Why no diet soda?

TrainingWithTonya

First of all, the body perceives the sweetness and increases your insulin levels to deal with the carbs it thinks are being sent to your blood. Insulin moves blood sugar into the liver and muscles to be stored as glycogen. If your blood sugar is normal, increasing insulin can cause your blood sugar to drop too low. I'm sure as a diabetic you've been warned about rebound hypoglycemia? That's pretty much what happens. Also, that spike in insulin repeatedly over time with no additional sugar to move to the muscles can train the body to be insulin resistant. Kind of like the boy who cried wolf, after a while the body won't trust its perception of need for insulin and will slow production and then when a real sugar is consumed there won't be any insulin there to get it out of the blood.

I was curious about this when my wife told me about the Dr. Oz segment. How exactly does your body "perceive" the sweetness. Is it a Pavlovian response to a life time of sweetness on the tongue meaning an sugar spike coming? Or is the body fooled when it partially breaks down the "sugar" into thinking it needs to release the insulin? Any thoughts?

Taste buds. They detect sweet, salty, savory, sour, and bitter and send signals to the brain. The brain then starts the processes of releasing the various enzymes and such to break down what we've consumed.

TrainingWithTonya

Besides things that others have mentioned I read somewhere that carbonated drinks are bad for your bones. Apparently the fizzing irritates your stomach, causing it to draw calcium from your blood, which in turn draws calcium from your bones to help maintain brain and muscle functions. I'm not sure if it's really as bad as it sounds, but that in itself makes me think about how much soda I drink.

Actually, according to my nutrition professors, they've proven this theory to be incorrect. They use to blame the phosphorus in soft drinks for inhibiting calcium absorption or depleting calcium levels, but they haven't been able to prove it in the lab. What has been determined is that it takes a balance of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, fluoride, vitamin D, and vitamin K to maintain strong bones.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Dr. Oz did a segment on artificial sweeteners the other day. They were talking about why you shouldn't have more than 2 servings a day. They said it caused some people to eat more b/c their bodies registered the sweetness but had no calories and in turn made them want to eat. I don't get this way with drinking the coke zero (i just can't stand diet coke lol, but LOVE coke zero). Anyway, lots of people don't like drinking the aspartame either. I'm trying to limit myself to 1-2 a day just because I need more water and less caffeine.

I also limit myself to 1 to 2 servings of artifical sweeteners each day. I feel everything in moderation since there are sooo many studies out there that are not valid and incomplete or unfounded.

purplespeckle

i try to avoid it b/c of the sodium and it makes me feel bloated. but if i need a drink aside from water with no calories i choose diet dr pepper. diet dr pepper in my opinion is the best diet soda. personally i have lost 40 lbs before and did it while drinking diet soda regularly. then again i did gain all 40 back plus 20 more (=60) b/c i got into eating fast food DAILY

prekteacher2

I have an addiction to fountain diet dr. pepper! Plus, I get migraine headaches. I went to the allergist he said "there is no allergen to caffeine" so I kept drinking. THANK YOU so much for the information.

I will be giving up soda. I must go cold turkey.

Nikiki

I have an addiction to fountain diet dr. pepper! Plus, I get migraine headaches. I went to the allergist he said "there is no allergen to caffeine" so I kept drinking. THANK YOU so much for the information.

I will be giving up soda. I must go cold turkey.

wow I cant believe your allergist just said there's no allergen to caffeine and left it at that when you came to him with migraines! I've been off diet drinks for so long that halfway through one can of my husband's coke zero makes my head start to hurt! I know that more than the flavor I crave the carbonation so I generally drink sparkling water or seltzers like Perrier or La Croix. I've been pretty hooked on La Croix's berry lately, very very lightly flavored, no sweeteners (artificial or otherwise) no sodium, I buy it at Target or Giant Eagle by me but their website has a store locator http://www.lacroixwater.com/

Nikiki

also for the zevia: I love LOVE their root beer and cherry cola but too much of it can give me... digestive issues we'll say... it has xylitol along with the stevia and I think thats what affects me. anyway I'm fine to drink one can with a meal but when I first discovered them I was drinking 2-3 throughout the day and racing home after work to get to the bathroom after... anyway it might be just a fluke that it affected me that way but just want to forewarn anyone who may want to try them to limit it to one with a meal until they see whether it affects them similarly!!

jbrown01

If the theory of sweetness-induced insulin response were true, it would work the same for Stevia (the natural sweetner in Zevia). I have not seen any peer-reviewed medical literature supporting this (I'd like to see any references if anyone has them). Some people are just against any "chemicals", regardless of proof. The amounts of aspartame and sucralose in artificial sweetners in most servings is so low, because they are so sweet, you'd have to ingest an incredible amount to have any effect. Look at saccharin, which was taken off the market due to such unproven fears, and now it is back.

Nikiki

If the theory of sweetness-induced insulin response were true, it would work the same for Stevia (the natural sweetner in Zevia). I have not seen any peer-reviewed medical literature supporting this (I'd like to see any references if anyone has them). Some people are just against any "chemicals", regardless of proof. The amounts of aspartame and sucralose in artificial sweetners in most servings is so low, because they are so sweet, you'd have to ingest an incredible amount to have any effect. Look at saccharin, which was taken off the market due to such unproven fears, and now it is back.

From what I have read there have been studies that stevia actually helps with insuline resistance, which artificial sweeteners can cause or worsen. I know that aspartame gives me headaches, blurred vision and general a "fuzzy head" (I feel like I'm half asleep) this reaction makes me worried because this is an obvious affect on my nervous system. If it affects me like that, I worry that even those who do not show symptoms are also being affected. it also makes me worried for pregnant mothers who use it because we have no idea what it could do to the baby long term, there just havent been enough studies for my peace of mind. Splenda makes me bloated, regardless of any long term side affects I dont like feeling bloated so I dont use splenda, I also worry that its so new to the market and there havent been enough studies on long term use to prove whether or not it will cause harm down the road. Stevia is the one thing calorie free sweetener that I haven't had any problems with and its widespread long term use around the world suggests that it wont cause health problems down the road. That said I believe everything in moderation so you wont see me adding 10 packets to my morning coffee, and 10 to my iced tea with every meal, and when I have a baby I will stop using it just in case it has any negative affects on the baby.

TrainingWithTonya

Actually, there was a study done in 1985 by the University of Illinois that showed stevia altered the DNA of their standard testing bacteria. That's part of why the FDA took so long to approve it for sale as a sweetener. Yeah, I had to do a paper a couple of years ago on the Chemical Composition of Sweeteners. I learned that basically any of them can be dangerous depending on how your body responds to them. So, I figure that if any of them are going to screw up my system, I'll stick to the ones I like the taste of and I don't appear to have side effects from and just count their calories in with the rest of my calories. It's actually harder on the body to deal with the stress of worrying which one will kill you then to just consume the sweeteners.

cclala

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-usbGZez40

healtymama

Does this include the Hansen's Sodas as well? I drink the Diet Hansen's sodas because they contain no sugar, no aspartame, no sodium, and are sweetened with Splenda. So just curious if anyone knows if these are tremendously terrible. I use to think my addiction was just Coke but in fact over the years I found out my real addiction is with the carbonation. Thanks!

IsMollyReallyHungry

Does this include the Hansen's Sodas as well? I drink the Diet Hansen's sodas because they contain no sugar, no aspartame, no sodium, and are sweetened with Splenda. So just curious if anyone knows if these are tremendously terrible. I use to think my addiction was just Coke but in fact over the years I found out my real addiction is with the carbonation. Thanks!

I like these also. I usually drink only 2 or 3 a week if that. When I was drinking Diet Coke's and Frescas I use to drink one a day. I still get Fresca's sometimes and I still stick to 2 or 3 a week.

healtymama

I like these also. I usually drink only 2 or 3 a week if that. When I was drinking Diet Coke's and Frescas I use to drink one a day. I still get Fresca's sometimes and I still stick to 2 or 3 a week.

Sorry If I sound a bit naive, but what are Fresca's? They sound good! LOL

IsMollyReallyHungry

I like these also. I usually drink only 2 or 3 a week if that. When I was drinking Diet Coke's and Frescas I use to drink one a day. I still get Fresca's sometimes and I still stick to 2 or 3 a week.

Sorry If I sound a bit naive, but what are Fresca's? They sound good! LOL

Frescas are made by Coke Company and they are absolutely wonderful. No calories but they do have apartame and caffine also. They have a citurus, fresh taste to them. I really don't know anyone who do not like them once they try them. I take them to picinic and gatherings and many do not know that they are diet because they don't say diet and they always go 1st. Then once people have tried them I let them know it was diet after they say how good it was.......:-)

healtymama

I'm going to have to look for them and try them out. Thanks for the tips.