Why Aspartame IS scary!

Branstin

I am going to have a Diet Pepsi with my dinner this evening. :bigsmile:

QueenBishOTUniverse

Just because what OP wrote is junk science, doesn't mean diet soda is a healthy thing to put into your body. By all means, go ahead if you must. I don't really care. But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body. It you're serious about a lifestyle change (the only way weight will actually stay off IMO) then you will choose healthier alternatives most of the time. Water is still much healthier. The occasional diet soda won't do much harm but come on, we're former and current heavyweights here, we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing. A lot of people drink WAY too much diet soda and probably have no idea that there are still serious health risks. They aren't exactly sodium free either.

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

1. You're projecting on to your audience and making assumptions that may not be true.
2. A lifestyle change that includes things you love, like diet soda for some people, is likely to be much easier to maintain.
3. Alcohol was mentioned because it is the EXACT SAME PROCESS that the OP was getting freaked out about. People have been imbibing bacterial waste products for centuries.
4. Other people have already debunked calling alcohol unhealthy.

ETA: Updated my profile photo in honor of bro-science. Enjoy.

williams969

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

Wrong. *We* are not using this as proof at all. The OP is using "byproducts" as the reason why aspartame is *bad*. WE are merely pointing out that the same means of production exists and has existed in both nature and by human-made food sources since the dawn of humanity. To say that aspartame is bad because of this is silly. We are disputing and disproving the initial argument.

And yeah, BEER is good for humankind, too. It is one of the marvels of human ingenuity that has built civilizations (in general, individuals have a choice not to drink alcohol, too, and that's cool).

redversustheblue

Just because what OP wrote is junk science, doesn't mean diet soda is a healthy thing to put into your body. By all means, go ahead if you must. I don't really care. But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body. It you're serious about a lifestyle change (the only way weight will actually stay off IMO) then you will choose healthier alternatives most of the time. Water is still much healthier. The occasional diet soda won't do much harm but come on, we're former and current heavyweights here, we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing. A lot of people drink WAY too much diet soda and probably have no idea that there are still serious health risks. They aren't exactly sodium free either.

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

Yes. That 40mg of sodium in my diet dr pepper is so scary!!

williams969

Just because what OP wrote is junk science, doesn't mean diet soda is a healthy thing to put into your body. By all means, go ahead if you must. I don't really care. But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body. It you're serious about a lifestyle change (the only way weight will actually stay off IMO) then you will choose healthier alternatives most of the time. Water is still much healthier. The occasional diet soda won't do much harm but come on, we're former and current heavyweights here, we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing. A lot of people drink WAY too much diet soda and probably have no idea that there are still serious health risks. They aren't exactly sodium free either.

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

Yes. That 40mg of sodium in my diet dr pepper is so scary!!

Ha! I missed that. Yeah, my pile of organic spinach (I do hope no one disputes the "healthyness" of spinach, geesh) has more naturally occurring sodium than my bottle of Diet Pepsi washing it down. Sodium is an absolutely necessary nutrient for life.

Seriously, I'm discouraged that science is so hard for some people.

Yagisama

If the body's salt levels were to be too low, it would cause death.

Salt is not only needed since it helps regulated extracellular fluid volume in cells, both sodium and chlorine have significant roles as neurotransmitters in the nervous system.

A sodium deficiency could lead to heart failure, brain swelling, and other health issues leading to death.

It's unfortunate that there is so much readily available information these days at one's fingertips, yet many still wallow in willful ignorance.

Alluminati

If the body's salt levels were to be too low, it would cause death.

Salt is not only needed since it helps regulated extracellular fluid volume in cells, both sodium and chlorine have significant roles as neurotransmitters in the nervous system.

A sodium deficiency could lead to heart failure, brain swelling, and other health issues leading to death.

It's unfortunate that there is so much readily available information these days at one's fingertips, yet many still wallow in willful ignorance.

you mean I won't die if a black cat crosses my path? Whew.....relieved....

Aaron_K123

Aspartame has been noted to cause medical problems. (headaches, vision problems, weight gain, heart problems).
That's why I won't drink DC anymore and I absolutely love(d) it

So you loved diet cola, you had no issues drinking it, then you read somewhere than someone got headaches from it so you stopped drinking it because of that despite the fact that you yourself had no negative effects.

So does that mean you avoid peanuts? Because I read somewhere that penuts will kill certain people. Death is worse than headaches so I imagine you avoid the hell out of peanuts.

Aaron_K123

The sodium content of soda is actually not that different from the sodium content of tap water. This, by the way, is not a coincidence.

kgeyser

Just because what OP wrote is junk science, doesn't mean diet soda is a healthy thing to put into your body. By all means, go ahead if you must. I don't really care. But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body. It you're serious about a lifestyle change (the only way weight will actually stay off IMO) then you will choose healthier alternatives most of the time. Water is still much healthier. The occasional diet soda won't do much harm but come on, we're former and current heavyweights here, we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing. A lot of people drink WAY too much diet soda and probably have no idea that there are still serious health risks. They aren't exactly sodium free either.

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

Speak for yourself. I can have one diet soda a day and be done. I can have no soda and be completely fine. If you have issues with willpower, that's something you need to work on personally, it's not a reason for everyone else to stop consuming diet soda.

Branstin

But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body.

This applies to every food product on the market. If people don't take care of their dental hygiene, it harms their teeth enamel. If people consume too much of anything, including water, it will have a negative affect on their bodies.

neandermagnon

Just because what OP wrote is junk science, doesn't mean diet soda is a healthy thing to put into your body. By all means, go ahead if you must. I don't really care. But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body. It you're serious about a lifestyle change (the only way weight will actually stay off IMO) then you will choose healthier alternatives most of the time. Water is still much healthier. The occasional diet soda won't do much harm but come on, we're former and current heavyweights here, we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing. A lot of people drink WAY too much diet soda and probably have no idea that there are still serious health risks. They aren't exactly sodium free either.

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

The acids in fruit harm tooth enamel. And the lack of sugar in diet soft drinks actually makes them better for your teeth than fruit juice, because sugar causes overgrowth of bacteria that release acids that harm tooth enamel. Granted one or two varieties contain phosphoric acid which is possibly as bad for tooth enamel as the naturally occuring acids in fruit, e.g. citric acid, malic acid, but most of them don't contain it.

And most soft drinks actually don't contain caffeine. The cola ones do (although Coke does a decaf version) but most of the others don't.

Re "we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing" - speak for yourself.... plenty of people here have learned to enjoy stuff like that in moderation. And diet soft drinks have zero calories so I'd say that makes them a pretty good choice for people who want to lose weight...

kethry70

Never mind. Beaten to it twice or thrice

Iwishyouwell

MzFyreKitty

Are you giving up your cell phone?There is a lot of evidence supporting cell phones causing brain tumors too, oh wait, no there isn't, they disproved it, no way, they proved it again... omg

Whatever you want to call it, there's a lot of evidence to support it's relationship to brain tumors.
I think any sweetener made in a chemistry lab is suspect anyways...if I need a sweetener I'll take honey. The calories are as real as the sweetener.

MzFyreKitty

OMG, is that Pia Zadora?? lol

I wonder if OP envisioned their post devolving into a discussion of pop rocks and 80s fashion. Oh internet.

I wish more 80s fashion would come back, i missed out on the terrible clothing fads by being too young the first time around.

Don't forget the headband

MzFyreKitty

I "killed" a bowl of Cereal just this morning with some blue berries and walnuts added" I am a mass murderer!!

Nice to see fear mongering among the food haters is still alive and well. Next they'll be saying peanuts cause cancer or that milk makes you a cereal killer.

kmm0034

I won't explain to ou how many things are by products (ie poop) of bacteria. I mean, if you think about it, many people poison themselves with the byproduct of a disease so deadly that a pound of it would wipe out the world. And yet they are able to safely inject themselves with the byproduct in order to induce swelling to seek beauty, and we all still live.

Please. Just because it says bacteria or virus doesn't mean it will harm you. We have genes thanks to viruses our ancestors dealt with that make us stronger, and newsflash, it's viral DNA not human DNA. Or i was until our DNA decided to say "Oh me mine!"

SomeNights246

Just because what OP wrote is junk science, doesn't mean diet soda is a healthy thing to put into your body. By all means, go ahead if you must. I don't really care. But it will still harm tooth enamel and all that caffeine can hurt your body. It you're serious about a lifestyle change (the only way weight will actually stay off IMO) hen you will choose healthier alternatives most of the time. Water is still much healthier. The occasional diet soda won't do much harm but come on, we're former and current heavyweights here, we don't just have one of anything and occasional isn't our thing. A lot of people drink WAY too much diet soda and probably have no idea that there are still serious health risks. They aren't exactly sodium free either.

Also people using alcohol and honey (sugar) as proof that byproducts are healthy are being a bit silly. Yes, beer is just SO good for you. What a stunning example.

That's not how weight loss or maintenance works. There is no "IMO" about it. You are not going to magically gain 50 lost lbs back by drinking 10 calories worth of diet pop a day. If you don't consume over the calories your body needs, you are not going to find yourself on a path to obesity. It doesn't really matter what you're consuming. And while I don't think anything is truly 0 calories - barring water - the calories consumed through diet pop wouldn't add up to more than 10 for the average soda consumer.

We can all agree that over consumption of anything (even too much lettuce is bad for you) is bad, but don't assume that it will automatically take one on the path to obesity. I knew someone who survived off nothing but hot cheetos and pepsi for a year and was 135 lbs through that year. Why? Because she didn't eat more than 2,000 cals worth of them a day and walked all the time. That's not to say she was healthy, just that it wasn't an automatic path to obesity.

SomeNights246

Honestly any fake sweatener is questionable in my mind. Stevia being the odd duck out as it's an extract from a plant [hard to be concerned there]. I had a diet pop every now and then [yes has aspartame] but otherwise keep sugars [including artificial ones] to a minimum.

I tried to like Stevia. I really did. But it's gross. It doesn't even taste sweet. It has zero redeeming qualities.