Coke Zero...Is It Too Good To Be True??

Yes, it probably IS too good to be true! Aside from CM's excellent reasons not to drink the stuff, here is an excerpt from a recent ABC News article about artificially-sweetened sodas. It seems that drinking diet soda might actually make you fatter than drinking the sugary stuff! The link for the whole article follows:

"Calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas may gain more weight than if they drank sugary drinks because of artificial sweeteners contained in the diet sodas, according to a new study.

A Purdue University study released Sunday in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.

"There's something about diet foods that changes your metabolic limit, your brain chemistry," said ABC News' medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard.

Though Savard said more research needs to be done to uncover more information, the study does hint at the idea that the sweeteners alter a person's metabolism.

Savard said another recent study, which included more than 18,000 people, found healthy adults who consumed at least one diet drink a day could increase their chance for weight gain."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4271246&page=1

Let's hear it for water. Or tea. Or even lemonade or sweetened juice! :drinker:

Have a great week!

To answer the original question, my opinion is that Coke zero is not as good as water, for all of the same reasons already given. However, if taken in moderation, I don't think it will totally derail your goals.

I agree with all that has been posted, but feel the need to caution the group about the reference made to Kevin Trudeau. If you visit the Wikipedia site, please take note of the criticisms of the book and Trudeau's philosophy.

Basically, here is what I believe: if we could grow all our own food and hunt our own meat (assuming we don't live downstream of the chemical plant), we would all be much healthier. Most of us are unable to do so.. The next best thing is to adopt a diet as close to the old hunter/gatherer mentality that we can. Eat primarily whole foods (rather than processed), shop the periphery of the grocery store rather than the internal aisles, and try to get as much physical activity as possible. This will go a long way to make us healthy..

However, when all this doesn't work, and we do get sick, the very best option is a medical doctor. MDs have taken an oath not to "do harm". Almost anyone can write and publish a book (especially if it feeds off the common fears of the public) but an MD must go through many years of training and practise. If you are dying of cancer, where do you really want to place your trust.

As far as the concerns about the pharmaceutical industry, we need to remember that the industry is composed of people (just like you and I) who care very much about helping people live better lives - many of these are MDs who have also taken the hippocratic oath. The industry spends billions of dollars trying to figure out how to cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes. I just can't buy in to the fact that anyone is evil enough to want to make people even sicker just to sell a product.

I know these are very strong opinions and perhaps clash with many of those already expressed, but I felt it was important to mention that there is another side.

Thanks, Janie

One more bad thing that soda does to women:

(all kinds, not just diet) the phosphorous content damages your bone density.

extreme moderation here, please! (I think that too much of anything is not a good thing)

(I shudder to think about the damage I did in my youth. . .I was drinking diet soda by the gallons as soon as I could reach my mother's Tab(TM) in the fridge.)

I have to confess first of all here that I drink way too much diet soda and have for most of my life.. My wife drinks a pretty fair amount as well, so my comments are going to be somewhat biased. That's my disclaimer.
I have made good faith efforts to stop drinking diet soda because of many of the things that have been previously listed, not to mention, that the last thing I need is something that is linked to keeping me overweight! I quit smoking nearly twelve years ago...I have been completely unsuccessful at cutting diet sodas out of my diet. Both Donna and I have tried. Because I am diabetic I cannot drink regular soda so that isn't even an option. I also can't/don't drink juices because of the high carbohydrate intake with out benefit of the micro-nutrients and fiber in the regular fruits themselve.
As part of my recent diabetic physical I had a bone density test, and all of the rest of the HBA1C, C-reactive protein, Kidney function and all of those. My bone density was +1 (0-1 is normal) so my bone density has not been affected. Donna had a bone density test last fall and fell into the normal category (I dont' know what her exact number was). She is 54 and has drunk diet soda since she was a kid.
I think that it has a part in a person's diet if they so choose. We all make healthy and unhealthy choices in our diets. For those of you who see diet soda as toxic waste, you may indulge in 100 calorie packs of oreo cookies which are rated as THE worst cookie on the planet in terms of trans-fats. I personally would never put one in my mouth...Or it may be something else entirely. My point is that we need to look at our overall choices and make 98% good ones...if we also have a few that are not as healthy as they should be, our bodies are forgiving enough to allow us those indulgences. I think we can become entirely too obsessive when it comes to allowing one another our "vices".
I love the fact that we can share our information and our concerns on this site. Knowledge is power. How we choose to use that knowledge is always going to be a very personal decision.
Cowboy

I have to confess first of all here that I drink way too much diet soda and have for most of my life.. My wife drinks a pretty fair amount as well, so my comments are going to be somewhat biased. That's my disclaimer.
I have made good faith efforts to stop drinking diet soda because of many of the things that have been previously listed, not to mention, that the last thing I need is something that is linked to keeping me overweight! I quit smoking nearly twelve years ago...I have been completely unsuccessful at cutting diet sodas out of my diet. Both Donna and I have tried. Because I am diabetic I cannot drink regular soda so that isn't even an option. I also can't/don't drink juices because of the high carbohydrate intake with out benefit of the micro-nutrients and fiber in the regular fruits themselve.
As part of my recent diabetic physical I had a bone density test, and all of the rest of the HBA1C, C-reactive protein, Kidney function and all of those. My bone density was +1 (0-1 is normal) so my bone density has not been affected. Donna had a bone density test last fall and fell into the normal category (I dont' know what her exact number was). She is 54 and has drunk diet soda since she was a kid.
I think that it has a part in a person's diet if they so choose. We all make healthy and unhealthy choices in our diets. For those of you who see diet soda as toxic waste, you may indulge in 100 calorie packs of oreo cookies which are rated as THE worst cookie on the planet in terms of trans-fats. I personally would never put one in my mouth...Or it may be something else entirely. My point is that we need to look at our overall choices and make 98% good ones...if we also have a few that are not as healthy as they should be, our bodies are forgiving enough to allow us those indulgences. I think we can become entirely too obsessive when it comes to allowing one another our "vices".
I love the fact that we can share our information and our concerns on this site. Knowledge is power. How we choose to use that knowledge is always going to be a very personal decision.
Cowboy

Hey, point taken. Not everything works for everyone. I really didn't mean to sound like I was judging other's vices. Believe me, I have plenty of my own.

I do still drink the stuff, but I recognize that it's not health food.

I love coke zero. It's my caffeine in the morning if I don't have coffee. I'm aware of the study connecting artificial sweetners to weight gain, but I don't give it much credence because it isn't actually the sweetners causing weight gain. It's what the RATS ate after they were given the sweetners that caused the weight gain. For humans, it's still a matter of choice. So, I say, enjoy your coke. You've already given up carbs, fats, and anything sweet...........enjoy your coke.

As far as the concerns about the pharmaceutical industry, we need to remember that the industry is composed of people (just like you and I) who care very much about helping people live better lives - many of these are MDs who have also taken the hippocratic oath. The industry spends billions of dollars trying to figure out how to cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes. I just can't buy in to the fact that anyone is evil enough to want to make people even sicker just to sell a product.


Thanks, Janie

Janie, I dont know what planet you live on but your comment about the pharmaceutical industry and not buying into people wanting to make money over health is laughable...

The pharmaceutical industry is the worlds leading employer and believe me they have more lawyers and pr people than they have kind hearted scientists as you assume.. here is a link to just one of the sites informing you about some of the food addittives you assume are not in any product..
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/04/05/12_dangerous_food_additives_the_dirty_dozen_food_additives_you_really_need_to_be_aware_of.htm

if you live in america you probably come into contact with this particular one all the time: Potassium Bromate

This additive is used in breads and rolls to increase the volume and produce a fine crumb structure. Although most bromate breaks down into bromide, which is harmless, the bromate that does remain causes cancer in animals. Bromate has been banned throughout the world, except for in the United States and Japan. In California, a cancer warning would likely be required if it were used, which is why it is rarely used in that state.

And that is just one of a list of 12 seriously harmful addittives.

Also check out on your search engine household cleaning chemicals, only 3% of which have ever been tested.. You literally have a toxic waste dump in your home and you are breathing and absorbing these products every day...

I'm sorry to sound so crude, but it really gets on my nerves when people can be so blinkered to what is actually going on around them..

Janie, I dont know what planet you live on but your comment about the pharmaceutical industry and not buying into people wanting to make money over health is laughable...

The pharmaceutical industry is the worlds leading employer and believe me they have more lawyers and pr people than they have kind hearted scientists as you assume.. here is a link to just one of the sites informing you about some of the food addittives you assume are not in any product..
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/04/05/12_dangerous_food_additives_the_dirty_dozen_food_additives_you_really_need_to_be_aware_of.htm

if you live in america you probably come into contact with this particular one all the time: Potassium Bromate

This additive is used in breads and rolls to increase the volume and produce a fine crumb structure. Although most bromate breaks down into bromide, which is harmless, the bromate that does remain causes cancer in animals. Bromate has been banned throughout the world, except for in the United States and Japan. In California, a cancer warning would likely be required if it were used, which is why it is rarely used in that state.

And that is just one of a list of 12 seriously harmful addittives.

Also check out on your search engine household cleaning chemicals, only 3% of which have ever been tested.. You literally have a toxic waste dump in your home and you are breathing and absorbing these products every day...

I'm sorry to sound so crude, but it really gets on my nerves when people can be so blinkered to what is actually going on around them..
[/quote]

The text above is quote::: sorry it didn't come out that way

So, I hope I didn't (and don't offend anyone out there) but I just wanted to reply to a couple of things here.

1. I totally agree with everyone that has mentioned the potential dangers of food additives. If given the option, in every case, I would be eating whole foods, with no processing. Not always practical in this culture, but I try my best.

2. I fear that it is not I with the blinders on, especially when I see the illogical rants of the propaganda-educated. Ponder this: why would the pharmaceutical company skew results of research findings to kill their customers? Wouldn't this affect the bottom line that they are so focused on (as we are reading on this post)?

I do have first hand knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, and I am personally working on a daily basis to make sure we have taken every precaution to make sure the medicines we produce are the best they can be. Yup, we have a lot of lawyers, but we have way more scientists and doctors than lawyers - they are just a quiet group and do not get the big press..

Much like food additives, having to ingest prescription medicine is not the best situation to be in.. The absolutely best would be to continue to be healthy enough to not have to take anything. This is what many of the posters on this site strive for. Here's to you :drinker: :drinker: and I sincerely wish you luck (as I do myself and my family). However, if you are dying of cancer, and the only thing to save you is a pharmaceutical, the decision is quite a bit more difficult. Aren't we lucky we have the opportunity to make that decision...