Diet soda...friend or foe?

Cudders

There was a recent study which looked as calorie consumption at meals when drinking diet soda versus drinking water, and those who drank the diet soda, simply ate more than those who didn't. The researchers could only hypothesize about the cause but it was said that the diet soda acted almost like a palate cleanser and made the participants feel like eating more. So based on that diet coke could halt a weight loss but only when the amount of food is not controlled and you are allowed to eat freely. I have a hard time believing that if you drink a can or two that it will stop your weight loss, given that your calorie consumption is kept at a deficit.

Sure, it's not the healthiest drink choice, drink too much and you'll get gassy, and your teeth will suffer from the acid so best to limit your intake.

soysos

Ok so you probably heard this already but deit soda is a definite FOE, It's not only carbonated which make the body retain water , which would prevent you from losing weight. Also it contains aspartame, which is not easily digested by the body and stores itself in the fatty layers of the skin. Start by drinking crystal light with water making the easy transition to water, which gives you engery and makes your skin look great.

you do realize crystal light has aspartame in it right. diet coke however does not the switched to splenda almost immediately after its release.

PoAer

Ok so you probably heard this already but deit soda is a definite FOE, It's not only carbonated which make the body retain water , which would prevent you from losing weight. Also it contains aspartame, which is not easily digested by the body and stores itself in the fatty layers of the skin. Start by drinking crystal light with water making the easy transition to water, which gives you engery and makes your skin look great.

you do realize crystal light has aspartame in it right. diet coke however does not the switched to splenda almost immediately after its release.

That I didn't thanks for the correction . lol Welps I stick with water any way.

Manon87

Def. foe! I love diet soda, and it's great when I'm craving something sweet, BUT after I decided to drop the soda, I had the worst headaches I've ever had and I had them for 2 weeks, and I mainly drank diet soda.

MrsDickie

*sips a diet coke*

It's my friend! I usually half a can around 11:00am, and the other half with my lunch around 2:00pm.
You could try carbonated flavored water, its super cheap and yummy. Sometimes I think I crave the carbonation more than anything. See if that helps!!
x

Jamtia

Definately FOE! any diet/substute sugar is bad for your google all replacements and have a read. In large doses they are toxic to the body. So if toxic in large doses then toxic in small doses regardless to what the paid scientist say in there reports (all depends on who is paying the bills for the outcome), including succralose in all protien shakes aswell. The body can not break down any chemical as they are unnatural and our bodies are natural. The chemicals attach themselves to cells in our body which becomes stored fat deposits. We should remove all chemical additives from our diet and go back to natural unadulterated foods and drinks

ElaineDianne70

I don't drink it and I won't.
Here's why:

http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com/2006/04/worst-food-on-planet.html

Here are some of the highlights:
We use the term "empty calories" for foods, like soda, that have no place in a nutritious diet. I feel this term is misleading. The calories in soda are far from empty. Most of them come from sugar. In the USA, it's nearly always high-fructose corn syrup, the cheapest, most processed sugar on the market. Other ingredients include caffeine, various phosphates and acids, and artificial colorings.

Beyond the simple sugar rush, these acids and phosphates alter your body's pH levels and inhibit absorption of other nutrients. Then there are the effects of certain artificial coloring agents. For example, yellow #5, commonly used in soft drinks, has been linked to attention deficit disorder, hives, asthma, and other allergic reactions in some children.

Then there is the nutrient trade-off to consider. A person who drinks a Big Gulp per day must go to great lengths to maintain a balanced diet. Otherwise they will almost certainly be deficient in numerous vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and essential fatty or amino acids—none of which are found in soda. For this reason, soda is often linked to type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, dental erosion, and a higher risk of kidney stones and heart disease. And that's just a start.

Diet sodas and juicesIn an attempt to become thought of as healthier, soda companies have diversified into non-carbonated beverages and diet sodas. While these are an improvement in some ways, they are hardly a solution to the problem. Despite their no-calorie status, diet sodas have been linked to assorted illnesses. There is no good science on this yet but my own anecdotal evidence is, so far, 100% accurate.

I've yet to have a client not lose weight by kicking diet soda. Granted, all of my clients drank an excessive amount, but regardless, there is little doubt that the pH balance of diet sodas hinders the body's ability to absorb nutrients. One client, a female athlete, lost 15 pounds by making no other dietary change but eliminating diet soda. Fifteen pounds and zero calories—more weird science.

The bottom line to all this is that, for best results, your body would be happier if you cut most of the calories out of your liquids and cut out soft drinks—caloric or not—altogether.

becky4bears

My name is Becky and I am a diet Pepsi-aholic

I can't wait to see how this works out for you. I have a suspicion from everything that I have ever read that it isn't good for us...the sodium and the chemicals (like aspartame) especially. I completely cut it out while I was pregnant because I wasn't about to take any chances that my babies could be hurt by it. I get SO sick of plain water...and crystal lite isn't much better, it's also filled with the artificial sweeteners. I recently bought the Lipton cold brew iced tea. I think I'm going to stick to that...I'll still get my caffeine, but no chemicals!! I'll also let everyone know how it goes for me!!

soysos

here is another option for ya. since it is made from whole cola nuts rather than an artificial substitute it has appetite suppression qualities similar to mint.
http://www.tristanstephenson.com/wordpress/2008/01/19/homemade-cola-recipe/

angie718

I have always been told it is harder on our bodies than regular pop (the sugar substitute). With that said, I was an avid drinker of pop...only one in particular...I'm talking 6 cans a day. I switched to diet and saw no scale movement at all...so I gave it up entirely. What I noticed is that my fluid retention and bloating is gone. My jeans fit nicer and Im not as gasy (sorry the TMI). I do miss it though...especially at 2pm at work...

I hope this helps

Natvee

Ok, so here I am one day since I've had soda. I weighed myself this morning and I'm down .2 lbs. This is not enough to convince me of anything. Someone pointed out that 4 days are not nearly enough time for an experiment. Call it a mini-experiment. I'll probably give soda up entirely after all of these informative posts anyway.

I'll be posting my weight on here everyday for the next 4 days for you curious folks. Is it easier just coming back to this topic or should I post a day 1, day 2...etc.?

radicalreader

When I quit my diet coke habit last summer, my longstanding migraines and asthma went away.
I fell off the wagon in the fall ... a migraine and an asthma attack later that week.
Quit diet coke again ... back to no migraines, no asthma.
Christmas week ... back to my soda habit (I'm a slow learner) ... four-day migraine and 2 bad asthma incidents.

At least for me, soda is NOT a friend.

Nemlein

I was able to replace my diet soda with Vitamin Water Zero, which doesn't contain aspartame or sucralose. I have a hard time drinking plain water all the time, but I knew I had to kick the artificial sweetner habit. I still put a Splenda or two in my tea - I hated the taste of Truvia. Here's hoping something else will come along ...

rhiannon1979

The acid in any soda is also really bad for your teeth!

I have the same problem, I drink it so often and I get bloated. I'm trying to stop though because I heard that it causes bloating, brittle bones, prevents losing weight to some degree and just isn't good overall. I'm trying to drink more water instead. Good luck!

mindspinmegs311

From a future dietitian (I am a dietetic intern on my way to becoming registered with a degree in dietetics)... if you can stay away from diet soda, it is better. Drinking anything will help curb your appetite because it helps to make you feel more full. The best thing to drink is obviously water, we need water to survive! Some people claim to feel more full with diet soda or sodas in general because of the carbonation, which is true, but water will make you feel full too and help curb your appetite.

What someone else said about sodas (even diet) dehydrating you is also true - all soda contains sodium which dehydrates you and excess sodium makes your body retain water, which is why many people feel bloated when they drink a lot of soda (not to mention all of that carbonation!)

Your best bet for fluids is good ole H2O.

Natvee

When I quit my diet coke habit last summer, my longstanding migraines and asthma went away.
I fell off the wagon in the fall ... a migraine and an asthma attack later that week.
Quit diet coke again ... back to no migraines, no asthma.
Christmas week ... back to my soda habit (I'm a slow learner) ... four-day migraine and 2 bad asthma incidents.

At least for me, soda is NOT a friend.

I'm curious...Did you quit caffeine entirely or just soda? The reason I ask is because I've had migraines for most of my life (I have one now). I've quit soda, tea, coffee, and even chocolate for about 2 weeks and I still got migraines. I figured I wouldn't keep myself from the things I like entirely if I still got them anyway. Just wondering...

marianmaj

FOE FOR SURE!!!!!!! I would rather stick a pin in my eye than drink any diet anything! IT WILL CAUSE YOU TO BECOME FAT...go to Dr.Mercola's website to learn more....danger danger....it is about the worst thing you can drink after DRANO ...seriously...read up on it to save your diet and your health.

marianmaj

FOE FOR SURE!!!!!!! I would rather stick a pin in my eye than drink any diet anything! IT WILL CAUSE YOU TO BECOME FAT...go to Dr.Mercola's website to learn more....danger danger....it is about the worst thing you can drink after DRANO ...seriously...read up on it to save your diet and your health.

edorice

Foe

Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda
By Steve Edwards


10. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."
Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.1

9.It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.

8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."
"Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."2

7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.
"Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."3

6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.4

5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:
"The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.
The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked."
I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.

4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?
"Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas were promoted in their place."

And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.

3. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."

2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.
From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.
Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.
What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."7

1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.


http://www.beachbody.com/product/newsletters/nl_402.do

marianmaj

Did you know that carbonated drinks destroy your calcium? (AS DOES COFFEE) never take calcium supplements with either

kate205gti

i used to live on diet coke, then a personal trainer at my gym told me if i cut it out i'd lose pounds instantly - i did and i did! plus aspartamine really is quite nasty
I quit caffeinated coffee at the same time and am now much more awake in the mornings and clear headed - something i never thought i would be without caffeine! i havent drunk it since last october now and dont even like the idea of it any more thinking of all the chemicals in it - its hard when you first stop drinking it though!

marianmaj

yes i like Pellegrino with a splash of organic unsweetened cranberry juice..NATURAL carbonation will not hurt you.

jocember

You know, I have a huge problem with soda. I'm a lot better than I used to be - growing up I probably drank 5-6 cans or more a day. Always diet, yes, but that's not really any better than regular when you consider the effect aspartame has.

I've read through all of the posts here, and have made a decision: I'm cutting it out completely. I think it's good that you do, too. Someone above suggested seltzer water with a spritz of cranberry juice to start, which sounds very nice. If you have trouble drinking water (something I really had to work on and still have issues with), try adding a hint of lemon or lime and make sure it's VERY cold.

Mrs_McFadden

Soda is the enemy, I mean, all soft drink companies might as well take the motto "it is futile to resist".

Soda has tons of phosphorous that prevents your bones absorption of calcium. You're an adult and full grown so who cares? Well bone density declines after the age of 20 or so..you have to keep on ingesting good amounts of calcium to shore up your bones or hello osteoporosis.

It's horrible for your teeth enamel.

It can cause you to feel hungrier..isn't that worthy, in of itself of Darth Vader evul status?

It's also dehydrating.

radicalreader

I still drink coffee. A LOT of black coffee. I love, love, love me some coffee and I refuse to give up the only vice I have left.
Caffeine doesn't seem to be one of my migraine triggers.

My big triggers seem to be soda and lack of sleep.

radicalreader

When I quit my diet coke habit last summer, my longstanding migraines and asthma went away.
I fell off the wagon in the fall ... a migraine and an asthma attack later that week.
Quit diet coke again ... back to no migraines, no asthma.
Christmas week ... back to my soda habit (I'm a slow learner) ... four-day migraine and 2 bad asthma incidents.

At least for me, soda is NOT a friend.

I'm curious...Did you quit caffeine entirely or just soda? The reason I ask is because I've had migraines for most of my life (I have one now). I've quit soda, tea, coffee, and even chocolate for about 2 weeks and I still got migraines. I figured I wouldn't keep myself from the things I like entirely if I still got them anyway. Just wondering...

Oops. Didn't quote when I replied before.
I keep my migraines in check by
1. preventing hormonal fluctuations (prescription loestrin)
2. making sure that I get enough sleep
3. quitting soda
4. monthly acupuncture (not as scary as it sounds)
5. (very rarely) prescription relpax at the first signs

It could be a coincidence, but in the last 10 months, I have had only three migraines ... two I believe triggered by going back to soda and one I know was triggered by a family emergency that left me with only 2 hours sleep.
Before I took the four steps above, I had multi-day migraines on a weekly basis.

Good luck. Migraines are the PITS!

Natvee

When I quit my diet coke habit last summer, my longstanding migraines and asthma went away.
I fell off the wagon in the fall ... a migraine and an asthma attack later that week.
Quit diet coke again ... back to no migraines, no asthma.
Christmas week ... back to my soda habit (I'm a slow learner) ... four-day migraine and 2 bad asthma incidents.

At least for me, soda is NOT a friend.

I'm curious...Did you quit caffeine entirely or just soda? The reason I ask is because I've had migraines for most of my life (I have one now). I've quit soda, tea, coffee, and even chocolate for about 2 weeks and I still got migraines. I figured I wouldn't keep myself from the things I like entirely if I still got them anyway. Just wondering...

Oops. Didn't quote when I replied before.
I keep my migraines in check by
1. preventing hormonal fluctuations (prescription loestrin)
2. making sure that I get enough sleep
3. quitting soda
4. monthly acupuncture (not as scary as it sounds)
5. (very rarely) prescription relpax at the first signs

It could be a coincidence, but in the last 10 months, I have had only three migraines ... two I believe triggered by going back to soda and one I know was triggered by a family emergency that left me with only 2 hours sleep.
Before I took the four steps above, I had multi-day migraines on a weekly basis.

Good luck. Migraines are the PITS!

I'm seriously thinking that sleep deprivation and hormones might have something to do with it. My husband snores and wakes me up at least 5-10 times a night (no joke). A doctor already said I'm low on estrogen. I also stress way too much. I'm eagerly seeking out a way to make them ease up. I get them 2-3 times a week. It's just one more reason I am trying to eat right, drop weight, and exercise. I'm hoping it helps with my migraines, and so far it seems to be helping a little.

lisa451999

Whether you lose weight or not, you are out to be healthy. When it comes down to it, diet soda is very unhealthy for your body. Eat clean and stick to drinking water, tea, and coffee (black). You will be amazed how great you will feel and look! Good luck!

soysos

cokes don't have to be bad for you, after all most of them started out as health tonics. in order to have health benefits they need to be made from the original ingredients in small batches. for the big manufacturers this would make them very expensive to produce, but for the home cook homemade cokes are cheeper than store bought. in an earlier post I added a link to a cola recipe that is very similar to what coke originally was (minus the miracle drug of the day of corse) I can also give recipes for gingerale and rootbeer. it doesn't have to stop there either, a good black tea with a little lemon makes a very refreshing beverage, or just use citrus lemon lime, always a crowd pleaser.

they're all made basically the same way. you start by making a simple syrup, adding whatever flavoring you want, but make it strong. the carbonation is the hard part there are basically three ways to do it: the easiest is to dilute the syrup in cold sparkling water, and enjoy. another option dilute the syrup in water in a 2 liter plastic bottle and add a little yeast, put on the cap and let it sit at room temperature for a day or so, until the carbonation is how you like it then put it in the fridge. you should know the bottle will explode if left at room temperature. the third option is to use a corny keg and bottled co2.

monkeydharma

cokes don't have to be bad for you, after all most of them started out as health tonics.

Yeah, that's the problem - there were a LOT of 'health tonics' that were anything but. Even the original recipe for Coke used coca (which cocaine is made from). No matter how you slice it, a soft drink is comprised of sugar, flavorings, and some method of carbonation, which (based on your recipes) contains either sodium carbonate or sodium phosphate. Whatever minimal benefits you might get from the flavoring ingredients are severely undercut by the unhealthiness of the rest of the ingredients.

If the OP want a 'health tonic', get a juicer. Veggie and fruit juices, even mixed with other ingredients to make smoothies or such, are healthier than soft drinks - whether bought or home-made.