Why Not Diet Soda

MichelleB69

Don't believe everything you read on the internet, kids.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp


Sheesh..... :noway:

Thank you! For me, it's more a question of preference. I LOVE Diet Coke, but found once I started drinking adequate amounts of water (for me 100 oz/day), I didn't crave it like I did before. I prefer to eat foods that are in a form closer to their natural state, ie fresh over canned or frozen & the less processed the better. Diet Coke is a treat for me; I know it has no nutritional value, but I enjoy the relatively small amount of caffiene and carbonation.

FWIW, there are all kinds of urban legends out there about EVERYTHING! I'm not saying that I believe that aspartame is 100% safe, but I also do not believe that I am drinking rat poison...anymore than I believe in a diet that suggests I take HCG (a compound found in pregnant females urine) to promote weight loss.

KelliH729

I have never personally been able to drink diet soda, it gives me the shakes which is really odd. But I gave up regular soda back in January and haven't gone back which is awesome
I think the reason that diet soda is deemed "bad" for you is because it makes you crave sweets for some reason. Also there isn't really any nutrition factor to it. If I ever need the caffine help, I just drink regular iced tea.

milehighcritic

I used to drink 3 to 4 cans of diet soda a day. Consuming that much could not have been good for my health. Reading the postings on MFP over the last few months confirmed this for me.

I gave up diet soda three weeks ago when the fridge ran out. I was craving for a can at first.Now I don't even think twice about it.
I stick with water or unsweetened ice tea's.

BFab24

Just checking in so I can follow this conversation.

I am, however, on the side of everything in moderation. A diet soda here and there is NOT going to kill you or give you cancer or ADHD. That's just silly. If you personally have health issues that need to be treated and you're at a higher risk for these things if you did put those chemicals in your body, then of course don't do it.

Also I agree with the idea that people are "sicker" now because modern medicine is amazing and can help catch diseases better and faster than even 25 years ago, much less 100 years ago. Yes more people nowadays are diagnosed with diabetes and the like, but years and years ago the average age of death was around 50.

And just being a watcher on this topic until now, those of you that are all serious about 100% non processed, all vegan all the time, who say they are just trying to "help" ... What you're doing is just confirming the thoughts of those people who think it's a ridiculous idea instead of helping people see the good in your choices ... Just sayin.

KWSR16

So you all are telling me that the diet pop I have once, MAYBE twice a week is going to give me cancer, dimentia, diabetes and make me unable to walk................

BLAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That is ABOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! And I'm sorry but I dont believe it for a SECOND! Maybe if you drink like a 12 pack a day or something crazy, but not one every couple days. I don't see the people around me dropping like flies with cancer and diabetes.. Actually they are quite healthy. And they dont gorge themselves on diet pop every day either, maybe every couple days, same as me.

I think you all have taken the simple topic about "WHY NOT DIET SODA" and have run wild. I understand that you yourselves do not drink diet pop's. Totally cool. Whatever you think is best for you. This MFP-er just wanted to know why you should or should not drink it. And did not need to hear all of your preaching...YES PREACHING!!! Remember that when people post things in a forum they are NOT LOOKING FOR YOU TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO. They are asking you about your opinion. BIG FREAKIN DIFFERENCE. You dont need to get into the whole thing about "Oh you drink diet pop...then I guess you just dont care about your body, or real weight loss" WTF?? REALLY??

I'm sorry but there is a place and time for rude comments to be made about someone trying to lose weight and not sure how to go about doing it so they ask questions on a weight loss website where jerks like you comment back practically yelling at them about the choices they are making in their lives. Whew...Oh I'm sorry did I just write all of that. HMM....

Cheers to a world of diet pop and less people who think yelling at others is the best way to get through to them.
:drinker:
(See that wasn't so nice now was it....take note for the next time you feel like going off on some other unsuspecting person with a simple question)

pmarti5

I have two friends who were diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorders (one is in the lupus family) both were told to stop drinking and using artificial sweeteners from their doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital. My one friend has done extensive research on diet soda and sweeteners and has stop using them completely, she has no symptoms now from her disorder. My other friend refused to give up the sweeteners and she has tons of symptoms and is very sick.

mrb_9110

Anyone who has taken a basic nutrition class can tell you that when you ingest artificial sweeteners, your body doesn't recognize them and passes them right through your system. They are never absorbed and taken in to the bloodstream, therefore they have no calories. Because it never enters the bloodstream, it can never get to the brain.

Until I see some solid proof that artificial sweeteners CAUSE all of these 'side effects" then I'll continue to use them in moderation. Also, all chemicals have side effects when taken in large doses. The amount of sweetener in a diet soda will have no effect on most people.

westcoastSW

Just checking in so I can follow this conversation.

I am, however, on the side of everything in moderation. A diet soda here and there is NOT going to kill you or give you cancer or ADHD. That's just silly. If you personally have health issues that need to be treated and you're at a higher risk for these things if you did put those chemicals in your body, then of course don't do it.

Also I agree with the idea that people are "sicker" now because modern medicine is amazing and can help catch diseases better and faster than even 25 years ago, much less 100 years ago. Yes more people nowadays are diagnosed with diabetes and the like, but years and years ago the average age of death was around 50.

And just being a watcher on this topic until now, those of you that are all serious about 100% non processed, all vegan all the time, who say they are just trying to "help" ... What you're doing is just confirming the thoughts of those people who think it's a ridiculous idea instead of helping people see the good in your choices ... Just sayin.

This. Thank you, and well said.
Also, for everyone with a friend and a grandma who did or did not drink diet soda and did or did not die, "one example a statistic does not make." (That is, wonderful for you and yours, but no need to assume a universal truth.)

HollyRutledge

I've heard diet sodas are bad too, but I am hooked on them. I am giving up so much else right now that I'm not going to sweat the diet coke. :drinker:

Yep, this the way I feel about it :drinker:

jkleman79

I just want to comment on the Yelling and preaching.... Hoping I can get this point across with out defeating the whole post. It is really difficult to grasp emotion and intent by reading someone typing you something. Such as email and text messages etc. What you feel is yelling or preaching may simply be sarcasm, humor or as you say preaching or yelling. I have been in management for quite sometime and emails have been the demise of the human interaction of either the telephone or direct eye to eye communication. All I am saying is everyone needs to stop and "respond" and not instictively "react" to what they feel was being said in the first place or how it was percieved.

Now a truth story that I wanted to share with everyone in regards to nutrition... A trainer I work out with three times a week 4 years ago was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. She started working with a nutritionist and changed her diet completely to natural stopped the chemo treatments and 4 years later is cancer free. The doctors didnt even want to know what she did to make the tumor stop growing..So I am not saying what we eat and drink is causing this..and of course moderation is key to anything. Just use the information you see and read on this website as a grain of salt.. If you believe it that is fine if you dont well that is ok too. Everyone has an opinion and some are just more up to expressing their opinions than others. We are all here for the same ultimate goal.

Have a wonderful day everyone!! =0)

helsebels

Hi Guys,

I don't really want to get into the heated debate but I don't drink diet drinks due to aspartme.
I suffer with IBS and went to see a food specialist a few years ago - she said to cut out egg whites ( but funnily enough not the yolks ), wheat and aspartme. She also said to eat real butter instead of diet spreads.
I now eat wheat now and again ( but have learnt to be aware of when my body says not to ) and rarely eat eggs.
I cut out aspartme and it has helped me loads. I do struggle with just drinking water so will have a vimto cordial ( UK fruit flavoured squash you mix with water ) or "shock horror" a Red bull. Red bull funnily enough does not have aspartme in it although I am sure there is plenty more chemicals I shouldn't be having. I also only eat real butter.
I am not saying this is what you should do, just that it works for me and hopefully gives some advice for IBS sufferers.

joyfuldawn

Carbonated water drinks do not hydrate your cells or your GI tract. They just make your fluid go into your tissue and become puffy. In other words, they dehydrate you.

joyfuldawn

Carbonated water drinks do not hydrate your cells or your GI tract. They just make your fluid go into your tissue and become puffy. In other words, they dehydrate you.

TamDTam

I dont really like soda AT ALL...and Diet Sodas always have given me an immediate migraine..... I dont know if it is the aspertame or not but once I discovered the correlation between the immediate headache and diet drinks I avoid ALL products with aspertame ( including these 0 calorie salad dressings, etc)

I do use Truvia( Stevia) and learned yesterday that the Crystal Light Fitness ( made with Stevia, not Aspertame) doesnt mix well with Sodium free seltzer water, as I am still cleaning up the mess caused by the funnel affect. ( but what I did get to taste, did taste pretty well so if you can avoid making the mess I did, this may be a viable option for the soda addict)

bjburkstrand

I'm not sure why they are saying it's not good for you all I know is when I stopped drinking diet soda I managed to drop 25 pounds and that was the start to my loss of 75 pounds. So now I'm a true water person.

JoEllen92

I can't stand the taste of full sugar fizzy drinks
and I'll only go for them if there's no alternative.
I tend not to drink diet fizzy stuff that often anyway but it curbs my hunger when I do ,I've heard it makes you crave more but it tends to make me feel quite full and bloated and therefore I don't really feel like eating that much.

realme56

I don't think having a diet soda once in a while is going to kill me and it does satisfy the need for something sweet. Not a big fan of Crystal Light because of the residue it leaves behind in glasses and pitchers, I can't believe that something that coats a container like that can be that good for you.
Everything in moderation.

JennsLosing

i dont know , but my grandma is 75 years old and has been drinking diet soda for as long as they've been selling them. she doesnt have dementia, diabetes, adhd, shes not overweight, and she doesnt have MS or any other disease the studies say it causes. and she drinks like 3 a day probably. I myself drink diet soda, but not often, about 2 a week. i drink water mostly.

edwards

Not saying that the processed item we put in our bodies are good or bad for us but like most say moderation is key. To all that think that grabbing bottled water or even city water from the tap is safer than processed liquids be aware. While the water may seem clean you should maybe talk to some of the engineers that actually work at water treament places and ask about all the chemicals that are used to clean our water. I personally know one that will take a diet soda over bottled water or city tap water due to all the chemicals that are put into this water. Also for those bottled water drinkers that think it is so much better than tap water. The normal bottle of water is usually filtered maybe one more time than the same thing that is coming from the sink in your kitchen.

hpsnickers1

Hi Guys,

I don't really want to get into the heated debate but I don't drink diet drinks due to aspartme.
I suffer with IBS and went to see a food specialist a few years ago - she said to cut out egg whites ( but funnily enough not the yolks ), wheat and aspartme. She also said to eat real butter instead of diet spreads.
I now eat wheat now and again ( but have learnt to be aware of when my body says not to ) and rarely eat eggs.
I cut out aspartme and it has helped me loads. I do struggle with just drinking water so will have a vimto cordial ( UK fruit flavoured squash you mix with water ) or "shock horror" a Red bull. Red bull funnily enough does not have aspartme in it although I am sure there is plenty more chemicals I shouldn't be having. I also only eat real butter.
I am not saying this is what you should do, just that it works for me and hopefully gives some advice for IBS sufferers.

I've dealt with IBS for almost 20 years now (probably longer since I had issues for years before seeing a specialist). I was never really a diet soda drinker. I try and stay away from artificial sweeteners but some foods I eat do contain some. I wish I could eat all natural but that just isn't going to happen.

Things changed when I started eating healthier but when I gave up breads - even whole wheat - I emptied out. It was wonderful. I still have oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain things. I also use real butter. Our bodies know real butter and there are nutrients in butter. I don't use much of it though. But that's interesting about the eggs. I have been eating hard boiled egg whites lately (usually 2 or 3). I have noticed more bloating and issues and stomach pain. I wonder if that is part of the problem.