Diet Soda May Do More Harm Than Good

SJVZEE
SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
(thread title is the same as the article title)

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/10/diet-soda-may-do-more-harm-than-good/?hpt=hp_c3

This is also all over my local news. Thoughts?

Replies

  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    I'm a pack a day smoker. I don't really have room to lecture people on how bad aspartame is.
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
    I'm a pack a day smoker. I don't really have room to lecture people on how bad aspartame is.

    :)

    I recently cut out my 5-6 cans of diet soda a day habit, because I didn't want to be dependent on caffeine anymore (it was my only caffeine source). But, during my weight loss phase I drank it and lost around 50lbs. It didn't seem to hinder that at all, like the study indicates. Interesting stuff!
  • VeinsAndBones
    VeinsAndBones Posts: 550 Member
    Rehash... This was really popular like 3 weeks ago, I thought they got all of the aspartame fight stuff out of their system?
  • BigDnSW
    BigDnSW Posts: 641 Member
    Ah...here we go on yet another diet soda psot. I hope this thread won't explode...Peace!

    apollo-oh-no-not-again.jpg
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Correlation isn't causation.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • BeardedMike
    BeardedMike Posts: 52 Member
    This scare campaign against aspartame has been around for ages. There is nothing wrong with the stuff, none of these stories will like to any reputable scientific articles. Sugar is far worse for you. Now if you want to talk about the damage ALL soda does to your teeth, that's a different story. The acid in these drinks will literally eat away at your tooth enamel.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Sure, it would be best, ideally, to cut out all soda. But some people just don't want to do that. And if you're tracking calories, the whole "causes you to overeat thing" is kind of a moot point.

    Personal experience:
    I drink diet soda, usually 1-2 cans a day max. A couple of weeks ago, I was at a bbq, and there was no diet, only throwback (sweetened with sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup). I decided, what the heck, it won't taste so very awful as the HFCS stuff does (ugh, that garbage is nasty) and over the course of several hours, I consumed to cans. Twenty-four ounces. 80 g sugar :noway: (Yes, it's 40 g per can of throwback Pepsi :noway: :noway: ) I felt okay at first, but as I finished the second can, I started seriously feeling buzzed - that's the only way I could describe it. Like maybe my system was going "eek, too much sugar, what do I do" And then a few hours later I had a serious blood sugar crash (okay, I didn't test by blood sugar - I don't have any medical conditions requiring me to track - but if felt like a bad crash, shaky and nauseated as if I hadn't eaten for a long time). I have never ever had that from diet soda. Ever. I have rarely had any sort of similar reactions to eating candy, cookies, or other sugary treats (but I doubt I consume 80 g of sugar like that from my treats).

    So, for me, the answer is, the sugar is far worse. But, of course, that's just my experience. I'll stick with my couple cans a day or less.
  • maybeazure
    maybeazure Posts: 301 Member
    I'd like to see the actual studies, rather than just the "conclusions." Most of the human studies that I have seen are correctional. People who drink diet soda are heavier than people who don't. But that doesn't mean it causes it. It could be the opposite. People who are heavy tend to gravitate to diet soda rather than high calorie beverages. But then they go ahead and eat their big macs.

    I drink 4-5 a day and it hasn't seemed to hinder my weight loss. I'm not diabetic either.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
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  • CometMeebru
    CometMeebru Posts: 122
    Thanks for the virus OP, posting from my portable stovetop.
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  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
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  • FearAnLoathingJ
    FearAnLoathingJ Posts: 337 Member
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  • shezll
    shezll Posts: 35 Member
    I never drank diet soda or any other soda for that matter until I started on this journey with my fitness pal. I now enjoy it occasionally. I figure all the smoking and drinking ETC over my 33 years where far worse for me than this could ever be.
  • tomoswilding
    tomoswilding Posts: 56 Member
    I thought numerous scientific studies had concluded that Aspartame didn't pose a risk of cancer/other conditions above or beyond any other sweetner or high levels of refined sugar? Lots of the studies I've looked at give a suggestion that it was a propaganda thing by people who hated Monsanto, (and there's a lot of them!)

    Of course, the studies could have been sponsored by Monsanto...
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
    a lady on the movie "hungry for change" said that there is a chemical reaction in the brain when you intake aspartame and caffeine, and it give you a sudden zing then it kills your brain cells. That scared me enough to not want to drink diet soda by the liter everyday anymore, and be more aware of my aspartame intake, but sadly its in everything, even chewing gum. Its a man made chemical, so it can't be the best for you, but if you want to drink diet soda then let your freedom flag fly and drink the damn soda.

    I'm on a juicing fast so I can honestly say I haven't had aspartame in a week. In order to stay away from it you almost have to be a clean eater
  • dumb_blondes_rock
    dumb_blondes_rock Posts: 1,568 Member
    I'd like to see the actual studies, rather than just the "conclusions." Most of the human studies that I have seen are correctional. People who drink diet soda are heavier than people who don't. But that doesn't mean it causes it. It could be the opposite. People who are heavy tend to gravitate to diet soda rather than high calorie beverages. But then they go ahead and eat their big macs.

    I drink 4-5 a day and it hasn't seemed to hinder my weight loss. I'm not diabetic either.

    I've heard its not the diet soda itself, but the artificial sweetener makes you crave more sugar and carbs. So you may think you are doing good by the no calorie drink, but can't resist the piece of cake and ice cream. Who knows? I do think its hilarious that people *even me at times in past* will order a supersized meal with a diet soda.
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    I'd like to see the actual studies, rather than just the "conclusions." Most of the human studies that I have seen are correctional. People who drink diet soda are heavier than people who don't. But that doesn't mean it causes it. It could be the opposite. People who are heavy tend to gravitate to diet soda rather than high calorie beverages. But then they go ahead and eat their big macs.

    I drink 4-5 a day and it hasn't seemed to hinder my weight loss. I'm not diabetic either.

    I've heard its not the diet soda itself, but the artificial sweetener makes you crave more sugar and carbs. So you may think you are doing good by the no calorie drink, but can't resist the piece of cake and ice cream. Who knows? I do think its hilarious that people *even me at times in past* will order a supersized meal with a diet soda.

    I don't think it's a case of making you "crave the cake". it's more of a "Ooo I was good today and had a diet coke, therefore I can eat cake".
  • Julz1967C
    Julz1967C Posts: 11
    Ah...here we go on yet another diet soda psot. I hope this thread won't explode...Peace!

    apollo-oh-no-not-again.jpg

    because quite simply other people maybe haven't heard.. if you know of it and can't be bothered there's no need for sarcasm or rudeness..

    as for me.. i heard of this a year ago, it doesn't just apply to diet drinks full fat ( don't know why they call it full fat as there's no fat in them) however, these drinks can and do dehydrate you and cause black outs. so don't drink them on a daily basis, drink water, juice tea etc instead, leave the "sodas'' for a treat now and then
  • Julz1967C
    Julz1967C Posts: 11
    This scare campaign against aspartame has been around for ages. There is nothing wrong with the stuff, none of these stories will like to any reputable scientific articles. Sugar is far worse for you. Now if you want to talk about the damage ALL soda does to your teeth, that's a different story. The acid in these drinks will literally eat away at your tooth enamel.

    Sugar may be bad for you but long term use of it does not and never will cause problems other than tooth decay and weight gain.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/29349-symptoms-aspartame-poisoning/

    however using aspartame will not ever cause illnesses such as Cancers, MS, and brain tumours
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    (thread title is the same as the article title)

    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/10/diet-soda-may-do-more-harm-than-good/?hpt=hp_c3

    This is also all over my local news. Thoughts?

    When I go out, I drink vodka and diet coke or diet pepsi. I find regular coke or pepsi too sweet, whereas I do not find that with diet stuff.

    I ensure I eat properly and all the correct nutritients, therefore, when I do go out (which may be once per week), my body is not interested in which nutrients it can get from the soda because it already has them from the grub.

    The way the researchers are going on in the article ie "But when your body doesn't get the things it expects to get, it becomes confused on how to respond." - I don't go with this at all - the body expects nothing, it just does its job and digests the soda, when it finds no nutrients there, it does not get confused, it just continues doing what it is supposed to be doing.

    The researchers are giving the body a mind of its own away from the person - that is damn wrong and is a very dangerous way to think.