Is Diet Coke bad for the body?

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  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    I dont think anythign is ruining the world. Im just saying; ingestign things into your body that aren't natural IS not GOOD for you. The opposite good is bad. This inst rocket science.

    Just because a food isn't "good" for you doesn't mean that it's "bad".
    :huh:

    ??? :noway: ????
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.

    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn
  • CarSidDar
    CarSidDar Posts: 118 Member
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    I would also love to see the peer reviewed article on this study as well. Since I drink Diet Coke daily, and believe in real science, I have yet to find such an article.

    Please share!
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
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    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.

    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    That post says nothing of the sort.

    The post asks whether the study was done on humans, and asks for the information to be shared.

    Why attack someone for asking for both clarification and proof of a claim?
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.

    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    Did you know onions are poisonous to cats, and chocolate is toxic to dogs?


    I've been feeding my fish steak, my cats hay, my tarantulas kibble and my cow tuna. For some reason though, they keep dying?

    Your knowledge of preschool biology is amazing.
  • rswood62
    rswood62 Posts: 80 Member
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    SAVE
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.

    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    Did you know onions are poisonous to cats, and chocolate is toxic to dogs?


    I've been feeding my fish steak, my cats hay, my tarantulas kibble and my cow tuna. For some reason though, they keep dying?

    Your knowledge of preschool biology is amazing.

    depending on what kind of fish you have, steak might be a good choice.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    First of all I don't appreciate your personal attack.

    Second of all, there are plenty of things that are harmful at a given dose that are not harmful at lower doses. Do you eat fish? Are you concerned about mercury? There's one example of something that can be harmful at higher doses and not harmful at reasonable doses.

    Next, have you read James Krieger's very thorough research analysis on aspartame? It covers dosage and context and very clearly shows that at reasonable dose and given no PKU, it's fine to consume.

    Do you understand how aspartame is metabolized and do you understand that the amino acids and metabolic byproducts are not harmful?

    I do. If you'd like to discuss it, you let me know.
  • AKDonF
    AKDonF Posts: 235 Member
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    The reason diet coke, or anything that is carbonated is bad in large amounts over a long period of time is because of the acid content (phosphoric acid). The human body needs to maintain balance (homeostasis) so many functions work on the principle of balancing things out. pH is a term used to describe the measurment of hydrogen ion concentration. A pH of 7 is neutral (salt) and that is what the body strives to maintain, or somewhere very close to neutral. When an acid is introduced, the body counters this through the use of a base (or alkali). (Think chemistry; an acid is made more neutral through the use of a base.) Calcium is probably the most readily available bases in the human body. When there is insufficient calcium available to continue strengthing bones, osteoporosis can occur.

    Additionally, when the body removes calcium and other alkalis from the body to balance an acidic condition, the thyroid function MAY be reduced due to a similar chemical reaction, but that is subject for a whole other discussion. My opinion is just this, in reasonable amounts (moderation), most things that are 'bad for you' are just fine. Many things that may even be 'good for you' in large amounts can cause problems. The main difficulty that I see in almost all studies, reports, rumors, and talk is that people seem to want absolutes. In other words this or that is 'good' or 'bad' for you, but I believe there are many more shades of gray than absolutes. Also things like I have just explained very easily get misconstrued and suddenly diet coke causes XXXX.

    I hope this helps someone.
  • CarSidDar
    CarSidDar Posts: 118 Member
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    Consuming the amount of phosphoric acid in a can of Diet Coke will NOT change the pH of your body. Do you know the pH of your stomach contents right now?

    Gastric acid is a digestive fluid, formed in the stomach. It has a pH of 1.5 to 3.5 and is composed of hydrochloric acid (HCl). The "resting pH" is between 3 and 4. http://chemistry.about.com/b/2012/07/25/what-is-the-ph-of-the-stomach.htm

    The pH of Diet Coke is 3.289 http://quittingsoda.com/post/the-acidity-ph-of-soda-pop

    Therefore, drinking a Diet Coke will not change the pH in your stomach at all.

    Now, calcium.


    Calcium is not a base. Calcium is a mineral. Calcium carbonate is a base, calcium citrate is a base, other calcium compounds are bases, but calcium itself is not.


    My qualifications for making these statements

    Bachelor of Applied Science - Chemical Engineering
    Master of Library and Information Science.

    i.e. a well educated experienced chemistry librarian with access to a lot of real, scientific, peer reviewed, information (even if I did not need to use it for this particular argument, Google provided all I needed)
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    First of all I don't appreciate your personal attack.

    Second of all, there are plenty of things that are harmful at a given dose that are not harmful at lower doses. Do you eat fish? Are you concerned about mercury? There's one example of something that can be harmful at higher doses and not harmful at reasonable doses.

    Next, have you read James Krieger's very thorough research analysis on aspartame? It covers dosage and context and very clearly shows that at reasonable dose and given no PKU, it's fine to consume.

    Do you understand how aspartame is metabolized and do you understand that the amino acids and metabolic byproducts are not harmful?

    I do. If you'd like to discuss it, you let me know.

    You didnt answer the question.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.

    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    Did you know onions are poisonous to cats, and chocolate is toxic to dogs?


    I've been feeding my fish steak, my cats hay, my tarantulas kibble and my cow tuna. For some reason though, they keep dying?

    Your knowledge of preschool biology is amazing.

    Acute ability to avoid normal logic and spin things into something they aren't far surpasses Obama's
  • wilsonm24
    Options
    An actual non biased clinical trial has revealed that yes, it bad. Not the coke stuff, just the sweetener. Heres my totally uneducated, but logical opinion. If it is artificial, it is more than likely not good for you. Eat real food. Drink real sweeteners.

    Done on humans? Please share a link.

    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    Did you know onions are poisonous to cats, and chocolate is toxic to dogs?


    I've been feeding my fish steak, my cats hay, my tarantulas kibble and my cow tuna. For some reason though, they keep dying?

    Your knowledge of preschool biology is amazing.

    Acute ability to avoid normal logic and spin things into something they aren't far surpasses Obama's

    How is his logic any different than yours?

    You have yet to prove that Diet Coke is bad for you, other than to say it has chemicals in it. Chemicals don't necessarily mean bad, unless you have documented proof that the chemicals in a can of Diet Coke can kill and/or harm a human.

    Can you provide that?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    First of all I don't appreciate your personal attack.

    Second of all, there are plenty of things that are harmful at a given dose that are not harmful at lower doses. Do you eat fish? Are you concerned about mercury? There's one example of something that can be harmful at higher doses and not harmful at reasonable doses.

    Next, have you read James Krieger's very thorough research analysis on aspartame? It covers dosage and context and very clearly shows that at reasonable dose and given no PKU, it's fine to consume.

    Do you understand how aspartame is metabolized and do you understand that the amino acids and metabolic byproducts are not harmful?

    I do. If you'd like to discuss it, you let me know.

    You didnt answer the question.

    I didn't answer the question because:

    a) Aspartames effect on animals given a single bolus dose equivalent to 200 cans of soda in a human, are not in any way, shape, or form, relevant to the physiological effects of a reasonable dose of aspartame given to humans.

    b) All reseach I've seen shows that there is no evidence of harmful effects at doses under recommended ADI, and the recommended ADI is far beyond what most people consume in a day.

    If you have any research to refute any of the above I would love to see it.

    If you are claiming that aspartame is bad, the burden of proof is on you.
  • PamelaKuz
    PamelaKuz Posts: 191 Member
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    I know this thread has gone crazy, but I just had to chime in. I'm one of those who is anti-aspartame. I had my first and last diet pop when I was 15, it gave me a stroke and I was in the hospital for months. It's been 17 years and my left side is still weaker. So yeah, that chemical can do neurological damage to some folks.


    What Good benefit do our bodies derive from this list below?
    Aspartame

    Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in most diet soda. Aspartame is suspected to cause cancer and it has also been linked to Alzheimer's disease. Some have the PKU gene and they cannot process phenylalanine (an amino acid found in Aspartame). If people with the PKU gene consume phenylalanine, they will suffer neurological damage and possibly death. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in many dairy products. In its natural form, phenylalanine combines with other amino acids. In isolation, phenylalanine could have adverse health effects.

    2. Phosphoric Acid

    Phosphoric acid is an ingredient in diet soda (and in many regular sodas) which produces a tangy flavor. Phosphoric acid can deplete the body of the calcium it needs to promote strong bones and healthy teeth. Chronic consumption of the phosphoric acid found in diet soda can be particularly detrimental for people under 30, because their bones have not reached maturity. Excess amounts of phosphoric acid have also been linked to kidney disease and the formation of kidney stones.

    3. Caffeine (synthesized)

    Caffeine is not bad, as far as nutrition goes. The problem with the caffeine found in diet soda is that is it artificial, whereas in coffee and tea, the caffeine is naturally occurring. Synthetic caffeine is metabolized differently in your body than it would be if it were combined with the nutrients of coffee or tea, creating a synergistic effect. Additionally, many people consume diet soda to satisfy their thirst; this is actually counterproductive. Caffeine is a diuretic and it can dehydrate you when consumed in large quantities. Many people who consume diet soda drink it continuously throughout the day. One 12 ounce can of diet soda can contain anywhere from 50 to 80mg of caffeine.

    4. Acesulfame Potassium

    Acesulfame potassium is another artificial sweetener used instead of aspartame. Individuals who consume acesulfame potassium often believe they're being healthier because they're not consuming phenylalanine (the amino acid found in aspartame). The reality is that the long term health effects of artificial sweeteners are unknown. Studies have shown that acesulfame potassium can cause tumors and brain damage even when not consumed excessively. Acesulfame potassium can also cause hypoglycemia.

    5. Potassium Benzoate

    The nutrition of diet soda contains the ingredient potassium benzoate. Potassium benzoate is a preservative added to diet soda to protect the flavor while it sits on the shelves. Potassium benzoate can form the known carcinogen benzene when combined with vitamin C and sodium. Many diet sodas are fortified with vitamin C and almost all contain sodium.

    The general consensus is that the nutrition in diet soda is not any better (and is probably worse) than the nutrition found in regular soda. For the best nutrition, one should eliminate regular and diet soda from their diet. Instead, sip on 100 percent fruit juice or water.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    So Sidesteel you are perfectly fine that it kills other living things but has no current studies disproving that its harmful to humans?

    All Brawn

    First of all I don't appreciate your personal attack.

    Second of all, there are plenty of things that are harmful at a given dose that are not harmful at lower doses. Do you eat fish? Are you concerned about mercury? There's one example of something that can be harmful at higher doses and not harmful at reasonable doses.

    Next, have you read James Krieger's very thorough research analysis on aspartame? It covers dosage and context and very clearly shows that at reasonable dose and given no PKU, it's fine to consume.

    Do you understand how aspartame is metabolized and do you understand that the amino acids and metabolic byproducts are not harmful?

    I do. If you'd like to discuss it, you let me know.

    You all are taking this way to far....Ill try to be clear again.

    - If its not natural - Chemically synthesized/Man made Its probably not the best thing to ingest.
    - Im not saying not to.
    - You gain no benefit from it other than enjoyment. In that sense its like gambling except there is never even the possibility of a payout.
    - there are better options
    - do it , dont do it. I dont give a crap.
    - The question is answered as I answered it.
    Is diet coke bad for the body?

    Yes.

    The alternative would be answering "No" suggesting its Good for the body or has no ill effect. If either is true, Please site studies showing the health Benefits of ingesting diet coke in any quantity or studies showing that there is no effect whatsoever. Which we know is not true In consumption levels of more than 1 can/day.

    1. Artificial sweeteners and cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners. Accessed Oct. 16, 2009.
    2. Dhingra J, et al. Soft drink consumption and risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults in the community. Circulation. 2007;116:480.

    If diet coke is "safe" to drink in quantities less than 1 can per day the question still must be answered "Yes, its bad for the body" because the negative effect still occurs just not to a level that is "harmful" Drinking .02 ml of diet coke doesn't have a positive effect on a persons body its just not enough to cause permanent harmful effects.

    Safe does not equate Positive nor healthy. the health benefits of fresh Tuna not tuna from a can far surpass the negatives of mercury build up which would take an obscene amount to reach...In this case there are positive benefits of ingesting fresh tuna. In your case there are no positives only negatives.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    You all are taking this way to far....Ill try to be clear again.

    - If its not natural - Chemically synthesized/Man made Its probably not the best thing to ingest.
    - Im not saying not to.
    - You gain no benefit from it other than enjoyment. In that sense its like gambling except there is never even the possibility of a payout.

    Enjoyment is a payout. Orthorexia is not healthy.
    - do it , dont do it. I dont give a crap.

    It appears you do if you're willing to attack me verbally over my opinion on this.



    Is diet coke bad for the body?
    Yes.

    You have yet to provide anything that demonstrates this.
    The alternative would be answering "No"

    You could also answer: "I have not yet seen any evidence that it is harmful". Since that's how things work. They test to see if things are harmful.

    Please site studies showing the health Benefits of ingesting diet coke in any quantity or studies showing that there is no effect whatsoever.

    Why would I cite studies about something I never claimed?
    Which we know is not true In consumption levels of more than 1 can/day.

    1. Artificial sweeteners and cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners. Accessed Oct. 16, 2009.
    2. Dhingra J, et al. Soft drink consumption and risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults in the community. Circulation. 2007;116:480.

    Thank you, I'll check the above out. All I wanted was evidence and if you believe the above is ample, I'll look at it.

    If diet coke is "safe" to drink in quantities less than 1 can per day the question still must be answered "Yes, its bad for the body" because the negative effect still occurs just not to a level that is "harmful" .

    False. Do you understand how toxicity works?
    Safe does not equate Positive nor healthy. the health benefits of fresh Tuna not tuna from a can far surpass the negatives of mercury build up which would take an obscene amount to reach...In this case there are positive benefits of ingesting fresh tuna. In your case there are no positives only negatives.

    Taste, dietary adherence are positives.

    I never made the claim that diet soda is healthy or nutritive, because that's silly.
  • rwalston86
    rwalston86 Posts: 50 Member
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    YES YES YES its bad! Empty calories! Even if it is diet its unnatural and unhealthy. Our bodies do not process artificial sugars and additives like it can natural sugars and foods. This can not only lead to trouble with weight loss but also health problems.
  • yogsvr4
    yogsvr4 Posts: 149 Member
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    I'm hooked on it. Have been for a couple decades. Hasn't made one bit of difference in either gaining or losing weight in my case.