Allergy to diet soda's?
ashlee_tx
Posts: 24 Member
I have a family member that is diabetic. So he only drinks diet soda's and unsweetened tea and maybe a small Orange juice for breakfast. As of late, diet soda's are making him sick. He has terrible bathroom issues and tea now gives him acid reflux (he currently takes meds but its still gives him reflux) and now he's having the same issues with his lactose milk. Right now the only thing he can stomach is the low calorie Gatorade and certain brands of bottled water.
Has anyone experienced this before? I am trying to figure alternatives. He has had the regular sprite and it seems to do fine but with the amount of sugar in it he doesn't want to drink it. The diet he's afraid will upset his tummy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated it.
Has anyone experienced this before? I am trying to figure alternatives. He has had the regular sprite and it seems to do fine but with the amount of sugar in it he doesn't want to drink it. The diet he's afraid will upset his tummy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated it.
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Replies
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Is he allergic to the sweetener in the diet soda? My aunts (4 of them) are all allergic to aspartame. Or maybe a food coloring? I found out at 36 I was allergic to a common coloring in most non-orange sports drinks. In my aunts and my case we all experience bathroom issues. Has he tried other brands of tea? Has he tried brewing his own tea?2
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It could be the acid in it too. I know when I'm flaring, diet soda is really unpleasant, but my regular carbonated water doesn't affect me nearly as much. It CAN, but not nearly as often or as much.1
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He has tried the gallon tea and we have brewed it ourselves. We also have to be careful what water we buy because certain ones are tap but are filter and he seems to have the same tummy issues. He's wondering if its allergic to aspartame.0
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Sounds to me like you are over complicating things. If he thinks diet sodas don’t make him feel good, stop drinking then. Rather than trying endless different drinks why doesn’t he just stick to water for now? Flavoured drinks aren’t necessary, they are really just for fun. And if he’s not feeling good, that’s not fun!
Does he also have food allergies? If so, that’s probably going to give him a clue to what’s not agreeing with him.
I’d also suggest that he needs to see a doctor - if even water is upsetting him, then there may be something else causing stomach/gut issues that should be looked into. (I’m assuming that you mean plain water not fancy flavoured stuff).1 -
None of the sugar drinks are good for him as a diabetic so leave them alone. I agree with plain water for now. He needs to get his stomach issues looked at further.2
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Artificial sweeteners are often gastric irritants. As someone with IBD/IBS, I can tell you that cutting artificial sweeteners is definitely on the list of doctor recommendations (also be sure to cut out carrageenan - it is a severe gastric irritant!). I personally very rarely drink soda. Almost all artificial sweeteners are associated with digestive tract microbe imbalances. Here's a study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661066/ or two: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494042/ but to sum it up, humans can't digest the stuff, the bad gut bacteria can, and that throws off gut bacteria balance and causes bloating, gas, reflux, and diarrhea. Most colas are also very high in acid. He could try taking an antacid before drinking soda to see if that helps the issue, but if it's diarrhea then it's likely he's just going to have to cut soda out except for a very rare treat. If he does ok with the diet versions of clear sodas like Sprite and 7-up, then the culprit may be the caramel coloring, which is pretty nasty chemical stuff, not "caramel" like you think it means. Black tea gives me problems as well (it makes me so nauseous that I have to eat crackers with it to keep it down, and then it creates a blow-out on the other end). I've found the herbal teas (those without any actual tea leaves in them) do not cause me any digestive problems, and I highly recommend Bigelow I Love Lemon tea as a replacement for flavored drinks like soda because it doesn't need sweetening and has a really intense flavor that makes it feel rewarding. If he can afford it or needs a little blood sugar it's fantastic with just a little honey in it as well.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bigelow-Herbal-Tea-I-Love-Lemon-20-CT20-0-CT/29953518 (great stuff!)
Another good herbal tea with a lot of flavor that often does not need to be sweetened is a mint tea. Celestial Seasonings makes one called Mint Magic that contains no tea leaves and has a spicy cinnamon twist added to it. Twinings makes a tea-free one called Pure Peppermint, and Bigelow makes one called Mint Medley. They are all very different from one another. Just makes sure they don't contain tea, read labels, as many mint herbal teas contain tea leaves. Assortment packs are the way to go when discovering teas: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bigelow-Assorted-Herb-Caffeine-Free-Tea-Bags-18ct-Pack-of-6/17195006#read-more12 -
Water... normal water. Drinking all the diet/normal sodas or gatorades or whatever bs drinks look tasty is what got him into that mess in the first place.6
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Fixed it for you. And who cares, last time I checked humans are still not rodents.Almost all Some artificial sweeteners are associated with digestive tract microbe imbalances in rodents
The articles you linked to said nothing close to what you think they say.Here's a study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661066/ or two: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494042/ but to sum it up, humans can't digest the stuff, the bad gut bacteria can, and that throws off gut bacteria balance and causes bloating, gas, reflux, and diarrhea.
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Fixed it for you. And who cares, last time I checked humans are still not rodents.Almost all Some artificial sweeteners are associated with digestive tract microbe imbalances in rodents
The articles you linked to said nothing close to what you think they say.Here's a study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661066/ or two: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494042/ but to sum it up, humans can't digest the stuff, the bad gut bacteria can, and that throws off gut bacteria balance and causes bloating, gas, reflux, and diarrhea.
The fact that artificial sweeteners affect the human gut biome is well established and easy to find. There are plenty of articles to the effect, such as https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/ and https://digestivehealthinstitute.org/2012/10/30/sweets-and-sweeteners-trick-or-treat/ and https://www.forbes.com/sites/barbstuckey/2016/03/04/gassier-than-usual-these-functional-food-ingredients-might-be-why/#49deafa03287. Artificial sweeteners are often mixed with or used in combination with sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, maltitol), or maltodextrin (which is in Equal & Splenda). Sugar alcohols are digested by the gut bacteria, which creates gas and/or diarrhea (remember the sugar-free gummy bear prank?), and maltodextrin has been shown to change the mucous lining of the gut with varying effects, including such nasty things as increasing the chance of getting acute food poisoning via salmonella and e coli (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052132). It's on the "do not eat list" for people with GERD (acid reflux): http://gastrodigestivesystem.com/esophagus/gerd-trigger-foods. My point is that, yes, artificial sweeteners CAN cause digestive problems and do change the gut biome. Is it possible that the sugar-free foods are causing the digestive issues? Yes.
"12 weeks of exposure to Splenda (a NNS compraising 1% w/w sucralose with glucose (1% w/w) and maltodextrin (94% w/w) as fillers) significantly altered gut microbiota composition by decreasing beneficial bacteria and was associated with weight gain" and "induce changes in the gastro-intestinal environment and thus of the gut microbiota" as well as "The authors discovered a similar response to NAS consumption in non-diabetic humans, showing that these effects extend to human dietary choices. Healthy volunteers who did not normally consume NAS were fed saccharin daily for one week. The majority of these subjects developed poorer glycemic responses within one week, and had altered intestinal microbiota" indicate that artificial sweetener alters the gut bacteria, which was my primary point. Then, "We analyzed the possible associations between NAS consumption, microbiome composition and metabolic outcomes in 381 of these participants, and showed that NAS consumption not only associates with various clinical parameters such as BMI, blood pressure, HbA1 C% and fasting glucose levels, but also with the presence of certain taxa, including expansion of the Actinobacteria phylum, the Enterobacteriales order, and of various taxa from the Clostridiales order." establishes that NAS changes the digestive tract microbe balance in humans. I don't think I'm misreading these things, they are pretty clear. Not all artificial sweeteners have been studied in these areas, but there's enough evidence on enough of them to make someone who is experiencing gastrointestinal distress think twice about consuming them.8 -
No it is not well established. And what you cited doesn't even come close.
Fixed it for you. And who cares, last time I checked humans are still not rodents.Almost all Some artificial sweeteners are associated with digestive tract microbe imbalances in rodents
The articles you linked to said nothing close to what you think they say.Here's a study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4661066/ or two: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494042/ but to sum it up, humans can't digest the stuff, the bad gut bacteria can, and that throws off gut bacteria balance and causes bloating, gas, reflux, and diarrhea.
The fact that artificial sweeteners affect the human gut biome is well established
If it's easy to find then why don't you post it.and easy to find.
This is an editorial about this study:There are plenty of articles to the effect, such as https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artificial-sweeteners-may-change-our-gut-bacteria-in-dangerous-ways/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25231862
Which you selectively quote from below in the second paragraph of your post. Long story short - its a study done on rodents and 7 humans.
You seriously think this cite discusses NAS and the gut microbiome? It doesn't. It's mostly about IBS. The section on artificial sweeteners is mostly positive. Either you did't read it or didn't understand what you read or you're deliberately trying to be misleading.
Not sure why you posted this. It has absolutely nothing to do with artificial sweeteners and their effect of the microbiome. Again, I can only guess that either you did't read it or didn't understand what you read or you're deliberately trying to be misleading.
This study is about Crohn's disease and e. coli infection. Again, nothing to with artificial sweeteners and their effect on the microbiome. Not sure why you think it does.Artificial sweeteners are often mixed with or used in combination with sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, maltitol), or maltodextrin (which is in Equal & Splenda). Sugar alcohols are digested by the gut bacteria, which creates gas and/or diarrhea (remember the sugar-free gummy bear prank?), and maltodextrin has been shown to change the mucous lining of the gut with varying effects, including such nasty things as increasing the chance of getting acute food poisoning via salmonella and e coli (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052132).
This is a link to a quack blog and there is no science to support most of the reccomendations. Again this has nothing to do with artificial sweeteners and their effect on the microbiome.It's on the "do not eat list" for people with GERD (acid reflux): http://gastrodigestivesystem.com/esophagus/gerd-trigger-foods.
Here is the study that your quoting from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4615743/
I see you deliberately left out the fact this was in reference to rats."12 weeks of exposure to Splenda (a NNS compraising 1% w/w sucralose with glucose (1% w/w) and maltodextrin (94% w/w) as fillers) significantly altered gut microbiota composition by decreasing beneficial bacteria and was associated with weight gain" and "induce changes in the gastro-intestinal environment and thus of the gut microbiota"
7 humans. Who were fed the upper limit of saccharin. Four showed poorer glycemic responses within one week, and had altered intestinal microbiota. Sample size is way to small to draw any conclusions.as well as "The authors discovered a similar response to NAS consumption in non-diabetic humans, showing that these effects extend to human dietary choices. Healthy volunteers who did not normally consume NAS were fed saccharin daily for one week. The majority of these subjects developed poorer glycemic responses within one week, and had altered intestinal microbiota"
Most everything we consume can alter our gut bacteria, doesn't mean its a problem.indicate that artificial sweetener alters the gut bacteria, which was my primary point.
Please point out in the study where they accounted for all the confounders and were able to establish that NAS changes the digestive tract microbe balance in humans.Then, "We analyzed the possible associations between NAS consumption, microbiome composition and metabolic outcomes in 381 of these participants, and showed that NAS consumption not only associates with various clinical parameters such as BMI, blood pressure, HbA1 C% and fasting glucose levels, but also with the presence of certain taxa, including expansion of the Actinobacteria phylum, the Enterobacteriales order, and of various taxa from the Clostridiales order." establishes that NAS changes the digestive tract microbe balance in humans.
You are misreading these things and they are certainly not pretty clear.I don't think I'm misreading these things, they are pretty clear.
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I have a family member that is diabetic. So he only drinks diet soda's and unsweetened tea and maybe a small Orange juice for breakfast. As of late, diet soda's are making him sick. He has terrible bathroom issues and tea now gives him acid reflux (he currently takes meds but its still gives him reflux) and now he's having the same issues with his lactose milk. Right now the only thing he can stomach is the low calorie Gatorade and certain brands of bottled water.
Has anyone experienced this before? I am trying to figure alternatives. He has had the regular sprite and it seems to do fine but with the amount of sugar in it he doesn't want to drink it. The diet he's afraid will upset his tummy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated it.
People can certainly have allergies to all sorts of things, but there could be other issues that are effecting him. Has he gone to a gastroenterologist to have these discussions and work to pinpoint the issues. It could be a lot of other things.3 -
Just out of curiosity, is Dasani water one of the brands he has trouble with? If yes, he could maybe check out sulfite sensitivity, see if it matches.
It is something that can develop at any time and it can be hard to track down if one is sensitive enough- sulfites are often used during processing of ingredients and won’t be on labels unless above a certain amount, in that case.
But as I recall, they contaminate some caramel coloring, so darker sodas can be an issue, and some brands of water are higher in it ( most sulfite sensitive folks I know have more trouble with Dasani, for example). Tea can be an issue too.
If he wants to explore this, i recommend finding a good forum on it- medical sites are typically very out of date when it comes to what products currently have sulfite contamination. The folks with the allergy are much more motivated to keep up to date.
But all that said- many things that disturb the gut in general- allergies, triggered celiac disease, etc...- can sometimes cause gut damage that makes it hard to cope with many substances. So sometimes, what cause pain may not be the original problem, you know?1 -
Setting off reflux is tricky because it's complicated.
Mio sets mine off, but Crystal lite/store brand powders don't. Neither does my Diet Mt Dew.
If he needs/wants the caffeine/flavor options, It's going to be a matter of experimenting until he figures out what's the actual trigger or triggers.0
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