Is soda really "evil"?

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  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I note that your references include additional warnings about aspartame...

    They state that aspartame may cause headaches in those who are prone to them, and that the issue of satiety is 'unsettled.' But after reviewing the research they reach this conclusion:
    Aspartame is a highly studied food additive with decades of research showing that it is safe for human consumption. As expected, the research is complex making it possible to cherry pick and misinterpret individual studies in order to fear monger. But the totality of research, reviewed by many independent agencies and expert panels, supports the safety of aspartame.

    A conspiracy to hide the risks of aspartame, however, remains a popular internet urban legend that will likely not disappear anytime soon.
  • ghost15026
    ghost15026 Posts: 80
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    I cannot live a life without carbonation. Everyone is always talking about how horrible soda is, my mom won't even buy it. But do you really have to stop drinking soda to be healthy? Is it really that bad? One can a day might be bad, how about once a week at most? Also have any of you ever mixed sprite with fruit juice? It creates the most amazing drink.

    I guess I'm asking is if you can have a healthy diet while enjoying soda. I would never drink it every day, like I said once a week at the very very most which happens pretty much never. I recently got some cans of soda and I feel horrible drinking them... can soda stay in a healthy diet when it's used as an occasional treat? As you can see in my picture I am thin, but it's what people call "skinny fat", do I have no hope to become "skinny healthy" if I drink soda?

    Either tell me it's ok or try to convince me to stop drinking it with facts about how horrible it is. (please tell me it's ok I love soda)

    Soda isn't evil. Soda can stay in a healthy diet. The key is simply moderation.

    Simply treat soda as a snack/treat because that's what it really is. You can have snack/treats on a diet . There are no hard and fast rules saying a snack/treat (or anything for that matter) has to be organic, gluten-free, unprocessed, blessed by angels, and otherwise stamped "special" by the food police.

    I just read a thread where an MFP'r was devastated after eating 7 bananas in one sitting. They didn't know the calorie/carb content in bananas (700 calories lol). Are bananas evil? No. Ignorance about content and portion control might be evil.

    When I have to pull a *rare* all-nighter for work I grab two cans of mountain dew and a protein shake. You can hear heavy metal music fade in on the first can and the smell of brimstone on the second can. By sunrise, the angel choir kicks back in as I revert back to my regular dietary intake of water already in progress.

    One day I realized I had a lopsided macro nutrient balance after logging all my food and exercise. Lots of room for carbs, fat, and calories. I realized I could fit a medium order of McDonald's french fries and a small coke lol. It was *awesome*. Hasn't happened again for a long time. I did outright cheat this weekend, though.
  • mazmataz
    mazmataz Posts: 331 Member
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    Meh I think it's like anything devoid of nutrients i.e. alcohol, junk food, candy etc...your body can process it and get it out of your system like any other poison if consumed now and again. If you're living on the stuff you might have problems!

    When I was a clueless diet newbie, I used to drink literally gallons of diet coke, and I was always tired. I'll have the occasional can now (maybe once or twice a week at most), but I tend to stick to regular soda instead of diet as all of the sweetener scare mongering over the past few years has gotten into my head!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    If you want to pare down to only the human studies where *moderate* amounts of aspartame were consumed, then I'll be interested. Until then I'm sticking with this:
    As expected, the research is complex making it possible to cherry pick and misinterpret individual studies in order to fear monger.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    If you want to pare down to only the human studies where *moderate* amounts of aspartame were consumed, then I'll be interested. Until then I'm sticking with this:
    As expected, the research is complex making it possible to cherry pick and misinterpret individual studies in order to fear monger.

    Your brains make me quiver a little.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    Seriously, who is holding all my checks from big sugar and big wheat??? Its like Monsanto is never going to pay up. Sigh, guess I'll just have to live without them and be satisfied with my bangin' body and deprivation-free lifestyle.

    ETA: Soda is fine in moderation. Everything is fine in moderation. No food is 'evil', its just food. If you don't have an allergy and it fits in your calories, go for it.
  • FitGuyWillDoIt
    FitGuyWillDoIt Posts: 111 Member
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    Yes.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
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    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    If you want to pare down to only the human studies where *moderate* amounts of aspartame were consumed, then I'll be interested. Until then I'm sticking with this:
    As expected, the research is complex making it possible to cherry pick and misinterpret individual studies in order to fear monger.

    2wh2jvc.gif
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    Seriously, who is holding all my checks from big sugar and big wheat??? Its like Monsanto is never going to pay up. Sigh, guess I'll just have to live without them and be satisfied with my bangin' body and deprivation-free lifestyle.

    and don't forget your humility.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
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    A list of questionable studies, the most recent of which is 15 years ago...sounds legit.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    I drink carbonated fruit flavored water, but I don't think soda is evil (diet or regular) in moderation. I pretty much don't think anything is evil in moderation for most people. Gluten soy and shellfish are evil for me, but that isn't the norm. I have food allergies and celibacy disease.
    Now my friend the dental hygienist thinks it is evil unless you brush your teeth right afterward...but that is about it being bad for your teeth.

    I think you mean celiac? :wink:
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    I drink carbonated fruit flavored water, but I don't think soda is evil (diet or regular) in moderation. I pretty much don't think anything is evil in moderation for most people. Gluten soy and shellfish are evil for me, but that isn't the norm. I have food allergies and celibacy disease.
    Now my friend the dental hygienist thinks it is evil unless you brush your teeth right afterward...but that is about it being bad for your teeth.

    I think you mean celiac? :wink:

    Are you saying that celibacy isn't a disease? :tongue:
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
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    A list of questionable studies, the most recent of which is 15 years ago...sounds legit.

    Just out of curiosity, have you actually read a single one of them? Cause I know I haven't and I wouldn't feel comfortable calling all of those studies questionable simply because they didn't conform with my confirmation bias. Note: I'd say that about a study on either side, but would want to 1) actually look at the study and 2) know who funded it.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    Seriously, who is holding all my checks from big sugar and big wheat??? Its like Monsanto is never going to pay up. Sigh, guess I'll just have to live without them and be satisfied with my bangin' body and deprivation-free lifestyle.

    and don't forget your humility.

    who said I was humble? I love the way I look.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    If you want to pare down to only the human studies where *moderate* amounts of aspartame were consumed, then I'll be interested. Until then I'm sticking with this:
    As expected, the research is complex making it possible to cherry pick and misinterpret individual studies in order to fear monger.

    2wh2jvc.gif

    tumblr_lvkjwtRf1r1qiol6o_zps51d58f19.gif
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
    Options
    I drink carbonated fruit flavored water, but I don't think soda is evil (diet or regular) in moderation. I pretty much don't think anything is evil in moderation for most people. Gluten soy and shellfish are evil for me, but that isn't the norm. I have food allergies and celibacy disease.
    Now my friend the dental hygienist thinks it is evil unless you brush your teeth right afterward...but that is about it being bad for your teeth.

    I think you mean celiac? :wink:

    Are you saying that celibacy isn't a disease? :tongue:

    Nah, too easy.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Options
    Yep, just a Monsanto shill, living in a 2 bedroom apartment on a Navy base and driving my 7-year-old car. :laugh:

    Seriously, who is holding all my checks from big sugar and big wheat??? Its like Monsanto is never going to pay up. Sigh, guess I'll just have to live without them and be satisfied with my bangin' body and deprivation-free lifestyle.

    and don't forget your humility.

    who said I was humble? I love the way I look.

    As you should, Speedy
  • g33kmommy
    g33kmommy Posts: 104 Member
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    I used to love drinking soda, but it ruined my kidneys. Any time I drink one now I almost instantly get a UTI until I flush it out. I haven't touched a soda in months. I'm talking 4+ months, and I've been UTI free now ever since. It was the best choice I ever made.

    If I need that carbonation now, I drink naturally flavored sparkling water.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    Options
    A list of questionable studies, the most recent of which is 15 years ago...sounds legit.

    Just out of curiosity, have you actually read a single one of them? Cause I know I haven't and I wouldn't feel comfortable calling all of those studies questionable simply because they didn't conform with my confirmation bias. Note: I'd say that about a study on either side, but would want to 1) actually look at the study and 2) know who funded it.

    You stick with what you know then. :flowerforyou:
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
    Options
    A list of questionable studies, the most recent of which is 15 years ago...sounds legit.

    Just out of curiosity, have you actually read a single one of them? Cause I know I haven't and I wouldn't feel comfortable calling all of those studies questionable simply because they didn't conform with my confirmation bias. Note: I'd say that about a study on either side, but would want to 1) actually look at the study and 2) know who funded it.

    You stick with what you know then. :flowerforyou:

    I will! But you didn't answer the question.

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