soda

well, it's yummy, but...

I do know that it weakens bones, over the long run. Sugar and sweeteners do that, but so does any carbonization, not just cola. What happens is that it makes the blood more acidic, which your body then has to use calcium to regulate and return it to its natural pH. In pretty much every case, your body is going to get that calcium from your bones... and long-term, that spells osteoporosis.

strangely, lemons and limes help your body with alkalinity--to fight acidity. So if you squeeze a lemon into your diet coke, you'll help the problem (but not solve it).

Hope that's helpful! Good luck!

The artificial sweeteners are pretty bad... they've been linked to cancer and learning disorders, and they confuse your metabolism into thinking there are no calories in sweet foods. The artificial sweeteners are not recognized by the brain as sugar, so they don't curb a sweet craving.

There's also sodium in soda, which causes water retention.

Basically, soda is just toxic sludge in a can (whether regular or diet). If you can't give it up completely, try to limit it.

oohhh... just for fun, let's look at the ingredients in Diet Coke:

* Carbonated water (the only apparently OK ingredient....)
* Caramel color (a coloring agent that is made by heating carbohydrates until they turn brown and
sticky)
* Aspartame (a controversial artificial sweetener that might be linked to brain cancer)
* Phosphoric acid (a type of acid that gives a sour or tangy taste and is linked to lowering bone density)
* Potassium benzoate (a preservative used to preserve taste and shelf life, not recommended for
children in the EU)
* Natural flavors (these can come from just about anywhere... so your guess is as good as mine...)
* Citric acid (a flavoring that erodes tooth enamel and BTW, when used as a processed food additive,
it doesn't come from citrus - but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses)
* Caffeine (a stimulant, and my vice....)

can anyone tell me why drinking diet soda is bad? i like them but everyone in mfp seems to be giving them up. why? i understand giving up regular soda, that stuff is bad news. but diet?

what about mineral water? it is carbonated too. i looooooove mineral water, please don't tell me it's bad for me!

Jenlynengel posted a pretty good explanation to this in another thread. Here it is:

"I am no expert but I do want to be a nutritionist someday and I am going to school for it...my personal opinion about Coke Zero and any diet soda for that matter is that it is complete poison on every level. The sweetness of it comes from artificial sweetners which = chemicals! Personally I believe it is better to drink normal sugary soda than to put your body through the havoc of diet sodas. To answer your question though, will it make you gain weight? no; but it certainly won't help in your effort to lose weight either. It can however cause bloating, constipation, fatigue, headaches, kidney problems, skin problems, depression...etc. The thing is that your body knows what to do with sugar, but it doesn't have the slightest clue what to do with chemicals. If you really love soda, my advice to you would be to try sparkling water with lemon or lime or whatever other fruit you want in it. Some people ( I know many) find that they are more attached to the refreshing effervesence of soda rather than the sugar anyhow. As for the artificial sweetner thing...you should really give Stevia a try! It's a completely natural fiber supplement that just happens to be sweet, and you can put it in just about everything. I carry it in my purse."

So though regular soda has more calories, diet sodas are worse.