Diet Soda

dashingdeb

I am addicted to soda mostly just Dr Pepper and I know it is super bad for you. So now I have changed and am addicted to Diet Dr Pepper. It is zero cals so I do not see why it is bad. I find myself having 2-4 a day. Can someone tell me if this is good or bad or a good way to change it. Thank you!

CristinaL1983

Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested compounds and has been found safe unless used in extreme quantities or if you have an allergy to one of the amino acids.

Diet Dr. Pepper helps me keep my cravings for sweets under control.

I say go for it!

wilsoje74

soda in general is not great for you. It can leach the calcium out of your bones. It also makes you crave sugar more when you drink even the diet soda. I read about some study that found diet soda drinkers weigh even more than regular soda drinkers.
I would think in moderation it would not be horrible (for example 1 per day) but 2-4 a day of any kind of soda is not healthy.

AliceRabbit13

Wean off if you can. Artificial sweeteners still trigger an insulin response.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782974/

It also sets you up for not drinking enough water. Our bodies aren't evolutionarily ready for cokes, diet or not. Fruit is sweet, and has more benefits by far. Try squeezing an orange slice in your water...

CristinaL1983

Wean off if you can. Artificial sweeteners still trigger an insulin response.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782974/

It also sets you up for not drinking enough water. Our bodies aren't evolutionarily ready for cokes, diet or not. Fruit is sweet, and has more benefits by far. Try squeezing an orange slice in your water...

In the present study, no significant differences were observed in either plasma glucose or insulin after diet soda versus carbonated water ingestion , despite the significant differences in GLP-1.

This is a quote from that study. Yes, the one cited. It says that "no significant differences were observed in... insulin after diet soda vs carbonated water."

Come on! Really?!

DispatcherLangmaid

I heard your body has a hard time breaking down fats because it is breaking down the artificial sweetener. I not sure about that and admit I have trying not to drink Crystal Light in my water.

HeidiHoMom

I've lost over 40 lbs and drink diet soda every day.

BBeccaJean

In my experience, it is easier to lose weight when I'm not drinking diet soda!

keem88

2 to 4 a day, diet or not does not seem ideally the best thing. maybe try 1 a day? artificial sweeteners are still being debated and tested, i am really not too sure how i feel about them. i do have a diet soda every now and then if i want something bubbly, but overall i really am not a fan. whenever i have it i always feel bloated and then i just want something else sugary. if you have the funds, zevia makes a soda sweetened naturally with stevia and they make a dr pepper type called dr zevia. drinking 2-4 of those prolly isn't the best either, really straight up water is the best but maybe that could be something to look into? they sell them at health food stores, the natural section of some grocery chains (i found them in kroger) or online on amazon. they have different varieties like cola, mtn dew type, cream soda, ginger ale etc. i enjoy them i just haven't gotten around to ordering more.
i forget where i saw it, i think a diabetes magazine my best friend gets where they had a similar study showing that people who drink diet soda actually do weigh more.
i'm interested to see what other people say about this.

kcaffee1

I'm a Diet Dr Pepper fiend, myself. I tend to fight my rationing to just ONE two liter a day (If I don't watch it, I tend to guzzle down two, maybe 3!). And, it has not impacted my weight loss at all. Though, cost wise, I tend to drink more of the Diet Dr. Thunder (Walmart brand) than the "real" stuff. But, not sure how it does when you have been drinking the regular for most of your life. I grew up on the diet sodas, so for me, there never has been a switching issue.

LGinSoCal

I am addicted to soda mostly just Dr Pepper and I know it is super bad for you. So now I have changed and am addicted to Diet Dr Pepper. It is zero cals so I do not see why it is bad. I find myself having 2-4 a day. Can someone tell me if this is good or bad or a good way to change it. Thank you!

You aren't really hydrating yourself and it is the carbonation which is the problem (ok, maybe the artificial sweetener isn't so great either). Plus, it costs more than water.

I cut out diet soda in order to save money on my grocery bill and to reduce the trash in the house. It wasn't for health reasons. Turns out I felt a lot better when I cut out carbonated drinks. I performed better in my sports as well.

Hope that helps.

lachesissss

Like anything diet soda is a tool. It's helping you right now to stop drinking regular soda. Eventually, you'll use it to consume more regular water if you choose. I see no problem with it. I have a can or/so when I get tired for the caffeine. But I also enjoy drinking water, as I've found that as I've progressed, I feel different when I drink diet soda vs water. However, there's really nothing wrong with it, and you'll hear heaps of advice in either direction. If it helps you right now, I say go for it. It ultimately depends on how you feel at the end of the day whether or you drink more diet soda or more water.

CristinaL1983

As far as people who drink diet soda weighing more, I think that's a no brainer. When I wasn't overweight, I drank regular soda. When I gained weight (and started losing it), I switched to diet. Correlation does not equal causation. The dinosaurs are extinct and there are people who speed on the freeways. This is not the same as people speed on the freeways because the dinosaurs are extinct.

wntrbreez

I lean heavily on Caffeine Free Diet Coke. I drink a lot more diet soda than you do. I enjoy it and it's zero calories. I do agree that water is probably much better for you than any diet soda could ever be. With that being said, my personal view is that life is full of choices. If the diet Dr. Pepper is what helps you get thru the day without feeling deprived.....I say guzzle it, girl ! I've lost over 100 lbs & drink diet soda every day with no obvious effects on my weight loss. Everyone's body is different, though.

janalo55

Several years ago, I had heart palpitations. After a lot of testing, my doctor took me off caffeine and put me on a beta blocker. The palpitations continued. I had switched from Diet Coke to Caffeine Free Diet Coke. After nearly a year of still suffering the palpitations, I read an article that suggested Aspertame could cause or contribute to palpitations. The article recommended giving it a 2 month trial... do without and if you don't feel better, go back to your diet drinks. After 2 months, I wasn't having ANY palpitations. But I was addicted to the stuff and over the years, I continued to sneak back into drinking and when my consumption got higher, the palpitations would start back up. I have been totally off diet soda since July of last year. I haven't had any palpitations in 6 months or more. So, although government testing hasn't found the link, I tell myself Diet Coke is no longer an option for me. Or any diet drink, for that matter. I drink lots of water these days, since most everything has sugar (too high calorie) caffeine (not recommended for my condition) or artificial sweeteners.

DjangoAndDeadlifts

Everything CristinaL1983 said.

Just about every stupid thing you hear about the dangers of diet soda (and artificial sweeteners in general) is unsubstantiated.

LethainIowa

I'm hooked on Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi. I also drink water throughout the day..although I can honestly say I detest drinking water unless I'm doing yard work or something. Trust me..if diet soda was going to kill anyone..I would have been dead decades ago.

Cyclingbonnie

Everyone must find their own balance. I'm a proponent of eating real and trying hard to stay away from anything artificial. It has been hard, but I have given up sodas. I was addicted to Coke Zero, drank 3 - 6 of them a day. My weight kept rising. Yes it was rising because of the foods I craved when I was drinking a soda. I wanted chips and things like that. I gave up the soda and the cravings are not near as bad. I drink either water or unsweetened tea. I do NOT add artificial sweeteners to the tea. I do like to squeeze lemon or lime into my water.

Long and short of it, I do better without the soda. Will you? Only you could find that out.

DispatcherLangmaid

I also stopped drinking soda when I was getting kidney infections and I haven't had an infection since. My doctor recommended it and told me if I still get them then it is not the soda but he was right.

Chula1962

There is so much information out about diet soda. Good and bad. Take whatever you want from all the information and make up your own mind. Everyone is different and their bodies react differently, I gave up diet soda two weeks ago and I feel great ! I sleep better, I have less burping and I have no cravings. You need to do what works for you.

Railr0aderTony

Drinking one right now, anything in moderation. Just remember like someone else said it is a tool. I could not have lost weight without diet soda and splenda, it replaced sugar and kept me from craving junk.

KansasCowgirl

Personally, Diet anything is out of my house. I am striving to keep artificial junk out of my life. I feel better without Diet Coke - and what goes great with an ice cold fountain Diet Coke? Carrots? No. A cheeseburger. Diet Coke makes me want to eat crap. So - it's buh bye Diet Coke!

dashingdeb

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions I know water is the best and I will be drinking more and more of it but as of right now Diet Dr Pepper is what I like so I will keep it that way. Good Luck to you all on getting healthy!

teamAmelia

As far as people who drink diet soda weighing more, I think that's a no brainer. When I wasn't overweight, I drank regular soda. When I gained weight (and started losing it), I switched to diet. Correlation does not equal causation. The dinosaurs are extinct and there are people who speed on the freeways. This is not the same as people speed on the freeways because the dinosaurs are extinct.

LOL. This is my type of analogy.

sodadog

The fact is that if people want to retain something as part of their diet they will find a way to dissect the research and substantiate why it is all right to continue. I am a nurse and worked with a lot of oncology patients. I can tell you that no artificial sweetener is OK. You have to make your own choices in life. Splenda is one of the worst artificial sweeteners to come along worse than aspartame and saccharin combined and sadly it is being used in most diet products, especially ice creams. Almost no clinical studies were performed with Splenda in comparison to Aspartame or Saccharin. Splenda is created by adding Chlorine to sugar (Chlorine is a carcinogen)..by the way carcinogens are stored in fat cells which makes it even more dangerous for those of us who are carrying extra weight) The dangerous thing is that now Splenda is being called by it's chemical name (sucralose) not sucrose which is an actual sugar, but sucralose. I just bought Pedialyte the other day for a friendand noticed it is one of the ingredients. Most people are not aware of this chemical name but the last thing you should give a baby or small child is artificial sweetener. Their cells are immature and can be affected more seriously then those of a developed adult. But either way none of them are good choices. I got off all diet soda and Crystal Light 2 years ago. It honestly did not take me that long to loose the cravings, maybe two weeks. Like a few have posted before it is the carbonation first that causes a problem with metabolism. But the artificial sweeteners are a dangerous secondary effect. Try whatever you can to replace them eventually. Add fruit to your water, they sell really cool infusion beverage holders that keep the fruit, or cucumber, mint, etc separate from the water so you don't get particles. Do some further research on the internet. Patients always ask me when we will find a cure for cancer. My guess is when we stop ingesting bad chemicals and cooking in plastics. Our bodies were not equipped with the proper filters for all that. Good luck.
Here are some good links: (they explain about the metabolism issues much better than I could)
http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/factvsfiction/index.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/10/new-study-of-splenda-reveals-shocking-information-about-potential-harmful-effects.aspx

wellbert

Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested compounds and has been found safe unless used in extreme quantities or if you have an allergy to one of the amino acids.

Diet Dr. Pepper helps me keep my cravings for sweets under control.

I say go for it!

Correct. Aspartame becomes dangerous when administering roughly 1000x the amount found in a daily soda, by hypodermic needle directly into the brain.

poesch77

The dinosaurs are extinct and there are people who speed on the freeways. This is not the same as people speed on the freeways because the dinosaurs are extinct.

W-T-F?

Docmahi

The fact is that if people want to retain something as part of their diet they will find a way to dissect the research and substantiate why it is all right to continue. I am a nurse and worked with a lot of oncology patients. I can tell you that no artificial sweetener is OK. You have to make your own choices in life. Splenda is one of the worst artificial sweeteners to come along worse than aspartame and saccharin combined and sadly it is being used in most diet products, especially ice creams. Almost no clinical studies were performed with Splenda in comparison to Aspartame or Saccharin. Splenda is created by adding Chlorine to sugar (Chlorine is a carcinogen)..by the way carcinogens are stored in fat cells which makes it even more dangerous for those of us who are carrying extra weight) The dangerous thing is that now Splenda is being called by it's chemical name (sucralose) not sucrose which is an actual sugar, but sucralose. I just bought Pedialyte the other day for a friendand noticed it is one of the ingredients. Most people are not aware of this chemical name but the last thing you should give a baby or small child is artificial sweetener. Their cells are immature and can be affected more seriously then those of a developed adult. But either way none of them are good choices. I got off all diet soda and Crystal Light 2 years ago. It honestly did not take me that long to loose the cravings, maybe two weeks. Like a few have posted before it is the carbonation first that causes a problem with metabolism. But the artificial sweeteners are a dangerous secondary effect. Try whatever you can to replace them eventually. Add fruit to your water, they sell really cool infusion beverage holders that keep the fruit, or cucumber, mint, etc separate from the water so you don't get particles. Do some further research on the internet. Patients always ask me when we will find a cure for cancer. My guess is when we stop ingesting bad chemicals and cooking in plastics. Our bodies were not equipped with the proper filters for all that. Good luck.
Here are some good links: (they explain about the metabolism issues much better than I could)
http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/factvsfiction/index.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/10/new-study-of-splenda-reveals-shocking-information-about-potential-harmful-effects.aspx

chlorine is also in table salt, our body is well adapted to deal with it

There is no study that has ever definitively linked diet sodas with cancers or neuropathy - every pound I have lost has been drenched in coke zero. Nothing I learned in medical school ever scared me away from it.

But to each there own, certainly water is definitely better for you, but I enjoy my coke zero

ShmareParks

Aspartame becomes dangerous when administering roughly 1000x the amount found in a daily soda, by hypodermic needle directly into the brain.

Darn! I'd better quit doing that RIGHT AWAY!

Berlygirl10

[/quote]

You aren't really hydrating yourself and it is the carbonation which is the problem (ok, maybe the artificial sweetener isn't so great either). Plus, it costs more than water.

I cut out diet soda in order to save money on my grocery bill and to reduce the trash in the house. It wasn't for health reasons. Turns out I felt a lot better when I cut out carbonated drinks. I performed better in my sports as well.

Hope that helps.
[/quote]

this I was drinking diet coke everyday and I what I ended up doing is not hydrating enough! I have found losing weight to be a lot easier this time! But do what feels right for you! try something for a few weeks and see .. Good luck!

ajhugz

I am addicted to soda mostly just Dr Pepper and I know it is super bad for you. So now I have changed and am addicted to Diet Dr Pepper. It is zero cals so I do not see why it is bad. I find myself having 2-4 a day. Can someone tell me if this is good or bad or a good way to change it. Thank you!

I don't know if this specifically pertains to Dr. Pepper but some diet soda contains aspartame which attacks your brain cells and can cause acute memory loss. It also contains artificial sweeteners which sound good to our ears because of less calories but, they aren't good for us.
A good thing you can do is limit how many you can have in a week so that you're not having it everyday. Most people have a hard time going cold turkey when they enjoy something. Try 4 for the entire week and every time you crave it eat a piece of fruit. Your body will thank you.