Diet sodas. Yes or No?

thbtbt

NO on sodas. Looks like everyone else has done a great job explaining why.

My 2 cents? Fake sugars are terrible - your body simply isn't designed to process them. And real sugar isn't any better - especially simple sugars and carbs. I found that all I had to do was cut out all simple sugars and carbs and my weight plummeted. You'd be surprised where you will find the stuff, too - even in most whole wheat bread. For example, I was shocked to find high fructose corn syrup listed as an ingredient in Nature's Own multigrain breads. Yikes!

RilantheFirebug

I've also been told that if you must drink it, regular is better than diet. However, I think its better to just cut them out completely or have one very sparingly.

carld256

I drink diet green tea because i like the taste better than soda, and the carbonation is supposed to be bad for your kidneys. I drink what I want, lose weight, and honestly don't believe all the horror stories about how bad diet drinks are for you.

I know that goes against the grain here, but that's what I think.

mmbax06

I try to avoid anything that contains aspartame or saccharin.

ninerbuff

this. there's no benefit whatsoever to drinking soda (diet or otherwise) and so many potential dangers.

Benefit: no calories and helps to satisfy sweet tooth for many (including myself). Potential dangers? Alarmism like this is why many people are naive about how the body really works. What do you actually know about the ingredients in diet soda? Not what you've heard, but what you actually know?

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I know quite a lot. Some artificial sweeteners are okay, while others are terrible for the body. Me = chem major. I've had many discussions with a highly respected chemical engineer who was the head for one of the major brands of soda, as well as other food and medical companies. One of the best in his field. I wouldn't go near aspartame or sucralose. I check all of my food for those 2 items. I know people argue that it must be safe and have no ill effects to be allowed in food, but if you think the FDA only allows food that is perfectly safe then that's your problem.

So is aspartic acid in fruits and vegetables? In phenylalaine in breast milk?

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

melissa308

I allow myself the occasional diet soda indulgence, but I try not to make it a habit. That being said, I fell off the wagon with Pepsi Max this month. (It's been a really awful month, and I needed a vice to help me cope, and this seemed the least detrimental to me.) I think it comes back to moderation; it seems like you'll be fine if it's a once-a-week treat, but if you (like me) can't have a 12-pack around without it being the first beverage of choice, you might need to just keep it out of the house and only allow yourself to have it as a rare treat in certain situations.

futuremalestripper

If you think that the occurrence of an individual chemical compound inside of something natural like a fruit or inside of a mixture produced by the human body like breast milk automatically implies it is good for your body and health, then power to you. If you also feel that an isolated compound has the same effect on a system as one that is in a mixture, then fantastic! I would list the naturally occurring compounds that are poisonous to the human body, but frankly the list would go on for quite a while and obviously yield no change in your perception.

futuremalestripper

Absolutely not. Studies have shown that drinking diet sodas are correlated with increased appetite. You're more likely to snack on something if you drink diet soda. This was just from a show I watched very recently called 'secret eaters'.

You can correlate anything with anything else in a study, that doesn't make it true. Correlation does not equal causation.


I'm more likely to snack without an occasional diet soda.

I love this graph and want it on a t-shirt.

CyberEd312

I get my 120 oz. of water in a day (atleast) but I have lost 306 lbs. drinking 1 or 2 Pepsi Max (24oz.) every single day... It doesn't make me crave sweets or want to eat more sugary foods... And I don't by into the alarmist crap, heck I once weighed 560 lbs. and was knocking on deaths door, if I die tomorrow from drinking a Pepsi Max I will chalk it up to a God thing and not something that the soda did... lol but to each their own, I just won't be stopping anytime soon..... Best of Luck.....

thelovelyLIZ

If I drink soda, I'd rather just drink the million zillion grams of sugar. At least then I know what I'm putting into my body. Diet soda is full of so many chemicals that I find very questionable.

You're better off avoiding soda altogether really. But given the choice, I always pick regular.

misskerouac

I think "everything in moderation"

I drink water, and only water 6 days of the week. Then once a week I have a 591mL of Diet Decaffeinated Pepsi (they don't make decaffeinated regular pepsi). I don't eat fast food, I don't eat fried foods, So some dark chocolate and deit decaf pepsi are my weaknesses for the week. And I'm ok with that.

bmwauug

I gave up diet coke. This was a only staple for years...2-3 per day.

Now I drink water 95% of the time. No coffee no soda no juice. Occasionally I'll have some iced tea, but water is really the best. I kicked coffee doing insanity because I was so wired after the workouts the need just wasn't there. I vote no soda.

It's been over 3 months now and I don't miss it.

bmwauug

I think "everything in moderation"

I drink water, and only water 6 days of the week. Then once a week I have a 591mL of Diet Decaffeinated Pepsi (they don't make decaffeinated regular pepsi). I don't eat fast food, I don't eat fried foods, So some dark chocolate and deit decaf pepsi are my weaknesses for the week. And I'm ok with that.

Moderation is so true. 1 per week vs. 2-3 per day is a huge difference!

gatecityradio

I still drink diet sodas on occasion. But I mostly drink water and diet green tea.

callsitlikeiseeit

i dont care for the chemically taste of diets sodas, but for a LONG time had a NASTY regular soda addiction (6-7per DAY!).

the more water i drink, the less i like soda. i still have one a day, but even that isnt tasting very good (which is a GOOD thing!) ill usually drink half, start craving water (SO WEIRD! LOL) and dump the rest out....

twinmom1993

I SOOOOO WANT A DIET SODA!!!!!!!! 13 days none!!! lol

mrseelmerfudd

Yes! lol! I used to drink about 2litres full fat coke a diet, then swapped last year to diet and lost a stone within a month of ditching the full fat stuff. i now mostly drink diet stuff- it saves me on my cals and it doesnt make me hungry as others have suggested.

RF3377

I drink about a can of diet soda everyday sometimes a little more. For me personally I don't have a problem with it! Maybe I might give it up for a few weeks and see if I notice anything different.

wingednotes

I find diet soda somewhat addictive. Once I have a few, I want nothing to do with water. I'll even dehydrate myself once there is no more diet soda in the house because I'd rather go thirsty than drink something other than diet soda.
Any substance that has that kind of effect can't be good IMO.
Stay away. I think that chemical acts on the brain. I've also heard it can screw with your thyroid.

Devolucien

Aspartame (Nutrisweet) which is in a lot of diet sodas actually turns into formaldehyde when you digest it. It chemically combines with a natural occurring chemical in your digestive system. Do you really want your liver and your intestines processing formaldehyde? Just to give you an idea, formaldehyde is what they use to preserve dead bodies or that frog you cut up in middle school biology class.

Splenda also has very negative side effects but I forget what they are at the moment. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to a myriad of health problems including diabetes and dementia.

Please excuse me if any of the information is specifically inaccurate but I am just reciting what I learned in several books I've read. (Rory Freedman, Kim Barnouin's Skinny *****, Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution, Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet, & Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism to name a few)

If you are going to drink soda, opt for soda that lists SUGAR as an ingredient (better yet, honey or turbinado sugar sodas can be found in the organic section of your grocery store). Real sugar is always better than high fructose corn syrup which is a by product of fermented corn.

If you want to get even more specific and instead of making your own soda, choose to buy it and drink it; then try to avoid sodas made with regular white sugar. White sugar goes through a filter process that involves bone char to whiten it.

You can also make your own sodas through buying a carbonator (they were selling like hotcakes around early 2000). This turns basic tap water into soda through a pressurized carbonation unit. Instead of using the syrups they provide you with, play with your own variations. Add honey, agave nectar, REAL maple syrup or fresh squeezed fruit juice. You can also buy raw sugarcane and boil it (I don't know how to do this but this is how they used to do it before sugar could be bought in stores. It produces a sugar syrup that is completely natural and healthy for you.

This is a long diatribe but also keep in mind that sugar has been related to cocaine as far as addictions go. It activates the same portion of the brain when consumed as hard drugs do in drug addicts. Do not lie to yourself, your body is addicted to sugar. When sugar is combined with fat, it gets even worse.


Anyone who is really interested in learning what is healthy vs unhealthy, I recommend reading 'Skinny *****' and/or 'Skinny *kitten*'. They promote veganism but if you can overlook that fact, it is full of a lot of really interesting information that can be hard to find elsewhere. They are super amusing, in your face, and easy to read. If you are offended easily and choose to read this book, I recommend keeping in mind that the way it is written was intended to be so over the top in your face to get national attention. It was on the NYTimes best seller list and there's a reason for that!

tigersword

Aspartame (Nutrisweet) which is in a lot of diet sodas actually turns into formaldehyde when you digest it. It chemically combines with a natural occurring chemical in your digestive system. Do you really want your liver and your intestines processing formaldehyde? Just to give you an idea, formaldehyde is what they use to preserve dead bodies or that frog you cut up in middle school biology class.

Splenda also has very negative side effects but I forget what they are at the moment. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to a myriad of health problems including diabetes and dementia.

Please excuse me if any of the information is specifically inaccurate but I am just reciting what I learned in several books I've read. (Rory Freedman, Kim Barnouin's Skinny *****, Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution, Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet, & Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism to name a few)

If you are going to drink soda, opt for soda that lists SUGAR as an ingredient (better yet, honey or turbinado sugar sodas can be found in the organic section of your grocery store). Real sugar is always better than high fructose corn syrup which is a by product of fermented corn.

If you want to get even more specific and instead of making your own soda, choose to buy it and drink it; then try to avoid sodas made with regular white sugar. White sugar goes through a filter process that involves bone char to whiten it.

You can also make your own sodas through buying a carbonator (they were selling like hotcakes around early 2000). This turns basic tap water into soda through a pressurized carbonation unit. Instead of using the syrups they provide you with, play with your own variations. Add honey, agave nectar, REAL maple syrup or fresh squeezed fruit juice. You can also buy raw sugarcane and boil it (I don't know how to do this but this is how they used to do it before sugar could be bought in stores. It produces a sugar syrup that is completely natural and healthy for you.

This is a long diatribe but also keep in mind that sugar has been related to cocaine as far as addictions go. It activates the same portion of the brain when consumed as hard drugs do in drug addicts. Do not lie to yourself, your body is addicted to sugar. When sugar is combined with fat, it gets even worse.


Anyone who is really interested in learning what is healthy vs unhealthy, I recommend reading 'Skinny *****' and/or 'Skinny *kitten*'. They promote veganism but if you can overlook that fact, it is full of a lot of really interesting information that can be hard to find elsewhere. They are super amusing, in your face, and easy to read. If you are offended easily and choose to read this book, I recommend keeping in mind that the way it is written was intended to be so over the top in your face to get national attention. It was on the NYTimes best seller list and there's a reason for that!

Here we go again...

ZOMG FORMALDEHYDE! Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring by product of human existence. It's in your body 24/7. There is actually more formaldehyde in an apple then you would get in a diet soda. Splenda has not been linked to any real side effects. In fact, no artificial sweetener has. Try reading the actual science and research, and not completely unresearched, falsified scare mongering books.

The human body processes high fructose corn syrup identically to sucrose. White sugar is no different from turbinado sugar from a metabolic, digestive, or nutrition standpoint.

Devolucien

Agree to disagree. I've read plenty of well researched scientific facts about this. My best friend is a biochemist and studies this crap for a living. I also know that my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia and diabetes that the doctors directly correlated to her consistent use of Nutrisweet and other artificial sweeteners.

Food is always a topic of debate but I still believe that if you can't eat it living or raw, or by mildly heating it up without additional chemical processes, you probably shouldn't put it in your body. Oh and by the way, e. coli is a naturally occurring bacteria in the body but that doesn't mean we want to ADD any to our system! That is when people get sick and die.

Same premise with formaldehyde...

crazedcujo

Hell no - diet sodas are like chemical factories. I am mostly a water guy anyway - but when I do crave a soda - it is the real deal - not that bad with calories anyway if you just stick with one every once in a while.

** Just my opinion of course. LOL

murf19

NO. Water is the way to go. Unsweetend Ice Tea works too.

ready2tryagain42

I gave up diet sodas about a month ago. I think it is a personal choice.

Di3012

Just wanted to know your thoughts on whether diet sodas were a good thing or not. Sure a regular soda has plenty of sugar, but at least you know what you're dealing with and so does your body. Diet sodas have sweeteners and supposed negative effects on your health.
Have I answered my own question?

When I go out on a Saturday night, my tipple is Vodka and Diet Coke, if I were to drink regular coke with the voddie, it would be an horrendous amount of calories - diet is either zero or one calorie. I'll stick with diet.

Besides which, I find normal coke very sickly and sweet, I don't like it.

Nailrep

I don't think any soda is good for you. But I still drink one diet a day.

maxmama55

I heard of Zevia and that's the only soda I drink now. The Kroger store we have only carries 3 flavors though. I like that it is all natural, even the flavorings. I drink one a day for a treat and then a lot of water!

faefaith

diet sodas nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! Aspertame is the devil!

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

mparadis718

I stopped drinking soda a few weeks ago. I still allow myself a coffee in the am, but for the rest of the day I drink water. Ocasionally I will drink a glass of iced tea but that is as close to soda as i go.