otherwise engaged in healthy lifestyle choices.
59 -
No11
-
Just read this yesterday:
Is Diet Soda Actually Bad For You?
Here's what the experts have to say about diet soda
BY NINA BAHADUR FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH September 6, 2017
Diet soda may seem like a fairly harmless treat. After all, it's low-calorie and not sweetened with sugar! But experts are worried about the chemicals present in diet soda, as well as studies linking it to health problems. Which begs the question: Is diet soda bad for you?
Turns out, there's not a huge consensus on the topic. For some experts, diet soda is just not worth it. "Just get rid of it," Keri Glassman, R.D.N., advises. "It is filled with unhealthy chemicals, including artificial sweeteners, which actually make you crave more calories later." Glassman notes that diet drinks are linked to weight gain, increased blood pressure, and diabetes.
But Cara Harbstreet, R.D., of Street Smart Nutrition thinks the issue is a bit more nuanced. She points out that a lot of the research is self-reported by participants, so it may not be completely accurate. Plus, she says that observational studies can't establish a distinct "cause and effect" relationship. "Consumers of diet soda who engage in other lifestyle behaviors associated with poor health outcomes are at a greater risk than those who balance their intake of diet soda with other healthful habits," she says. Variables at play, she says, include being sedentary versus being active, tobacco and alcohol use, and more. "The variables make it difficult to pinpoint whether diet soda consumption alone is the cause of negative health outcomes, or whether it’s the culmination of a number of factors," she says. "I lean towards the latter, since nothing in nutrition or health exists in a vacuum."
Harbstreet says that many of her clients struggle to give up carbonated beverages entirely, because who doesn't love bubbles? "Choosing to drink (or eat) any one specific item is always a deeply personal choice," Harbstreet says. "So I pose the question, which is the lesser of two evils? You always have a choice and in this case it comes down to whether you’d rather have a small amount of artificial sweetener in your drink or a high amount of refined and added sugar." For those looking to cut down, she recommends taking a few steps like switching to seltzer or no longer keeping soda in the house, but ordering it at a restaurant or bar. (Kick-start your new, healthy routine with Women's Health's 12-Week Total-Body Transformation!)
Harbstreet also encourages her clients to look at the bigger picture, and keep everything they consume in context. "A single ingredient or food doesn’t have the ability to completely derail an otherwise balanced and nourishing way of eating," she says. "So if they want to indulge from time to time, I support that. After all, I do that myself!"
The bottom line: Diet soda consumption is linked to some pretty serious health problems. But if it's your go-to indulgence, it's not the end of the world—especially if you're otherwise engaged in healthy lifestyle choices.
IMO, I would never take the advice from a magazine. And if anything, I would much rather take the advice of a PhD over a RD.
https://youtu.be/Dod6bUZYz4w
ps - those unhealthy chemicals are a dipeptide of amino acids.21 -
No calorie or very low calorie soda (by itself) will not cause weight gain. Too many calories = weight gain.
I guess if you are "rewarding" yourself with an extra snack because you "saved" calories by drinking something low calorie you could gain weight. But you wouldn't eat extra calories every time you drank a glass of water.15 -
Good news. Diet soda does not cause diabetes or weight gain.
Bad news; being overweight increases your risk for insulin resistance and diabetes.
More good news, by modestly restricting your calories you can get to a healthier weight...while continuing to enjoy your sodas. Maybe skipping the fries.
My advice, hide the diet sodas when your parents visit, including the empties, and have some empty vodka bottles and a pack of cigarette papers strewn artistically around your room. Give them something new to worry about.
http://www.snopes.com/college/pranks/letter.asp57 -
Among other changes to bring my calorie consumption down, I traded my many, many sugary beverages for aspartamey ones.
Here comes the ticker again...
54 -
-
There are some data that some forms of artificial sweeteners affect the gut micro biome & insulin response in an unhelpful way - but there are no conclusive data at this time, OP.
8 -
Eating too many calories makes you fat.
Anyone blaming anything else is just trying to sell you something.24 -
Meh. I'd rather go for the sugar than a fake.17
-
Nothing wrong with it. I have lost weight and maintained while consuming up to 1 litre a day.10
-
Good news. Diet soda does not cause diabetes or weight gain.
Bad news; being overweight increases your risk for insulin resistance and diabetes.
More good news, by modestly restricting your calories you can get to a healthier weight...while continuing to enjoy your sodas. Maybe skipping the fries.
My advice, hide the diet sodas when your parents visit, including the empties, and have some empty vodka bottles and a pack of cigarette papers strewn artistically around your room. Give them something new to worry about.
http://www.snopes.com/college/pranks/letter.asp
LOL1 -
Have know that aspartame is not a good thing after my kids had a reaction to the stuff when they were young. To make matters worst sugar free was included in a lot of medical products. Would not use then and will not touch now. Believe aspartame to very dangerous to all. It does however made chemical companies a lot of pennies?????
57 -
There are some data that some forms of artificial sweeteners affect the gut micro biome & insulin response in an unhelpful way - but there are no conclusive data at this time, OP.
There are a lot of things that can adjust gut microbes. But changes in gut bacteria can be good bad or indifferent. But you would be hard pressed to see any research that supports that non calorie sweeteners have an effect on insulin.8 -
For a lot of magazines, people can get articles published without much effort if they pay the fee for it, so I'd take anything written down in them with a grain of salt. I drink diet sodas twice a day (one with lunch, one with dinner) and if they made you gain weight then I'd still be well over 300 pounds now (down to 268 atm).8
-
sarahdancerq wrote: »While my parents were getting onto me about my weight that was brought up. Not used this appsince high school. I'm 21 now and 226.6 lbs 5'4"..... Yay. Is it true? Cause I love my diet soda and zero soda alternatives to regular soda(
I drink zero-cal soda (although I opt for Zevia brand not "diet" brand names) and never had an issue besides maybe some bloating from the carbonation.0 -
geeness2004 wrote: »Have know that aspartame is not a good thing after my kids had a reaction to the stuff when they were young. To make matters worst sugar free was included in a lot of medical products. Would not use then and will not touch now. Believe aspartame to very dangerous to all. It does however made chemical companies a lot of pennies?????
Strong first post.33 -
geeness2004 wrote: »Have know that aspartame is not a good thing after my kids had a reaction to the stuff when they were young. To make matters worst sugar free was included in a lot of medical products. Would not use then and will not touch now. Believe aspartame to very dangerous to all. It does however made chemical companies a lot of pennies?????
To answer your apparently very desperate question (judging by the amount of question marks) yes. The companies that sell aspartame are definitely earning many pennies from those sales. But probably not in penny form. Largely because they don't want to pay extra employees to do nothing but roll pennys all day long :-)13 -
geeness2004 wrote: »Have know that aspartame is not a good thing after my kids had a reaction to the stuff when they were young. To make matters worst sugar free was included in a lot of medical products. Would not use then and will not touch now. Believe aspartame to very dangerous to all. It does however made chemical companies a lot of pennies?????
Yes, some people have negative reactions to aspartame, just like some people have negative reactions to peanuts or shellfish. This doesn't make the product bad, it just means that those people should avoid that product. Aspartame is the single most studied artificial sweetener on the planet and has been deemed safe for human consumption (I believe the thread on aspartame was linked up-thread of this).
Oh, by the way - if we actually banned all of the foods that can cause bad reactions across the population of the planet, there would literally be nothing left on the planet that we could eat!28 -
I love how people read: "The variables make it difficult to pinpoint whether diet soda consumption alone is the cause of negative health outcomes, or whether it’s the culmination of a number of factors ... I lean towards the latter, since nothing in nutrition or health exists in a vacuum" and interpret it as: "DIET SODA MAKES YOU FAT!"12
-
In the last 5 weeks I've lost 8.8lbs. I only have 5lbs left to lose. Of all those days, I've had 1 16.9oz bottle of Diet Coke EVERY day.
Weight loss is based ONLY on a calorie deficit. Diet Soda has NO calories, so how, logically, could it cause weight gain?9 -
There is one interesting statistic. People that choose to drink water instead of diet sodas tend to weigh less. Why? We may never know. I read it in Prevention Magazine. I'm not going to spend the time looking it up.34
-
Good news. Diet soda does not cause diabetes or weight gain.
Bad news; being overweight increases your risk for insulin resistance and diabetes.
More good news, by modestly restricting your calories you can get to a healthier weight...while continuing to enjoy your sodas. Maybe skipping the fries.
My advice, hide the diet sodas when your parents visit, including the empties, and have some empty vodka bottles and a pack of cigarette papers strewn artistically around your room. Give them something new to worry about.
http://www.snopes.com/college/pranks/letter.asp
I currently live under their roof at the moment. Had to move back home.0 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »There is one interesting statistic. People that choose to drink water instead of diet sodas tend to weigh less. Why? We may never know. I read it in Prevention Magazine. I'm not going to spend the time looking it up.
Well, I'm convinced. Time to go home, folks! Leave your diet coke by the door on your way out!17 -
The two I had in my room at the moment are diet root beer ...Wal-Mart off brand and coke zero. When my fiance and i go out I get a no or low cal soda if I want a soda or water depending on my budget. I've been drinking no cal. Sparkling water too.
I don't get how people say also soda is bad cause it makes you wanna eat more cause you don't feel full. But my belly does the opposite LOL3 -
kristen8000 wrote: »In the last 5 weeks I've lost 8.8lbs. I only have 5lbs left to lose. Of all those days, I've had 1 16.9oz bottle of Diet Coke EVERY day.
Weight loss is based ONLY on a calorie deficit. Diet Soda has NO calories, so how, logically, could it cause weight gain?
Well you see, that's because you only drink 16.9oz a day. 17oz is the magic limit where it starts adding weight.21
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions