how bad are diet sodas?

SusanMcAvoy

I don't know about any particular studies but I do know when I drink diet soda my body retains excess water and I bloat up for a few days. It hinders my weight loss for some reason. So much so I gave it up except maybe one can a week. Instead I drink spring water. Water is like magic the way it flushes all the toxins out of the body. I've lost so much more weight drinking water than I did when I drank diet soda. Tons more weight. It makes no sense since it's zero calories but that's been my experience with it. Good luck!

tammykoon

My husband and I have cut way back. Not because we feel it's horrible but we wanted break habits and addicitons in our lives. We were consuming 14 liters a week each. We are now down to 2 liters a week. It was helpful to us to use seltzer water. It has all the bubbles without any guilt.

Just remember too much of ANY one thing is bad for you.

fastbelly

I really like to see the amount of people, here and in other places that say...ohhh that substance is likely to cause problems but the dosis we take is pretty safe.

Hmmmm what is the reasoning behind that? Ohhh the same one that 1 cigarette won't kill you, I see.

I prefer to stay away from it...


If you look hard enough you'll find a doctor that will tell you exactly what you want to hear for a variable sum. I preffer to stick to the principle that if larges quantities of something can cause great harm small quantities of the same will certainly not cause any good.

chrisfnet

Diet soda's are horrible for you!! If you look at studies they cause weight gain, osteoperosis, migraine headaches, increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, etc... one of the most horrible things you can do to your body.... I am just going to post a small add here

Diet drinks and obesity

In 2005, Sharon Fowler and her colleagues from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio presented eight years of research data that explored the link between obesity risk and soft drinks. According to the WebMD summary of the study:

Fowler’s team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

26% for up to 1/2 can each day
30.4% for 1/2 to one can each day
32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person’s risk of obesity went up 41%.

Obviously, there’s a difference between correlation and causation. This study is not meant to imply that diet soda causes obesity, just to point out that diet soda consumption is a “marker” for the condition.

Metabolic syndrome

More recently, researchers have reported a correlation between diet soda and metabolic syndrome, which the Mayo Clinic describes thusly:

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Having just one of these conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — isn’t diagnosed as metabolic syndrome, but it does contribute to your risk of serious disease. If more than one of these conditions occur in combination, your risk is even greater.

Could you link to this study? Was it peer-reviewed? IRB-approved? What were the enrollment criteria? What were the exclusion criteria? Who funded it? What type of matching was used?

LorinaLynn

I like having my pleasure center activated every morning.

I start every day with a diet soda, then drink (Crystal Light flavored) water the rest of the day.

Keefypoos

I believe than there are more studies that prove peanuts kill more people than diet sodas do
:-)

jagoochie

diet drinks are not great - but everything in moderation. i wouldnt sugest drinking them everyday
also diet drinks use different substances to sweeten them - you should always put the most natural thing in your body that you can, so this means regular sugar is better for you then man produced sweetners.
so the odd regualr soda is better than lots of diet drinks
this is the same for sugar free fruit squash - you should use the stuff with realu sugar not sweetners

cedarhurst2006

I used to drink tons of diet soda. I was the girl who had 4/5 12 pks in my grocery cart when they were on sale at the grocery store. I used to weight 347 pounds and now I weight 222. I chose to change my lifestyle completely and I chose to give up diet soda, along with sodium and processed foods I switched to flavored seltzer and unsweetened iced tea(Blueberry) instead.

What I am about to say is not meant to be offensive in anyway as I have walked in these shoes but when I go to the grocery store and I see people pushing a grocery cart with multiple 12 pks or 2 liter bottles of soda, most, not all, carry alot of weight in their midsection. I think eating things artificially sweetened makes you crave sweeter things.

Example:
As a diabetic, I was using Splenda to sweeten my coffee in the a.m. I found I was adding up to 2 even 3 splenda sometimes in my large cup of coffee in the a.m. and would have maybe 2 cups in the morning. By 10 a.m. I was hungry for something sweet after having a filling breakfast around 8 a.m. I experimented by cutting my splenda from 3 to 1 per large cup and I don't have the cravings I used to.

These are my personal experiences and again, I'm not trying to pigeon hole anyone or speak badly just stating an observation.

Schwiggity

Diet soda spit in my face and called me fat.

iAMaPhoenix

Wow. Diet sodas are worse than regular sodas? For petes sake people, where is the scientific support for this argument? Does it also warn you that if you drink too much water, you can die from water poisoning, also known as hyper-hydration? Hell, for that matter, diet sodas are worse than consuming alcohol, but we don't stop drinking wine. This argument is as old as Coca-Cola itself. Bottom line people, if you drink a lot of diet sodas, it can be harmful. If you drink a regular soda every now and then, you will NOT DIE!!!

And for the person who said that diet sodas activate your pleasure center and make you want to crave more, if that is such a bad thing, stop having sex. That is all.

therealangd

BPA's are banned or talked about being banned but Aspartame is not? If Aspartame is so harmful why has it not been banned? Why are the health organizations not in an uproar about it?

The reason why diet soda's are a "marker" for obesity is because people "think" that because they are drinking a "diet" soda they can eat more. The other thing I've read is that the "sweet" flavour has the potential to increase your appetitie.

For someone on MFP that is counting calories etc, diet soda is not a big deal.

lauram1153

gosh i'm addicted to all fizzy juice can drink nearly 2litres in a day but started today trying to have water or squash instead i know i'm gonna have major withdrawl syptoms but its a major vice i want to get rid of.

JennaM222

I used to drink tons of diet soda. I was the girl who had 4/5 12 pks in my grocery cart when they were on sale at the grocery store. I used to weight 347 pounds and now I weight 222. I chose to change my lifestyle completely and I chose to give up diet soda, along with sodium and processed foods I switched to flavored seltzer and unsweetened iced tea(Blueberry) instead.

What I am about to say is not meant to be offensive in anyway as I have walked in these shoes but when I go to the grocery store and I see people pushing a grocery cart with multiple 12 pks or 2 liter bottles of soda, most, not all, carry alot of weight in their midsection. I think eating things artificially sweetened makes you crave sweeter things.

Example:
As a diabetic, I was using Splenda to sweeten my coffee in the a.m. I found I was adding up to 2 even 3 splenda sometimes in my large cup of coffee in the a.m. and would have maybe 2 cups in the morning. By 10 a.m. I was hungry for something sweet after having a filling breakfast around 8 a.m. I experimented by cutting my splenda from 3 to 1 per large cup and I don't have the cravings I used to.

These are my personal experiences and again, I'm not trying to pigeon hole anyone or speak badly just stating an observation.

That is interesting.

Below not directed at you, but the general population, so dont take offense...

Did you notice that the "heavier" people with all that diet soda also had a gang of crap food in their cart as well? Diet soda doesnt make you fat. Cookies dont make you fat. and carbs do not make you fat.

YOU make you fat. you put 20 cookies in your mouth. Poeple use too many excuses. Sorry, rampage.

I found it interesting as well that using the splenda made you crave sweet things! I use splenda in my coffee in the am but dont crave sweets, only salts

FearAnLoathing

I like having my pleasure center activated every morning.

I start every day with a diet soda, then drink (Crystal Light flavored) water the rest of the day.

ooooooooooooo that sounds dirty :devil: I think i need my pleasure center activated lol

PeachyKeene

Study this, study that!! There is a freaking study that even can show to much water is bad for you! I drink Coke Zero, and I have lost 40 pounds in approx. 7 months. IT didn't help with my weight loss, but it didn't hender it either. With everything else I have sacrificed, I will not stop drinking Coke Zero. I love it!!!

I have talked to my doctor and my nutritionist and they both agree. One a day, will not hurt you, or even two and you can count it as you fluid intake! IT WORKS FOR ME!!!

It doesn't make me bloated. It doen't make me crave foods. Eating carbs makes me crave food way more than Coke Zero. I certainly have not gained any weight drinking them. I certainly gained weight for drinking Mountain Dews. Now they are bad, bad, bad for you!

iAMaPhoenix

Diet soda's are horrible for you!! If you look at studies they cause weight gain, osteoperosis, migraine headaches, increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, etc... one of the most horrible things you can do to your body.... I am just going to post a small add here

Diet drinks and obesity

In 2005, Sharon Fowler and her colleagues from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio presented eight years of research data that explored the link between obesity risk and soft drinks. According to the WebMD summary of the study:

Fowler’s team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

26% for up to 1/2 can each day
30.4% for 1/2 to one can each day
32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.
For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.
For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person’s risk of obesity went up 41%.

Obviously, there’s a difference between correlation and causation. This study is not meant to imply that diet soda causes obesity, just to point out that diet soda consumption is a “marker” for the condition.

Metabolic syndrome

More recently, researchers have reported a correlation between diet soda and metabolic syndrome, which the Mayo Clinic describes thusly:

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Having just one of these conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — isn’t diagnosed as metabolic syndrome, but it does contribute to your risk of serious disease. If more than one of these conditions occur in combination, your risk is even greater.

Could you link to this study? Was it peer-reviewed? IRB-approved? What were the enrollment criteria? What were the exclusion criteria? Who funded it? What type of matching was used?

7-8 year study that only comprised of Mexican-Americans and non Hispanic Whites(total of 622 participants) and obesity is linked to diet sodas. I would dare say that I would not pay any attention to this restricted study secondary to the fact that you could have given these participants Olive Oil and propably ended up with the same results. As an African or Asian or Native or Somoan American, what am I supposed to take from this study.

Sh1tsRainbows

I like having my pleasure center activated every morning.

I start every day with a diet soda, then drink (Crystal Light flavored) water the rest of the day.

ooooooooooooo that sounds dirty :devil: I think i need my pleasure center activated lol

:laugh: ME TOO!!!!

PeachyKeene

I like having my pleasure center activated every morning.

I start every day with a diet soda, then drink (Crystal Light flavored) water the rest of the day.

ooooooooooooo that sounds dirty :devil: I think i need my pleasure center activated lol

Blahahaha to funny!!

chrisfnet

People, like me, that can look at studies and critically analyze them make me happy. Skepticism at its best.

missionmanshane

I have lost 54 lbs having a Chick fil A Spicy Chicken Sandwich, fries (or soup), and medium Dr. Pepper every Tuesday night. I plan to take my family to Chick fil A tonight where my wife (who has lost 47 lbs) and the kids and I will eat, the kids will do a Family Night activity and will play while my wife and I chat with our Chick-fil-A-family of other parents that come every Tuesday.

Moderation and enjoyment of life are good things. I enjoy a moderate intake of sugared soda, but my goal is this: never on consecutive days and always with my family on Tuesday night. This means no more than three a week for me. It's a food--not a healthy food--but still food.

On the other hand, artifical sweeteners are NOT foods. You can't grow something that is "artificial." If research hints* that a substance may be poisonous (or at least related to some health problems) and it's NOT a food, then why consume it on a regular basis?

Moderation is a key to enjoying life, but I can't see how you can moderate on poison. "Moderation" doesn't work with everything: Someone asked me once how much dog poop do I like in my chocolate chip cookies. I don't want ANY! I am certainly hard-lined when it comes to poop in cookies. So how much poison** do you want in your soda? For me, I'll have mine poison-free, and just do a few more push-ups to burn up the sugar from my Dr. Pepper and the peanut oil from my chicken sandwich.



*[The studies certainly don't produce a common narrative at this point.]
**["Poison" is an understood overstatement to make the point.]