A question about pop

Also, studies show that the additives in diet sodas, such as nutrasweet and aspartame, can cause health risks.

I think it's the artifical sweetner (aspartame) that's so bad for you. Also I've read it increases your appetite.

I avoid artificial sweetners. I've called diet soda "carbonated chemicals" for years.

I have cut my diet coke drinking WAY back (10 glasses of water to 1 diet coke) as I learned it actually increases your craving for sweets. They now have studies that show that the coloring also does something weird to our bodies, triggering a craving for sweets. I noticed that when I have a diet coke now, I also want sugar!

When it come to diet soda, the natural sweetener, Aspartame, is what everyone points to as being unhealthy. THEY say that the sweet tricks your body into releasing digestive enzymes to break down the sugar. But, since there is no sugar the enzymes have nothing to do and either 1.) Make you hungry for sugar or 2.) Look for sugar that would otherwise have passed through your system.

Though I guess it makes a bit of sense, I don't know if I agree with it. I drink a diet soda about once, maybe twice, a week and I don't feel like it causes me any trouble.

The other problem with all soda is the sodium content and that some have caffeine. Both can dehydrate you causing water retention. However, these aren't problems if you ALSO drink lots of water.

Obviously, regular soda poses the additional problem of "drinking your calories" and "empty calories".

It is thought that artificial sweeteners still stimulate the body and brain's response to "Incoming Food", and activate things like insulin production and appetite. Also, that your brain may wonder why it has registered X number of calories of sweetness, but not an equivalent number of actual calories.

Also, artificial sweeteners are, well, artificial, and like any other kind of food that boasts lower fat or sugar content, most people will eat/drink more of the product because they feel they're getting a "freebie" of sorts. It doesn't really help to change habits. Also, in the case of reduced fat foods, generally more sugar is added to manage flavor, and vice versa. The human body craves salt, sweet, and fat.

That all being said, if your normal habit is to drink one soda a night, then having it in diet form can help ease you into better habits if that's what you desire. Especially with things like soda, if there's a caffeine habit your body will not take kindly to cutting it out cold turkey, anyway.

Personally, I found it easier after awhile to have less of "real" things like butter and soda, instead of the same amount or more of the "fake" counterparts.

Good luck!

I've read its the aspartame.. but I think its okay to have some here and there... unless you have a major sensitivity to it. If I remember right, I read somewhere that it can cause you not lose so well in the mid region.

I generally drink water all day long since I hate the idea of drinking my calories, so sometimes I feel like having a diet pop. It hasn't hurt my progress or anything.

If you are really set on having diet soda, try Diet Rite. It uses Splenda as the sweetener. 0 calories, 0 sodium, 0 carbs, and 0 caffeine. At least you won't be adding aspartame to your body this way.

Just a suggestion!

Matt

Okay then to add to the question if I were to drink a pop would regular or diet be the better choice?

My preference is diet.... more calories left for other stuff!
Also.... if regular is SURE TO make you fat and diet MIGHT make you fat then I choose diet!
Besides, most evidence out there is anecdotal, as in "Most diet soda drinkers are fat... well, is that because diet soda makes you fat or because fat people are more likely to choose diet?"

If you are really set on having diet soda, try Diet Rite. It uses Splenda as the sweetener. 0 calories, 0 sodium, 0 carbs, and 0 caffeine. At least you won't be adding aspartame to your body this way.

Just a suggestion!

Matt

I would really rather have a regular one not diet I'm not to found of the taste of the diet.

While i agree that the taste of diet takes getting used to, it's a lot easier than getting used to trying to find a way to reallocate 230 calories for a regular 20oz coke. Also, since I've had both, the reason I suggested Diet Rite is because it doesn't taste like the other diet sodas. Again, just a suggestion.

Matt

I am a huge fan of Jillian Michael's book Master your Metabolism, and her take on diet pop (and all fake foods for that matter) is that it will ruin your metabolism. The theory goes if you consume things that taste sweet but has no calories the messages sent between your brain and your metabolism break down so your metabolism doesn't rev up when you eat sweet stuff. Then when you do consume actual sugar, your metabolism doesn't rev so you store the calories. I probably explained that horribly, but reference her book if you're really curious. Her stuff seems to be well researched.

She also isn't a fan of regular pop because of the high fructose corn syrup.

Not trying to be preachy, I let myself have diet soda on the weekend

Some articles to skim:


3. http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/02/diet_soda.php

"We found that reducing the correlation between sweet taste and the caloric content of foods using artificial sweeteners in rats resulted in increased caloric intake, increased body weight, and increased adiposity, as well as diminished caloric compensation and blunted thermic responses to sweet-tasting diets. These results suggest that consumption of products containing artificial sweeteners may lead to increased body weight and obesity by interfering with fundamental homeostatic, physiological processes."

That ought to help.

I'm big on evidence, there are always a million opinions being thrown around and presented as fact and it drives me crazy. This sort of info is to be taken into consideration...but consideration only. My beef with all the rat stuff is that rats aren't conscious beings who are considering the pros and cons of the dietary choices they make. I've never seen a rat read a nutritional label and opt for one over the other. Now when they say the rats developed tumors...THEN I start paying attention! LOL. Not taking issue with anything you presented there, just stating an opinion.