Fizzy diet drinks- Do I really need to give them up?

ndwildbill

I drink Diet Coke every day, several times a day, does not cause cravings or headaches. Has not had any effect on weight loss either. I also try to drink lots of water as well. To each their own.

agthorn

Aspertame is the waste "POO" of bacteria.

Well, bacteria don't "poo". They produce the protein precursor to aspartame. And you know what else is a waste product of single-celled organisms? Ethanol. So by your logic, every time you drink alcohol, you're drinking microbial "pee".

Also, bacteria are used to "poo" lots of other useful things - antibiotics and insulin, to name a couple.

ninerbuff

Aspertame is the waste "POO" of bacteria. So to drink zero calorie fizzy drinks, you have to consume bacteria poo. Have fun!

And this is why people get confused. Phenylalaine and aspartic acid are amino acids. Certainly not poo.

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Stripeness

At least the colas, yeah. Well, not NEED, but if you're asking for a recommendation?

I read a similar thread yesterday, and the overwhelming consensus was that a treasured can of Coke Zero was okay, as it seemed to be a matter of quality of life to the OP. Not judging - we all have our vices. Hell, I prefer Coke Classic!

However, something about it bugged me. Seeing this thread reminded me why Coke is an occasional treat only: Colas (ALL BRANDS), regardless of the sweetener, are all implicated in bone loss. Studies have shown that the rate of loss exceeds the replacement speed from weight-bearing exercises and osteoporosis meds.

I'm sorry I don't have the whole collection of studies, but here's a reputable overview with all relevant citations:
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/soda-osteoporosis

Me? I enjoy my full-sugar, full-caffeine Coke Classic when out at the movies. With no apologies. "One extra-large helping of bone-melter, please." It goes really well with the "stick-your-head-in-the-bucket sized movie popcorn." I enjoy both. Just not very frequently :-)

If you have absolutely no concerns re: osteo, then back to the sweetener/calorie considerations.

--Advocator of Extreme Moderation :drinker:

ab_1203

In terms of weight loss, they wont affect you in any way, 0 calories is 0 calories, well actually every can has about 1 calories but its nothing in the grand scheme of things. I actually managed to lose some water weight while drinking a few cans of this a day, so it doesnt affect that either but whenever I do drink some cans, I also drink half a litre of water for every can.

The thing about the brain and sugar might be true, but if youve got the discipline, you wont overeat. Its probably true that people drinking these diet sodas are also have it with their big macs and cant control the cravings, so theyll obviously gain weight.

Only thing controversy for me in diet soda is the chemicals, which for now, there is no solid evidence that theyre harmful in humans. Aspartame is a highly studied additive, theyve been testing it for a veeery long time and proven safe over and over. They found aspartame caused cancer in rats but that was because they were given a huge amount of that stuff for their body size, in the quantity that is recommended to us, they cause no harm going by the studies. I cannot definitely say its safe but according to the science it is. One thing that does deserve some questions though is the rats getting cancer, even if they were given high quanties, makes me wonder if the stuff could cause problems in the long run.

Take from that what you will, personally, I dont be too hard on myself, Im restricted cause when I hit all my daily food goals, there are no calories left for a regular soda, so I dont be too hard on myself and have a can or two.

neandermagnon

do they make you feel ill?

do they make it hard for you to hit your calorie goal each day?

if the answer to both those questions is "no" then go ahead and drink them.

davert123

I drink diet coke etc and I don't get a bad effect most of the time I sometimes have a bit of a sugar craving afterwards but most of the time I am ok. I leave them well alone pre workout though. There is something in them which causes me to really under perform. My heart rate goes quick up and I feel ****. Its not caffeine because coffee doesn't do it so I'm guessing its the sweetener

neandermagnon

Aspertame is the waste "POO" of bacteria. So to drink zero calorie fizzy drinks, you have to consume bacteria poo. Have fun!

Alcohol is the waste "POO" of yeast. Enjoy your beverage. :drinker:

Also, oxygen is the waste "POO" of plants. Enjoy breathing. :flowerforyou:







(although technically speaking, "WEE" is a better analogy as it's the product of excretion, not egestion. And I have no idea whether any kind of bacteria actually excretes aspartame or not, my point is that just because something is a product that's excreted by one organism, doesn't make it bad for humans)

Gingerspice45

I don't think you need to give up diet drinks if you don't want to. I would drink them in moderation. I personally am not crazy about them and drink flavored seltzer water instead.

_TastySnoBalls_

do they make you feel ill?

do they make it hard for you to hit your calorie goal each day?

if the answer to both those questions is "no" then go ahead and drink them.

^this and this only OP^

Fullsterkur_woman

1exercisefreak

I use to drink diet dr pepper....caused my appetite to go up....Now I drink mostly water and diet cheerwine every now and again...
diet cheerwine has no calories ...no sodium...no carbs.......

whitebalance

I can't imagine having a nice taco, pizza, or nachos - anything super salty, really - without my diet Coke. Sometimes I cut back for a while, because I do tend to eat less of the yummy crunchy salty stuff when there's no diet Coke to go with it.

Sometimes I start drinking too much of the stuff and feeling dependent on it, so I decide I should cut back for a while because of the caffeine (plus I just don't like feeling addicted to anything). Cold-turkey withdrawal is a pain - nasty headaches for up to a week, but boyoboy do I catch up on a lot of sleep when I do it. Alternatives I've used successfully in the past include sweet herbal teas, sparkling cider, and cranberry juice cut with Perrier.

But mostly I just enjoy it. So far, my head hasn't exploded and my bones don't seem to have crumbled to dust. YMMV.

FatOldBat

"Everything in moderation. Including moderation."
~Julia Child

RllyGudTweetr

one problem with diet sodas (besides the artificial sweetener, which can be harmful in large amounts) is this: they give you a sweet taste, which makes your brain expect sugar. Since there isn't any, the blood sugar doesn't go up as the brain expected and it causes a craving for the sugar that some people have trouble with. Soda is something that should probably be a sometimes treat, even if it is diet. There is an ingredient in soda that causes your body to leach calcium from your bones into the bloodstream, which can cause problems with bone density and osteoporosis, especially in women. Drink more water and juice, or milk and skip the soda unless it's for a special treat now and then.

I've yet to see any peer-reviewed studies that indicated the above is true.

Your body doesn't care if the hydration you're giving it is fizzy, or sweetened, or caffeinated.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-dietitian/archives/how-does-diet-soda-affect.html

wayander

If it wasn't for Diet drinks i may not have loss weight. I would get so hungry and have no calories left so I drank diet drinks. they were my helpers and kept me going on my diet.

i know they can cause a body problems, but so does being fat. I would some day in the future like to be soda free, but now is not my time.