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Diet soda and weight loss?
Replies
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Man, for us being defensive, the anti people sure are throwing around insults and "well, yeah keep believing in your "science" and "facts", I'll stay with my podcasts".12
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If anyone thinks that the chemical make up in a blueberry is no better for you than that which is in diet soda... You have lost your damn mind. There is literally no argument here. Sure you can lose weight and still drink diet sodas. But should you? Whole foods always trump processed/artificial foods from a health standpoint. every. Damn. time. And yeah, maybe you feel great now. But, the heavy use of artificial sweeteners are a relatively new thing. We don't know yet what the effects are on a long term (40+ years). How defensive all of the Diet Soda drinkers are is the reaction of an addict. "I feel decent, and am losing weight and I shoot up 3 times a day. It must not be that bad for me"
Do what you want. It's your body and your health. But you cannot argue that Diet soda "healthy."
Diet soda has been around for 60 years
Artificial sweeteners are the most studied food additive in the world ever
Aspartame is the same chemical composition as amino acid ...there's a great thread somewhere, I'm pretty sure it would have already been linked
I think people are arguing that diet soda is not unhealthy ...the onus is on you to prove what the issue is4 -
For all you folks making claims that diet soda and all the "chemicals" are so toxic and bad, can you drudge up one single proven case where someone has become ill or died due to one of these chemicals?
Just one? Proven. Like, this person developed cancer absolutely without a doubt because of aspartame (or whatever), and here's how we can prove it.
I mean, I can go outside today and get hit by a car and die. I can eat a sandwich tomorrow and choke to death on it. I could develop some kind of cancer in the future from who knows what and just because there's correlation between two things does not make one of them the cause of the other.
There's correlation between cancer and A BUTT TON of things, so who knows? From what I have read, everyone has dormant cancer cells in their bodies and what causes them to go haywire and start to grow is what is unknown. We're pummeled daily by subatomic particles that go right through our DNA. There's nothing anyone can do about that, even if you shield yourself in a lead building. It's been happening since the sun and planets and life became things.
I do not wish to live in fear over something that has not ever shown to be a problem for me or because "Maybe sometime in the future..."
Maybe sometime in the future any number of things could happen. One thing I can prevent today is becoming paranoid over stupid crap that has no basis in fact. The fact is, regular or diet soda is fine in moderation and I've been drinking both for decades now with no ill effects. I'm 44 and I have nothing to indicate that I'm unhealthy in any way due to anything i'm eating or drinking. I've had no problems losing weight with a normal calorie deficit while eating whatever I feel like eating, including diet soda, and all of my health markers have done nothing but improve.
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There is proof that hydration is healthy. I don't think anyone would debate that. Diet soda is 99% water and contains much more than a blueberry. In the right circumstances, I could absolutely see a soda or diet soda as healthier than a cup of blueberries.8
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MommyL2015 wrote: »For all you folks making claims that diet soda and all the "chemicals" are so toxic and bad, can you drudge up one single proven case where someone has become ill or died due to one of these chemicals?
Just one? Proven. Like, this person developed cancer absolutely without a doubt because of aspartame (or whatever), and here's how we can prove it.
I mean, I can go outside today and get hit by a car and die. I can eat a sandwich tomorrow and choke to death on it. I could develop some kind of cancer in the future from who knows what and just because there's correlation between two things does not make one of them the cause of the other.
There's correlation between cancer and A BUTT TON of things, so who knows? From what I have read, everyone has dormant cancer cells in their bodies and what causes them to go haywire and start to grow is what is unknown. We're pummeled daily by subatomic particles that go right through our DNA. There's nothing anyone can do about that, even if you shield yourself in a lead building. It's been happening since the sun and planets and life became things.
I do not wish to live in fear over something that has not ever shown to be a problem for me or because "Maybe sometime in the future..."
Maybe sometime in the future any number of things could happen. One thing I can prevent today is becoming paranoid over stupid crap that has no basis in fact. The fact is, regular or diet soda is fine in moderation and I've been drinking both for decades now with no ill effects. I'm 44 and I have nothing to indicate that I'm unhealthy in any way due to anything i'm eating or drinking. I've had no problems losing weight with a normal calorie deficit while eating whatever I feel like eating, including diet soda, and all of my health markers have done nothing but improve.
Well said.
I have a sign in my kitchen that says: Eat Right, Exercise, Die Anyway!!
No one knows what tomorrow will bring.5 -
There is proof that hydration is healthy. I don't think anyone would debate that. Diet soda is 99% water and contains much more than a blueberry. In the right circumstances, I could absolutely see a soda or diet soda as healthier than a cup of blueberries.
A great reminder that "healthy" is all relative to circumstance.0 -
One point which may have already been mentioned is acid erosion ( not read through every comment! )
I'm a dental hygienist and the major problem I see with carbonated drinks is the severe damage it has on enamel. It dissolves the enamel leading to sensitivity, chipping and potentially the need for huge amounts of restorative dental work.
Just worth being aware of those side effects3 -
If anyone thinks that the chemical make up in a blueberry is no better for you than that which is in diet soda... You have lost your damn mind. There is literally no argument here. Sure you can lose weight and still drink diet sodas. But should you? Whole foods always trump processed/artificial foods from a health standpoint. every. Damn. time. And yeah, maybe you feel great now. But, the heavy use of artificial sweeteners are a relatively new thing. We don't know yet what the effects are on a long term (40+ years). How defensive all of the Diet Soda drinkers are is the reaction of an addict. "I feel decent, and am losing weight and I shoot up 3 times a day. It must not be that bad for me"
Do what you want. It's your body and your health. But you cannot argue that Diet soda "healthy."
The LD50 from rat studies for aspartame is 10 gram/kg. The LD50 in the same type of studies for oxalic acid, one of the chemicals naturally in blueberries and many other foods, is 375 mg/kg (0.375 gram/kg). Formaldehyde is is many fruits. But, you know, natural is always better, because nature really gives a crap about being good for us and not protecting itself. Of course, just like the artificial sweeteners in diet soda, the amounts of those chemicals in foods in not enough to be harmful. The dose makes the poison after all.
There are many food which we do not eat which are poisonous, and some foods which we commonly eat which are poisonous unless prepared properly. Kidney and lima beans must be boiled for 10 minutes are they are dangerous to eat. Elderberries are also dangerous to eat unless cooked. The commercial varieties of the foods we eat have been bread by humans to be bigger, sweeter, and in some cases can't even propagate without human intervention. Very natural indeed.
But, you know, continue that appeal to nature argument.
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Wow, this got heated. Personally, I despise diet soda. That's me. I think someone drinking diet soda instead of sugary soda is far healthier. I think someone losing weight is better than the alternative. Someone shouldn't have to defend themselves for making an obviously better choice.3
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Hate it when people comment on my diet soda consumption and telling me that I'm gonna gain... They shut up when I say I lost 70 pounds despite drinking a lot of it lol5
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Diet soda is 0 calories so it will not affect your calorie balance thus not affecting weight loss. The argument related to insulin release is only true for patients with diabetes. These results were based on one large study in Great Britain; and later refuted by a study in Canada making this a controversial topic requiring further investigation. Ultimately, diet soda will not interfere with weight loss in non-diabetic persons. However, the carbonation in diet sodas may cause bloating and a feeling of fullness leading to decreased consumption of highly-nutritive foods. Also, all sodas are very acidic which can damage tooth enamel and aggravate acid reflux. (This is coming from a pharmacist who manages weight management and diabetes coaching programs at our pharmacy).2
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Not read every ones post but my experiences personally is that sweetener is worse forms then sugar I feel awful and I still need sugar fix so I avoid all soda/fizzy drinks water only for me0
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_ankylosaurus_ wrote: »Her reasoning is that the body processes artificial sweetener the same way that it processes sugar-with a release of insulin. According to her, the body "believes" it's consuming sugar. The excess insulin, she says, leads to weight gain. Besides that rudimentary explanation, I haven't inquired more.
excess insulin does not change the laws of math and science...2 -
alexzenk86 wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »alexzenk86 wrote: »I would stay away from diet anything. I used to have a huge dependency on soda, and I know what it can do to the body. The chemicals they put in soda alone should make you second question yourself when you drink diet soda. Just because it has 0 calories doesn't make it healthy. Pay attention to they put into the drink. I stick to water, coffee and tea.
Which chemicals would be the worrisome ones?
Lets go to school shall we?
First off, your body was never mean to digest any of the ingredients listed in soda. Past the first ingredient, and starting with Caramel E150D ( notice I'm looking at diet coke) this has been linked to cancer. To me, don't want to consume that. Sorry. Next ingredient, sweetners, Aspartame, and Acesulfame K, Both were produced to be safe alternatives to using sugar, yet have been linked to many healthy problems over the years. Next, Phosphoric Acid, this is the product you hear about that eats away at bones, teeth, and causes kidney stones. Why is it soda you ask?? Just to give it a sharp taste...Next, probably the two least harmful ingredients depending on the person, caffeine and citric acid.
This is why I stopped drinking soda. Most of these companies do not care about you as a person. They want to make money! So they dump all this crap into their drinks not caring what it does to the inside of a person, so they can make a profit.
are you also concerned about the chemicals in strawberries and other fruits...
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_ankylosaurus_ wrote: »So I have a huge diet soda habit and a friend at work insists that despite being 0 calories, diet soda is negatively impacting my weight loss.
Thoughts?
I highly agree. 1st that fake sugar they put in it is horrible for you. But most importantly, the sodium they use to flavor it is so bad for your heart and causes you to swell. That's what causes water retention, and 'causes your kidneys to over work because it's something that's not natural for us. Water would be your best bet, and believe me I know what soda withrawal feels like, I was a soda addict too. Loved my soda, and once in a blue I sneak in a soda and it's the equivalent of eating an amazin piece of cake for me when i drink it. Cause of that feeling, i had to ban it from my house. You'll feel that prob for the 1st week or 2 but it really does get easier. If you don't feel you can quit, maybe you can just challenge yourself not to drink it for 1 or 2 weeks and see how you feel at the end of that. Wish you the best with this.
LOL, I had heart disease, reverse it while drinking diet soda.
Stop giving out bad information.4 -
I think there's nothing wrong with diet soda. If its replacing caloric beverages and not being used as an excuse to overeat, it's a wonderful aid in weight loss efforts. The peer-reviewed literature generally agrees with this position (nod to a few outliers in the very new field of microbiome analysis).1
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This is about diet soda. Diet soda has no sugar. It's not less healthy than regular, there's some evidence that regular tends to have negative effects (largely because drinking calories leads to overindulgence) and not any compelling evidence against diet. I mostly drink coffee for my caffeine fix (because I love it so much -- I'm not that into sweet beverages), but I'm super skeptical about the claim that that's healthier than lower caffeine options like diet soda.2
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As many said before I'm sure there are people that diet soda effects negatively. It doesn't make me crave sugar and I lost over 200 pounds at one point in my life drinking it. Currently I've recently lost about 35 pounds and I'm drinking it. Soo I'm gonna go ahead and say it's not hurting my weight loss.0
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http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/diet-soda/faq-20057855
Added that link to Mayo Clinic response - for me soda, even diet is no good. Every person is different, I would suggest limiting it to 1 or 2 a day and get your water in for sure. I find a lot in my circles that the soda addicts never drink water and for weigh loss that's not good. Best of luck!1 -
khernan1964 wrote: »http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/diet-soda/faq-20057855
Added that link to Mayo Clinic response - for me soda, even diet is no good. Every person is different, I would suggest limiting it to 1 or 2 a day and get your water in for sure. I find a lot in my circles that the soda addicts never drink water and for weigh loss that's not good. Best of luck!
Diet soda IS mostly water.
Also, not addictive.1 -
For me diet soda is bad mostly because it's soda - it can has a very negative effect on your teeth if you think a lot of soda and your teeth are not of supreme health, or on your stomach if you have ulcers or it's more sensitive, etc. So while it might not be healthy or good for your overall health state, it is certainly not having a negative effect on weight loss - CICO, you know. Now, if after drinking a can of diet coke you "feel" like you must finish a chocolate cake and you do it... that's a whole other story. But I'm quite sure that those "feelings" would be there even if you drink only clean natural water.0
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If anyone thinks that the chemical make up in a blueberry is no better for you than that which is in diet soda... You have lost your damn mind. There is literally no argument here. Sure you can lose weight and still drink diet sodas. But should you? Whole foods always trump processed/artificial foods from a health standpoint. every. Damn. time. And yeah, maybe you feel great now. But, the heavy use of artificial sweeteners are a relatively new thing. We don't know yet what the effects are on a long term (40+ years). How defensive all of the Diet Soda drinkers are is the reaction of an addict. "I feel decent, and am losing weight and I shoot up 3 times a day. It must not be that bad for me"
Do what you want. It's your body and your health. But you cannot argue that Diet soda "healthy."
Well maybe you have an idea for a new reality TV show or documentary? "I drank diet soda three times a day while on a reasonable calorie controlled diet and ended up with *kitten* skin, losing my house and kids, and dead in a ditch"6 -
Diet soda is 0 calories so it will not affect your calorie balance thus not affecting weight loss. The argument related to insulin release is only true for patients with diabetes. These results were based on one large study in Great Britain; and later refuted by a study in Canada making this a controversial topic requiring further investigation. Ultimately, diet soda will not interfere with weight loss in non-diabetic persons. However, the carbonation in diet sodas may cause bloating and a feeling of fullness leading to decreased consumption of highly-nutritive foods. Also, all sodas are very acidic which can damage tooth enamel and aggravate acid reflux. (This is coming from a pharmacist who manages weight management and diabetes coaching programs at our pharmacy).
Diet soda is recommended to diabetics (if soda is desired) as it does not spike insulin. It uses an artificial sweetener (composed of amino acids) and not sugar.0 -
Diet soda held me down and forced fed me a whole box of Twinkies. And spayed my cat. Bad diet soda.
Or did none of those things and was a tasty refreshing beverage that I could enjoy occasionally without adding calories to my diet.4 -
I wouldn't be so quick to say that your friend is wrong. There's a lot of complexity here that people above are ignoring:
- There are several high-quality, long-term studies that show an association between artificial sweeteners and weight gain and diabetes, even after controlling for the fact that heavier people use are more likely to use artificial sweeteners. (For example: "Diet soda intake and risk of incident metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis," Diabetes Care (2009); "Dietary intake and the development of the metabolic syndrome: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study," Circulation (2008).)
- Artificial sweeteners are not inert chemicals. They seems to affect the brain, including the appetite and reward pathways. (See "The effect of non-caloric sweeteners on cognition, choice and post-consumption satisfaction," Appetite (2014); "Sucralose, a synthetic organochorine sweetener: overview of biological issues," J Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health (2013); "Altered processing of sweet taste in the brain of diet soda drinkers," Physiology & Behavior (2012); "Sucralose affects glycemic and hormonal responses to an oral glucose load," Diabetes Care (2013).
From the Abstract of your #2: "The effect of sucralose on first-pass drug metabolism in humans, however, has not yet been determined."
Food-oriented studies on humans are notoriously low-quality (for obvious reasons), and these are no different. And it's never clear to what extent mice/rat studies can be extrapolated to humans.There's also good indications that the effects mentioned above are highly individualized, based on peoples' genetics and other factors that aren't wholly understood
This is really all that needs to be said. No one knows exactly what the effects might be, but people aren't dropping dead and the laws of thermodynamics are still in play, so there's really no reason to avoid diet soda at this point. Unless you don't like it, that is.
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