Confused about diet soda (coke, pepsi etc)

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  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    I don't have any prejudices against diet soda. I actually prefer the taste to regular because I find the regular too syrupy sweet. I only drink 2-3 a month, so I'm not having loads of it, anyway. 2 litres a day sounds a bit extreme, just in regards to the amount of caffeine and also the potential damage from the acid on your teeth. My advice would be to cut back on the diet soda, just for those reasons.
  • kirsch54
    kirsch54 Posts: 2 Member
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    Had to respond to this one. My husband drank 2 2L diet soda bottles a day thinking it was low cal and he was a recovering alcoholic, so the sweet was what he was after. To be honest, everything I've researched for over 20 years says that our bodies read DIET products the same as sugar, therefore gaining weight and affecting hormones in negative ways. The chemicals will change your chemistry and you will be permanently affected by that much consumption per day. I figure I will go for the real sugar, then be forced to do not much of that to keep healthy. I get wicked headaches and gut pains from artificial so my body is telling me "not good for you". If you have joint pains, headaches, sore muscles, eye strain and can't lose weight? I would check into iced green tea you make yourself, squeeze a lemon into water or use mint, cucumber or another low cal flavor without the sugar. This is an addition to that chemical, so it won't be easy, but if you do water and a piece of fruit with the skin, you get the boost and less sugar spikes without the damage, just saying .... watch fruit juices as well, which don't have the fiber to flatten out the sugar spikes. Good luck with that and be well.
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    I have a diet soda a few times a week. I would worry about the sodium and acid erosion on the teeth more than anything, because it can really add up! I don't worry at all about artificial sweeteners. I'm diabetic. If I want a sweet drink, it probably has a sweetener in there somewhere.
  • DivineChoices
    DivineChoices Posts: 193 Member
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    I personally try to stay away from aspartame and high fructose corn syrup. Those are my choices for my body. No one else has to follow suit.

    With that being said, I do still drink soda, when it can fit in my calories goals. I use a soda maker to make it at home with syrups that use sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. The brand I use gives me 1 liter for the same calories as a commercially prepared 12 oz can.

    Though I do try to limit my soda drinking b/c my dentist and orthodontist tell me the acidic properties weaken my teeth enamel.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I drink a ton of the stuff, normally 2 litres a day at least.

    With it being diet and low calorie can you drink the stuff and just log it. I have seen lots of conflicting information some saying it's fine others saying it's not good for you even the diet or low sugar.

    I did drink the normal stuff for a long time which probably contributed to the weight gain. I don't really drink tea or coffee and their is only so much water I can drink.

    This has been a topic of hot debate on these thread and you will never get a definitive answer. Here's just my view - 2 liters of anything (except maybe water) is excessive. I don't care if it's zero calories. Part of weight loss is getting a handle on portion control and self control. 2 liters is basically a binge, not healthy from a food relationship stand point.

    I subscribe to the school of everything in moderation, as in 8 to 12 ounces a day.
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    Oh, and both Diet Pepsi and Coke Zero taste like butt.:wink:

    Diet A&W is clearly the diet soda king.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Oh, and both Diet Pepsi and Coke Zero taste like butt.:wink:

    Diet A&W is clearly the diet soda king.

    I love diet a & w diet root beer!!!!!!....in moderation of course:wink:

    Also.......Gaelic Storm is awesome!! Saw them live a few years ago...great show.
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
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    I drink a ton of the stuff, normally 2 litres a day at least.

    With it being diet and low calorie can you drink the stuff and just log it. I have seen lots of conflicting information some saying it's fine others saying it's not good for you even the diet or low sugar.

    I did drink the normal stuff for a long time which probably contributed to the weight gain. I don't really drink tea or coffee and their is only so much water I can drink.

    One of the things that I have learned in life is, if you dig deep enough, you will be able to find someone that says, lightly head butting telephone poles is good for you. It helps to stabilize ADD and the pain sensors in your forehead trigger a slight but immediate increase in your metabolism.

    Then, there will be people who read it and think its the gospel. Next they will spread their new findings via the fountain of misinformation called the internet.

    So with that sarcasm said, its all about moderation. Odds are you aren't a professional athlete, and if you were a diet drink here and there won`t kill you or effect your body in any way. Nor will some pizza or a piece of cake. Now if you eat the whole cake and wash it down with a 2LT, Houston, we have a problem!
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
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    I remember there was a report a few years back about carbonated beverages being detrimental to bone strength. That urban legend was debunked. Then, another study came to light regarding carbonated diet drinks contributing to the onset of gallstones. Also debunked. ETC., ETC. I think I'll stick to "my type" of drink!

    For those of you who can't/won't tolerate aspartame, there are several pretty good diet sodas out there that are aspartame-free. Stevia is the sweetening agent. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Fairway (in NY) all have them. Health food stores probably carry them, too. They're more expensive than the big jugs of Diet Coke, but if you're trying to cut down on this kind of stuff, you may find this conveniently self-limiting (to be savored rather than guzzled).

    PS-- I prefer just a splash of caffeine-free Diet Coke in my Jack Daniel's (when I want to waste my calories on alcohol...)
    My orthopedic surgeon instructed me not to drink soda. It's also bad for teeth.

    Not sure if aspertane is "good" or "bad" ... either way, Coke Zero trumps all others IMO.

    But I mean, Id imagine drinking 2 liters of something with the same pH as hydrochloric acid may not be the best option for your health? It definetly speeds up the degration of tooth enamel, no idea if it does anything to organs... but it sure does a good job on copper pennies!

    My feeling is if you are questioning if you are "drinking too much" - you probbaly already feel like you are.... right? Switch to only 1 liter a day, save the $1.50, and by the end of the year you can buy yourself a sweet new toy! And... your insides may thank you!
  • Fit_Chef_NE
    Fit_Chef_NE Posts: 110 Member
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    Almost everyone here is missing the point. That much caffeine is bad for you no matter what you believe about aspartame. You can still do major organ damage even if you're thin.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    Not sure if aspertane is "good" or "bad" ... either way, Coke Zero trumps all others IMO.

    But I mean, Id imagine drinking 2 liters of something with the same pH as hydrochloric acid may not be the best option for your health? It definetly speeds up the degration of tooth enamel, no idea if it does anything to organs... but it sure does a good job on copper pennies!

    My feeling is if you are questioning if you are "drinking too much" - you probbaly already feel like you are.... right? Switch to only 1 liter a day, save the $1.50, and by the end of the year you can buy yourself a sweet new toy! And... your insides may thank you!

    "Straight" hydrochloric acid has a PH of 0 while soda has an average PH of 2.5. Freaking battery acid (sulphuric acid) has a lower PH than hydrochloric acid and stomach acid generally has a higher PH value than soda.

    qyfj8o.jpg
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
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    Not sure if aspertane is "good" or "bad" ... either way, Coke Zero trumps all others IMO.

    But I mean, Id imagine drinking 2 liters of something with the same pH as hydrochloric acid may not be the best option for your health? It definetly speeds up the degration of tooth enamel, no idea if it does anything to organs... but it sure does a good job on copper pennies!

    My feeling is if you are questioning if you are "drinking too much" - you probbaly already feel like you are.... right? Switch to only 1 liter a day, save the $1.50, and by the end of the year you can buy yourself a sweet new toy! And... your insides may thank you!

    "Straight" hydrochloric acid has a PH of 0 while soda has an average PH of 2.5. Freaking battery acid (sulphuric acid) has a lower PH than hydrochloric acid and stomach acid generally has a higher PH value than soda.

    qyfj8o.jpg

    Why yes I do! Thanks for asking! I'm a chemist ;-)

    So... the pH of HCL depends on the concentration... and stomach acid is mainly hydrochloric acid... soooo there's that.

    And when you puke, stomach acid erodes the enamel off your teeth. That was my point, acid errodes teeth, and thats probs the only "rpoven" thing diet sada does thats baaaaad for you.

    I sceince, i science a lot... unfortunetly, i can't post funny GIFs here. Wheh.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
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    Almost everyone here is missing the point. That much caffeine is bad for you no matter what you believe about aspartame. You can still do major organ damage even if you're thin.

    Caffeine in 16oz of coke zero: 43mg
    Safe amount of caffeine for most healthy adults: 400mg (id argue it is even more but can't find the study I read about it)

    There are also a wide range of potential benefits from moderate caffeine consumption (including it being potentially beneficial for depression, prostate cancer avoidance, curbing appetite).
  • MTmom67
    MTmom67 Posts: 3
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    I like diet soda too, but I drink it maybe on the weekends (like at the movies). Don't let the zero calorie lie get you. There may be "zero calories", but they are loaded with sodium which can make you retain fluid. You should try to wean yourself off slowly. Water is the best. Even flavored water works better than soda. Best of luck to you!
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    Why yes I do! Thanks for asking! I'm a chemist ;-)

    So... the pH of HCL depends on the concentration... and stomach acid is mainly hydrochloric acid... soooo there's that.

    And when you puke, stomach acid erodes the enamel off your teeth. That was my point, acid errodes teeth, and thats probs the only "rpoven" thing diet sada does thats baaaaad for you.

    I sceince, i science a lot... unfortunetly, i can't post funny GIFs here. Wheh.

    Hence why I said "straight" (complete with quotations). Technically, you can dilute HCA to the point that it has the same PH balance as an apple. That doesn't mean that apples are dangerous. Your statement was purposefully misleading.

    A can of diet coke does not have the same PH balance as what most people think of when they hear hydrochloric acid. That doesn't mean that it isn't acidic or it is good for one's health, but a statement like yours is a scare tactic and irresponsible. I would expect better from a scientist.
  • roanokejoe49
    roanokejoe49 Posts: 820 Member
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    Bro, seriously. Knock that crap out. Drink water. Soda is of the debil.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    If you're serious about your health, you need to stop drinking it. It's not helping you in any way. It, in an of itself, may contain zero calories but you don't know what signals it's telling the rest of your system. For me, I find diet pop leaves me hungry, almost like it's a tease.

    You don't know what something does so you better take action on that lack of knowledge. Makes sense to me.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary

    I have yet to see a science-based argument against diet sodas.

    This ^^^^^

    I don't drink a lot of Diet Soda but I drink them when I like (same with Tea and coffee)
    The only caution i'd give is Soda because of it's sodium content won't have the same effect on water retention as water will (in other words it won't help rid you of water weight) The acid issue for your teeth is true whether it's sparkling water or Jolt Cola. It's blown way out of proportion though.
    Personally i'd cut back the soda and substitute some water (or milk even - it counts as water but of course has some caloric content - along with nutritional content)
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Everyone read this thread http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary before spreading anymore FUD

    That's why the FDA has the Aspartame toxicity file made public when it appeared on the docket to be heard and listed as a neuro-toxin.

    http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/jan03/012203/02p-0317_emc-000199.txt

    You realize that that is just an email sent to the FDA and not an actual FDA document right? So a guy emails the FDA because he wants an agenda item put into the docket and they put it in a docket report and simply because it is on a .gov site it has instant credibility for you?

    I tried to look up the author Mark Gold mgold@shellytown.net but cannot find a thing on him other than this:|

    http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2011/02/154-mark-gold.html
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
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    Hence why I said "straight" (complete with quotations). Technically, you can dilute HCA to the point that it has the same PH balance as an apple. That doesn't mean that apples are dangerous. Your statement was purposefully misleading.

    A can of diet coke does not have the same PH balance as what most people think of when they hear hydrochloric acid. That doesn't mean that it isn't acidic or it is good for one's health, but a statement like yours is a scare tactic and irresponsible. I would expect better from a scientist.

    OP - this wasn't mean't as a scare tactic at all - hopefully you didn't think it was too as this use expressed - not my intentions which hopefully you saw from my light hearted post!

    Even a pH of 2.5 is enough to corrode tooth enamel - that's all, just something to think about if you are needing some motivation to your "wonderings" if you should lay off.

    If you want interesting reads google how the DOT changed their classification of "corrosive" solely so COKE could ship products via highway withought having to placard their trucks! Orrrr i might just think it's interesting because I'm a bit of a dork...

    And just for SNGs... not sure what "straight" hydrochloric acid is, as, by definition, an acid has water in it - if it didn't - it would be hydrogen cloride gas. When we order HCL from any number of suppliers they have different product numbers corresponsding to percentage - theres no such thing as "straight". But i see what you're saying... it's just that.... well... hydrochloric acid is an acid, it has water, it doesn't come in one "straight" percentage :-)

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