Diet Soda vs. Crystal Light

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  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    I've never been a diet soda drinker because I don't like the taste and because of the artificial sweeteners. The carbonation can also contribute to osteoporosis so exessive amounts are probably not good in the long run, so that's another reason to stay away from the soda. Crystal Light and Mio and those other things also have artificial sweetners so it's hard to say. Personally, I do use crystal light etc every now and again when I get bored wtith just plain water even though it's artificial. It's not an everyday thing so I'm not concerned.
  • Hollthulhu
    Hollthulhu Posts: 19 Member
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    As the question was, are artificial sweeteners in X product as bad as X product, the answer is: Yes.

    Artificial sweeteners are unneeded chemicals you are voluntarily putting into your body. Most of these chemicals your body can't even absorb. So if you think about it in that light, the answer would be yes. As others have said, certain artificial sweeteners affect others differently. My personal experience is that Aspartame (found in most diet drinks and water flavoring packets) makes me crave more sweets. Aspartame is a very harmful chemical and you should really do some research on any chemicals you are putting into your body. There is much more to be concerned about than just the artificial sweeteners. Here is a helpful article that brings to light some things about the questioned product, and perhaps it will encourage you (and others) to do some research on the foods you eat. http://www.livestrong.com/article/309079-the-pros-cons-of-crystal-light-drink/
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    As the question was, are artificial sweeteners in X product as bad as X product, the answer is: Yes.

    Artificial sweeteners are unneeded chemicals you are voluntarily putting into your body. Most of these chemicals your body can't even absorb. So if you think about it in that light, the answer would be yes. As others have said, certain artificial sweeteners affect others differently. My personal experience is that Aspartame (found in most diet drinks and water flavoring packets) makes me crave more sweets. Aspartame is a very harmful chemical and you should really do some research on any chemicals you are putting into your body. There is much more to be concerned about than just the artificial sweeteners. Here is a helpful article that brings to light some things about the questioned product, and perhaps it will encourage you (and others) to do some research on the foods they eat. http://www.livestrong.com/article/309079-the-pros-cons-of-crystal-light-drink/

    Livestrong is not a good site to use for research.
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,611 Member
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    As the question was, are artificial sweeteners in X product as bad as X product, the answer is: Yes.

    Artificial sweeteners are unneeded chemicals you are voluntarily putting into your body. Most of these chemicals your body can't even absorb. So if you think about it in that light, the answer would be yes. As others have said, certain artificial sweeteners affect others differently. My personal experience is that Aspartame (found in most diet drinks and water flavoring packets) makes me crave more sweets. Aspartame is a very harmful chemical and you should really do some research on any chemicals you are putting into your body. There is much more to be concerned about than just the artificial sweeteners. Here is a helpful article that brings to light some things about the questioned product, and perhaps it will encourage you (and others) to do some research on the foods you eat. http://www.livestrong.com/article/309079-the-pros-cons-of-crystal-light-drink/

    Welcome to the site. Here is some research for you:

    http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/aspartame
  • Jamcnair
    Jamcnair Posts: 586 Member
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    I've tried the flavor packets from Walmart and after just a couple days of drinking them, my tongue starts to feel strange and I feel dehydrated! I stopped using them and started putting some frozen fruit into a bottle of water and it's much better! You could even add a little bit of Stevia to sweeten it
  • Astacia74
    Astacia74 Posts: 166 Member
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    I quit regular soda ages ago & finally gave up diet soda last November. I wonder if all the talk about diet soda being worse for you than regular, making you crave sweets & being full of chemicals and fake sugar means that drinks like Crystal Light considered the same?

    Right now, if it's not coffee or hot tea, (or beer!) I basically only drink water. I've never been a fan of it & that's all I drink... day in and day out. It gets kinda boring.

    So, should Crystal Light be considered as bad as a diet soda?

    :drinker:

    If you go the Crystal Light route, make sure to get the "Pure" not the sugar-free. The issue with diet soda, and all sugar free stuff for that matter, is the use of Aspertame as a sweetener. When you consume this chemical, your body reads it as sugar and your pancreas releases insulin to break down the sugar - problem is, there is no sugar for it to break down.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I quit regular soda ages ago & finally gave up diet soda last November. I wonder if all the talk about diet soda being worse for you than regular, making you crave sweets & being full of chemicals and fake sugar means that drinks like Crystal Light considered the same?

    Right now, if it's not coffee or hot tea, (or beer!) I basically only drink water. I've never been a fan of it & that's all I drink... day in and day out. It gets kinda boring.

    So, should Crystal Light be considered as bad as a diet soda?

    :drinker:

    If you go the Crystal Light route, make sure to get the "Pure" not the sugar-free. The issue with diet soda, and all sugar free stuff for that matter, is the use of Aspertame as a sweetener. When you consume this chemical, your body reads it as sugar and your pancreas releases insulin to break down the sugar - problem is, there is no sugar for it to break down.

    Do you have any studies that show aspartame causes an insulin spike as the ones I have seen show that it does not?
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    I've never been a diet soda drinker because I don't like the taste and because of the artificial sweeteners. The carbonation can also contribute to osteoporosis so exessive amounts are probably not good in the long run, so that's another reason to stay away from the soda. Crystal Light and Mio and those other things also have artificial sweetners so it's hard to say. Personally, I do use crystal light etc every now and again when I get bored wtith just plain water even though it's artificial. It's not an everyday thing so I'm not concerned.

    Carbonation does not contribute to osteoporosis. Some studies have pointed to phosphoric acid as a possible contributer due to the reasoning that the body must pull calcium out of your system to combat the acidity. However, there are far more acidic foods out there than diet and regular soda. That means you'd have to avoid most acidic foods, and that is why the studies have been questioned in peer reviews of the studies. Yet again, moderation tends to be a good rule of thumb.

    All that said, carbonation being the culprit is a dietary myth.

    "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." -- Mark Twain

    Edit: stupid typo
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    I actually had a meeting with a nutritionist that said the diet soda thing is real. Artificual sweeteners are are exponentially higher in sweetness but we'll still add the same amount to everything. Since that's what happens our bodies will start to crave sweeter and sweeter things which will increase the amount of sweeteners we'll add to other items. And since sugars and carbs break down the exact same way this can lead to an increase in weight gain.
    Nutritionist's don't need licenses and many echo information they HEAR and not actually studied.
    Dieticians on the other hand are licensed and a peer reviewed study on recommendation/non recommendation favored recommendation by majority for use of artificial sweetners along with good diet to help lose weight.

    http://gradworks.umi.com/1499296.pdf


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    As the question was, are artificial sweeteners in X product as bad as X product, the answer is: Yes.

    Artificial sweeteners are unneeded chemicals you are voluntarily putting into your body. Most of these chemicals your body can't even absorb. So if you think about it in that light, the answer would be yes. As others have said, certain artificial sweeteners affect others differently. My personal experience is that Aspartame (found in most diet drinks and water flavoring packets) makes me crave more sweets. Aspartame is a very harmful chemical and you should really do some research on any chemicals you are putting into your body. There is much more to be concerned about than just the artificial sweeteners. Here is a helpful article that brings to light some things about the questioned product, and perhaps it will encourage you (and others) to do some research on the foods you eat. http://www.livestrong.com/article/309079-the-pros-cons-of-crystal-light-drink/
    Lol, articles aren't evidence. You may actually want to do some ACTUAL RESEARCH. Use the search function on here to links to actual peer reviewed studies on aspartame and other artificial sweetners and you'll probably find that the hoopla being spouted by the source you link is unfounded by actual science.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    If you go the Crystal Light route, make sure to get the "Pure" not the sugar-free. The issue with diet soda, and all sugar free stuff for that matter, is the use of Aspertame as a sweetener. When you consume this chemical, your body reads it as sugar and your pancreas releases insulin to break down the sugar - problem is, there is no sugar for it to break down.
    Incorrect. Research it again.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • sahm23ladies
    sahm23ladies Posts: 91 Member
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    I enjoy reading all the comments and I figured as much, that fake is fake. I gave up sweet iced tea & fresh lemonade even though natural... to avoid the added sugar.

    Many people speak of moderation. I know for me, most times I'm an all-or-nothing kinda girl.

    So I suppose I'll go grab a glass of good ol' water.
  • Kadesha72
    Kadesha72 Posts: 109 Member
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    I've never really liked water so much either, and was at one point drinking 8-10 cans of full power Dr. Pepper a day.... ouch... but once I had accomplished cutting back that, and started forcing myself to drink water, it really became so easy... I wake up in the morning wanting a glass of cold water now!! My skin is better too. the only real draw back is peeing so much, I feel like most of my day is spent coming and going to the bathroom....LOL

    But... I do alow myself 2 diet sodas a day, and 1 "full power" on the weekend... I can't drink too much diet soda anyway because I tend to get LOTS of headaches on it.
  • nathan6878
    nathan6878 Posts: 115 Member
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    I love the Crystal Light kind of all throughout the day. And I used to drink a ton of diet coke. But now it is really only one small can of the Coke zero.

    So have cut the soda drinking down and getting in more water with the crystal light.
  • beastmodekittyx
    beastmodekittyx Posts: 97 Member
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    never giving up diet coke, YOLO!
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    I think there are two things that potentially make Crystal Light better than diet soda. One is the lack of carbonation and the acids that go along with it. Those are bad for your teeth and probably can contribute to osteoporosis. (This is coming from a diet soda lover, by the way :laugh: ). The other is that you can dilute crystal light. I usually use the to-go packs and put one pack in a 32 oz bottle of water (the recommendation is 16 oz). It still tastes good, not super diluted, in my opinion, and you're getting less of the concerning chemicals while getting more hydration. (Again, I'm not overly concerned with them, but less is better in this case). I also try to alternate, 1 bottle of flavored and then 1 bottle of plain, especially if I'm having diet soda that day as well.


    FWIW, I don't buy the actual Crystal Light. Target, Kroger, and Wal-Mart all have store brands with more varieties and less cost (and probably stronger flavor, so better in the diluted state I go for). Blueberry acai and Dragonfruit, from Great Value (walmart) brand are my favorites! Do read the labels, though, some of the Kroger energy ones have other stimulants besides caffeine … guarano? I don't remember … but I avoid those.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    If you go the Crystal Light route, make sure to get the "Pure" not the sugar-free. The issue with diet soda, and all sugar free stuff for that matter, is the use of Aspertame as a sweetener. When you consume this chemical, your body reads it as sugar and your pancreas releases insulin to break down the sugar - problem is, there is no sugar for it to break down.
    Incorrect. Research it again.


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

    Yeah, there was an article linked a couple of weeks back. A real, academic review article (going over multiple sources of previous research) IIRC … and it found that aspartame DOESN'T cause an insulin release. I may be associated with the release of other, "smaller" chemicals that have to do with satiety or hunger cues, but not insulin. It's not the sweet taste that causes the body to release insulin, it's the presence of glucose (and pretty much all sugars are broken down into glucose to be metabolized).
  • davepearson86
    davepearson86 Posts: 158 Member
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    If you go the Crystal Light route, make sure to get the "Pure" not the sugar-free. The issue with diet soda, and all sugar free stuff for that matter, is the use of Aspertame as a sweetener. When you consume this chemical, your body reads it as sugar and your pancreas releases insulin to break down the sugar - problem is, there is no sugar for it to break down.
    Incorrect. Research it again.


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


    Share your knowledge with us. I've read the same explanation in Primal Blueprint for the insulin release which keeps fat locked up and makes you want high glucose foods. Also the diet sodas do seem to induce cravings for sweets.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    If you go the Crystal Light route, make sure to get the "Pure" not the sugar-free. The issue with diet soda, and all sugar free stuff for that matter, is the use of Aspertame as a sweetener. When you consume this chemical, your body reads it as sugar and your pancreas releases insulin to break down the sugar - problem is, there is no sugar for it to break down.
    Incorrect. Research it again.


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


    Share your knowledge with us. I've read the same explanation in Primal Blueprint for the insulin release which keeps fat locked up and makes you want high glucose foods. Also the diet sodas do seem to induce cravings for sweets.
    In answering the question, an artificial sweetner that's bitter in taste (like saccharin) may increase insulin, but aspartame has no effect on pancreas releasing insulin. Does insulin "lock" up fat from being burned? Yes. But that wasn't part of the statement made previously.
    As for cravings, there have been several done on how aspartame doesn't affect it.
    Aspartame The effects of aspartame were reviewed in all of the above studies and showed consistent results throughout. Aspartame, classified as a non-bitter NCS, was shown not to augment insulin secretion from rat pancreatic islets (Malaisse 1998). In two distinct studies, Anderson et al (1990) and Birch et al (1989), performed on children, neither one showed increased hunger ratings or caloric consumption based on the presence of aspartame in a beverage consumed before lunch. Furthermore, the effects of aspartame in the presence of a carbohydrate group were studied, and still proved not to have a significant effect on the hunger ratings or caloric consumptions of children aged 9-10 years old (Anderson et al 1990). Twenty healthy adults also showed no significant increases in appetite ratings or caloric consumption after drinking beverages sweetened with aspartame (Canty and Chan 1991). This was consistent with the study of 42 male subjects, in the study performed by Rolls (1991). The correlation between the findings of these five studies, in spite of their great variation in subjects, shows that aspartame does not yield significant increases in any of the following: insulin secretion, appetite stimulation, or increased caloric intake.

    http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/2010/NonSweetenedBeverages.htm


    Also

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2650084/

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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