Doctor says no to Diet drinks!! Why?

Esterlily
Esterlily Posts: 11
edited October 3 in Food and Nutrition
Before I started here, I visited my doctor. He told me that people who drink even one diet soda a day usually gain up to 20 pounds in one year!! I have been drinking diet soda for 30+ years!! What is it that makes it so bad? Is it the sodium or the sweetener? Are all sweeteners bad for you? I'm trying to understand! Anyone who knows the science behind this, please help me out!!

Thank you!!
Esterlily
«13

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Because your body doesn't know how to metabolize artificial sweetners. Some say it causes weight gain. Google it.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i have seen a few programmes on this that say that the artificial sweetners in diet coke makes your body want more sugar so u are likely to want to eat more after u drink the coke, hence the 20lbs that people put on.

    i used to have a cake of diet coke every day, but i have cut down to once a week. i dont think it had affected my weight loss, i did it simply on the basis that diet stuff is so full of chemical crap!
  • Esterlily
    Esterlily Posts: 11
    So, would a sweetener such as Truvia be any better for me?

    Esterlily
  • LittleFootHafner
    LittleFootHafner Posts: 302
    With more reading lately, I have learned that artificial sweetners can often make you even hungrier!! :S

    I am one who used to drink a few diet pop a day - especially when I was dieting!
    I have been trying to cut back to a few a week lately, and it's going fairly well! ;)

    I'm not positive what is correct, or what to believe.
    However, I guess I just figure that it definitely can't do any harm not having it, right??

    Good Luck to you!
  • jnell82
    jnell82 Posts: 136
    Truvia is extracted from the stevia plant which is as close to natural sugar as you are going to get. I'm not sure about the truvia, but I use stevia and it is 100% natural and calorie free. That is what I recommend. The thing with artificial sweeteners are they are artificial. Your body does not know how to process and digest it so 1. it clogs your system and 2. usually makes you crave more sugar because your body doesn't know it is getting any kind of it. Ask your doctor about the stevia, but from everything I have found, it is the way to go.
  • melvac
    melvac Posts: 333 Member
    I believe it is the Sodium that causes you to retain fluids and that cause weight gain..
  • sophieshaped
    sophieshaped Posts: 228 Member
    Forgive my non-scientist's explanation here, but...

    When you have artificial sweetener, your brain registers the sweetness and thinks you've had sugar, so tries to use it. However, it will be using the little sugar there was in your blood, potentially causing a dip in blood sugar. A dip in blood sugar will leave you craving more sweetness.

    So some say that by consuming artifiical sweetener you're more likely to crash and crave other sugary things.

    Oh my god so many 'sugar's at once.

    Why not use agave syrup or honey? They are natural, sweet alternatives.

    :o)
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    When i have any soda i am looking for chips, chocolate bars to eat with it. What do you eat along side your pop?
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    I drank lots of diet sodas when I was obese. But I haven't decreased my diet soda consumption one bit, and I lost weight just fine.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    If you're currently drinking more than one a day, start cutting back. If you only drink one a day, aim for a day a week you drink none. There's nothing wrong with them in moderation personally. But cutting them out is better. (I've been cutting down on my healthy eating kick and I feel much better for it)
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    Before I started here, I visited my doctor. He told me that people who drink even one diet soda a day usually gain up to 20 pounds in one year!! I have been drinking diet soda for 30+ years!! What is it that makes it so bad? Is it the sodium or the sweetener? Are all sweeteners bad for you? I'm trying to understand! Anyone who knows the science behind this, please help me out!!

    Thank you!!
    Esterlily
    It is a mis-application of causality. The data says that heavier people are more likely to drink diet soda, well duh. It does not say that drinking diet soda will make skinny people heavy.

    Current research has shown that diet sodas do not cause insulin reactions, so the "makes you hungrier" argument is specious. At most, there is a psychological effect whereby people allow themselves to eat more other calories because they think they're doing something good by drinking a diet soda and WAY overestimate the benefit of skipping that soda.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,330 Member
    For some people this may be true. The emphasis is on may. All the studies I have seen are ones called epidemiological studies which basically survey a large number of people and try to draw conclusions from the information gathered. The problem with these is they cannot say what causes something, only show that there is some sort of relationship between them. So while they have shown that people who drink diet soda tend to weigh more they cannot by the nature of the study really say artificial sweeteners cause the weight gain. They may or may not. I used them through my weight loss with no problems. In fact without them I would have had a harder time meeting my calories.
  • jessicasloan91
    jessicasloan91 Posts: 184 Member
    I drink them regularly and I've lost 44 lbs, I would not give them up!

    I would rather know I'm going to put a little bit of weight on drinking diet drinks than the whole load of weight I would put on drinking normal coca cola!

    x
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    Forgive my non-scientist's explanation here, but...

    When you have artificial sweetener, your brain registers the sweetness and thinks you've had sugar, so tries to use it. However, it will be using the little sugar there was in your blood, potentially causing a dip in blood sugar. A dip in blood sugar will leave you craving more sweetness.

    So some say that by consuming artifiical sweetener you're more likely to crash and crave other sugary things.
    ...
    I thought that too until a few days ago. A little googling proved to me that none of the artificial sweeteners will cause an insulin reaction. In hindsight, that makes sense, too because if they did that they could not be recommended for diabetics.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Aspartame metabolizes in formaldehyde in your body. Sucralose is processed with chlorine. Do you really wan to eat that stuff?

    Stick with natural sweeteners... maple syrup, honey and if you need to...good old fashioned sugar ( very small amounts)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member

    It is a mis-application of causality. The data says that heavier people are more likely to drink diet soda, well duh. It does not say that drinking diet soda will make skinny people heavy.

    Current research has shown that diet sodas do not cause insulin reactions, so the "makes you hungrier" argument is specious. At most, there is a psychological effect whereby people allow themselves to eat more other calories because they think they're doing something good by drinking a diet soda and WAY overestimate the benefit of skipping that soda.
    This. Heck EVERYTHING we consume can attribute to being overweight.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    Aspartame metabolizes in formaldehyde in your body. Sucralose is processed with chlorine. Do you really wan to eat that stuff?

    Stick with natural sweeteners... maple syrup, honey and if you need to...good old fashioned sugar ( very small amounts)
    That's a different argument, which I generally tend to agree with (although did you know that ethanol also metabolizes into formaldehyde?). They still don't cause weight gain, though.
  • live2dream
    live2dream Posts: 614 Member
    Aspartame metabolizes in formaldehyde in your body. Sucralose is processed with chlorine. Do you really wan to eat that stuff?

    Stick with natural sweeteners... maple syrup, honey and if you need to...good old fashioned sugar ( very small amounts)

    ^^ THIS.

    There's nothing good in soda - whether it's diet or not. Regular soda is empty calories and a boatload of sugar, Diet Soda is full of artificial chemicals that your body doesn't know how to process. I don't drink either. Water with a lemon squeezed in and some stevia is my fave.
  • Esterlily
    Esterlily Posts: 11
    It is a mis-application of causality. The data says that heavier people are more likely to drink diet soda, well duh. It does not say that drinking diet soda will make skinny people heavy.

    Current research has shown that diet sodas do not cause insulin reactions, so the "makes you hungrier" argument is specious. At most, there is a psychological effect whereby people allow themselves to eat more other calories because they think they're doing something good by drinking a diet soda and WAY overestimate the benefit of skipping that soda.


    Ahhhhh! Now that makes sense to me!! I can definitely say I have done that!! I'll take a Whopper, Large Fries and diet Coke!!!

    Esterlily
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Aspartame metabolizes in formaldehyde in your body. Sucralose is processed with chlorine. Do you really wan to eat that stuff?

    Stick with natural sweeteners... maple syrup, honey and if you need to...good old fashioned sugar ( very small amounts)

    ^^ THIS.

    There's nothing good in soda - whether it's diet or not. Regular soda is empty calories and a boatload of sugar, Diet Soda is full of artificial chemicals that your body doesn't know how to process. I don't drink either. Water with a lemon squeezed in and some stevia is my fave.

    I don't even put the stevia in my lemon water.... I like it without the sweetness
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Aspartame metabolizes in formaldehyde in your body. Sucralose is processed with chlorine. Do you really wan to eat that stuff?

    Stick with natural sweeteners... maple syrup, honey and if you need to...good old fashioned sugar ( very small amounts)
    That's a different argument, which I generally tend to agree with (although did you know that ethanol also metabolizes into formaldehyde?). They still don't cause weight gain, though.

    I never said it caused you to gain weight....just that it was NASTY!!!
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    Aspartame metabolizes in formaldehyde in your body. Sucralose is processed with chlorine. Do you really wan to eat that stuff?

    Stick with natural sweeteners... maple syrup, honey and if you need to...good old fashioned sugar ( very small amounts)
    That's a different argument, which I generally tend to agree with (although did you know that ethanol also metabolizes into formaldehyde?). They still don't cause weight gain, though.

    I never said it caused you to gain weight....just that it was NASTY!!!
    Oh, I agree with you. Give me saccharine any time. (Did you know you can still buy Tab - in the US anyway)
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    MY LITTLE 2 PART RANT

    1)
    Sugar AND Artificial Sweeteners INCREASE your appetite.

    I've had the science explained to me by valid sources (biochemists, diabetics and nutritionists), but it was something I'd recognized in my own body before I knew the science behind it.

    One being that if I eat too much sugar I simply cannot keep to my target calorie goals.
    If I have a DIET coke, really it's all over. and that's FAKE SUGAR

    2)
    I've heard various thing about how all the lovely chemicals in soda suck phosphorus and calcium from your bones. And about how Nutrasweet degrades the protective coating on you nerves. I haven't gone an check the validity of this mostly because I see my Mom who has guzzled diet soda for as long as I can remember. I see her severe osteoporosis and her chronic pain.

    If it's TRUE and I cut out diet soda. I've just saved myself a whole lot of suffering...
    If it's NOT TRUE and I cut out diet soda what harm will it do?


    End of rant

    Good Luck
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    my opinion is that diet sodas don't make you gain weight. but people who drink diet sodas are more likely to be overweight. it's not a causal factor. that's my honest opinion. but i also think that artificial sweeteners are really bad for your health. i drink diet soda but not proud of that!
    there is plenty out there to read about artificial sweeteners.
  • Punkedpoetess
    Punkedpoetess Posts: 633 Member
    I still drink diet soda often and I am still losing weight. I don't think diet soda has an effect on my weight loss at all. I drank it when I was overweight and I still do now.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    Before I started here, I visited my doctor. He told me that people who drink even one diet soda a day usually gain up to 20 pounds in one year!! I have been drinking diet soda for 30+ years!! What is it that makes it so bad? Is it the sodium or the sweetener? Are all sweeteners bad for you? I'm trying to understand! Anyone who knows the science behind this, please help me out!!

    Thank you!!
    Esterlily
    It is a mis-application of causality. The data says that heavier people are more likely to drink diet soda, well duh. It does not say that drinking diet soda will make skinny people heavy.

    Current research has shown that diet sodas do not cause insulin reactions, so the "makes you hungrier" argument is specious. At most, there is a psychological effect whereby people allow themselves to eat more other calories because they think they're doing something good by drinking a diet soda and WAY overestimate the benefit of skipping that soda.

    i agree with this.
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    ....
    there is plenty out there to read about artificial sweeteners.
    The problem is that there is lots and lots of woo out there on the net masquerading as real science on the subject.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member


    ^^ THIS.

    There's nothing good in soda - whether it's diet or not. Regular soda is empty calories and a boatload of sugar, Diet Soda is full of artificial chemicals that your body doesn't know how to process. I don't drink either. Water with a lemon squeezed in and some stevia is my fave.
    Disagree.............I get my daily caffeine kick from diet Pepsi.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    ....
    there is plenty out there to read about artificial sweeteners.
    The problem is that there is lots and lots of woo out there on the net masquerading as real science on the subject.

    so true! it takes a lot of critical thinking and digging, and ultimately you have to choose which you believe is more credible.
  • kimiel51
    kimiel51 Posts: 299 Member
    I have never been able to stand the taste of anything other than plain sugar. i don't even like Truvia! It all leave an after taste to me. I would rather just have plain water or water with lemon! If I have a soda, it is rare and I want it to be just a regular one!
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