Artificial Sweetners-Gum and Diet Pop

dmz1983
dmz1983 Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,
What are your experiences with artificial sweeteners? I do not tolerate stevia well as it drops my blood pressure tremendously and causes frequent and urgent urination. I personally dropped all artificial sweeteners for years due to the bad press but I find that it doesn't affect my weight. I actually find that I'll eat less. Instead of dessert I'll have gum. Sometimes in the afternoon a diet pop will help curve my appetite. What have you all experienced? I have also dug into a lot of the research and it actually reassures me that it has been the most studied substance in the food supply and deemed to be safe (not saccharin).
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Replies

  • dmz1983
    dmz1983 Posts: 32 Member
    I'm confused. I find LOADS of scientific information that diet pop is safe and nothing conclusive to it damaging gut bacteria etc. I have never experienced weight gain from it. In fact, quite the opposite-I usually loose weight. Don't get me wrong, I realize it is not a health food. I also realize it can be hard on your bones and teeth in excess. But I guess I 'm just wondering if anyone has noticed this as well or if anyone has indeed noticed weight gain etc? I'm looking for personal experiences-not what is preached all over the internet or tv doctors. I'm confused because there is SO MUCH information out there. I'm confused because my own personal experience has been pleasant but I don't want to be sabotaging my health either.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
    edited January 2018
    I agree with @janejellyroll and feel any negative impacts are largely psychological in nature (over consuming due to a feeling of 'doing well' by consuming diet soda instead of regular) which is probably why artificial sweetener convert studies have found them to be useful for energy reduction.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners-is-the-evidence-as-sweet-as-these-substitutes/

    anecdotally, I go through periods of consuming and not consuming diet softdrinks, and don't notice any difference in weight loss.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    fuzzylop72 wrote: »
    I agree with @janejellyroll and feel any negative impacts are largely psychological in nature (over consuming due to a feeling of 'doing well' by consuming diet soda instead of regular) which is probably why artificial sweetener convert studies have found them to be useful for energy reduction.

    https://examine.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners-is-the-evidence-as-sweet-as-these-substitutes/

    anecdotally, I go through periods of consuming and not consuming diet softdrinks, and don't notice any difference in weight loss.

    Yes, if you're not paying attention to calories it is very easy to think "Well, I had diet soda so I'm going to have [x]." Replacing a caloric substance with a zero calorie substance is only going to work for weight loss if you don't replace the calories with something else.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,586 Member
    What? Diet soda doesn't cancel out the calories from the rest of your meal? :)
  • terewats
    terewats Posts: 2 Member
    i was a diet coke addict who drank 2-3 two liters a day, noticed it gave me cravings for salty savory foods or sometimes sweets. Started drinking diet coke when I was a teenager and later became obese. Now I stopped and drink just water.
  • LilFoxtrot
    LilFoxtrot Posts: 91 Member
    Honestly I just think its gross :P but I have seen 'studies' that go in both directions (positive and negative) so I think that's a choice you have to make on your own.

    Here's what my aunt's doctor had to say:
    My aunt has been drinking diet coke since she was in her 20's (now in her 60's) and has brittle bones that according to her doctor 'look like swiss cheese' and he attributes her decades of drinking diet coke and not much else to *kitten* up her bones. Whether the guy's a crackpot or not is up to you to decide.

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    A zero calorie drink could only be an indirect cause of fat gain. Some people claim the sweet taste makes them crave more sweets, which could cause them to overeat, which would cause fat gain. If this is not true for you then don't worry about it.
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    Regular consumer with no issues.

    I am careful with what I eat though, so not even anecdotal evidence for whether it makes me hungrier or whatever.
    My main concern is for my teeth!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    dmz1983 wrote: »
    I'm confused. I find LOADS of scientific information that diet pop is safe and nothing conclusive to it damaging gut bacteria etc. I have never experienced weight gain from it. In fact, quite the opposite-I usually loose weight. Don't get me wrong, I realize it is not a health food. I also realize it can be hard on your bones and teeth in excess. But I guess I 'm just wondering if anyone has noticed this as well or if anyone has indeed noticed weight gain etc? I'm looking for personal experiences-not what is preached all over the internet or tv doctors. I'm confused because there is SO MUCH information out there. I'm confused because my own personal experience has been pleasant but I don't want to be sabotaging my health either.

    You can't gain weight with zero calories...if people who drink diet soft drinks are gaining weight, it is not the result of the beverage...it is because they are consuming an excess of calories elsewhere.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    ive lost 100 pounds and drink diet coke every day
  • ckdprevent
    ckdprevent Posts: 105 Member
    Diet soda does not cause weight gain. What the studies show is that alot of times overweight people drink diet soda thinking they are doing helpful things when they order the big mac with fries. In that case it is not cause weight gain. I drink Diet Soda - it keeps me from getting hungry and I like it better than water all day. I must limit it due to my kidneys. Please be careful where you get medical and food information.
  • dmz1983
    dmz1983 Posts: 32 Member
    Hi All,
    What are your experiences with artificial sweeteners? I do not tolerate stevia well as it drops my blood pressure tremendously and causes frequent and urgent urination. I personally dropped all artificial sweeteners for years due to the bad press but I find that it doesn't affect my weight. I actually find that I'll eat less. Instead of dessert I'll have gum. Sometimes in the afternoon a diet pop will help curve my appetite. What have you all experienced? I have also dug into a lot of the research and it actually reassures me that it has been the most studied substance in the food supply and deemed to be safe (not saccharin).

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