diet soda or no diet soda

Okay, seriously, bottom line here. What redeeming quality does soda have (diet or regular) for your health, your well-being, your happiness, that you can't get in some other way from some other (less questionable, less chemical, less manufactured crap) product/person/experience? If you can name just *one* good thing that soda has to offer that can't be found in something else that is better for you and offers you more in every way, then you could have an argument for having soda. But seriously - there isn't anything it really has to offer that you can't find better in some other product. Maybe this chemical or that one in soda is causing harm to your health. Maybe the combination of the chemicals in it is causing harm. Maybe there truly is no harm being done. But how is it making you a better, healthier, happier, fitter, smarter person? Why would you settle for filling your body with stuff that merely "doesn't hurt it" when you could be filling your body instead with things that help you be better in every way? Why waste a drinking opportunity on a soda? (I've only been off soda for a few weeks, so please believe I do understand the draw... but think about it. What are you really getting from drinking it? I've come to realize that all I was really getting was, maybe, not harmed by it. That's not a great reason to drink it, when I could be getting health benefits from drinking water or even juice (in moderation)!

Carbonation deteriorates your bone density. So does Caffeine when consumed in large quantities. That's before we talk about the artificial ingredients and colors that ARE KNOW carcinogenics. Fact from Biology educators.

Jillian Michaels talks about this issue pretty heavily. She drank a 6 pack of diet soda a day, and when she got her own tv spot after the biggest loser. They had her get tested for bone density as the staple example on the show. Come to find out she had beginning stages of osteopenia. She was 35 at the time.

That was from the soda. She cut it out entirely as a result.

If that don't motivate you, then consider this. Soda has ZERO nutritional value, in fact it's nutritional defeceit. What's that mean? It means it takes away rather than gives. Sure a soda a week, two cans a week not a big deal. As long as your not counting it as fluid intake. Drink as much water and more for every can you drink. But moderation is the key to it all.

Remember a 32 oz, is nearly three cans. And this is for diet. Don't get me started on the sugar and how high fructose interacts with your liver.

Worry more about yourself and your family. If you think it's "poison" then don't drink it. For us that do, don't judge us as being uneducated or clueless.

Okay, seriously, bottom line here. What redeeming quality does soda have (diet or regular) for your health, your well-being, your happiness, that you can't get in some other way from some other (less questionable, less chemical, less manufactured crap) product/person/experience? If you can name just *one* good thing that soda has to offer that can't be found in something else that is better for you and offers you more in every way, then you could have an argument for having soda.

Here's what it boils down to: There isn't sufficient enough evidence to show that diet soda has a negative impact on health (with the exception of a few PUK). People who don't like the taste, are concerned about THEIR health and the chemicals, or are "naturalists" don't have to worry about it. Those of us that like the taste, how it assists in weight loss because of the sweetness yet has no calories, and have no concerns about the chemicals in them based on scientific evidence at hand will still have it in moderation because we like it.
Worry more about yourself and your family. If you think it's "poison" then don't drink it. For us that do, don't judge us as being uneducated or clueless.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

First, just because it hasn't been proven to your satisfaction to be harmful, doesn't mean it isn't.

You can choose to believe what you want to believe, and others can chose to believe what they want to believe. Your opinion doesn't get to supersede mine any more than mine can supersede yours.

do you have the source/study to prove that? preferably by an independent or not for profit organization? those typically tend to be the most unbiased.

First, just because it hasn't been proven to your satisfaction to be harmful, doesn't mean it isn't. You can choose to believe what you want to believe, and others can chose to believe what they want to believe. Your opinion doesn't get to supersede mine any more than mine can supersede yours. Second, the OP asked for opinions about drinking diet soda. Those who are for it are certainly allowed to share their opinions, but so are those who are against it. If your ego is so fragile than an opposing opinion threatens you, perhaps debate posts like these are ones you ought to skip? Take a deep breath, go drink your beverage of choice and relax a bit - this isn't worth getting yourself so worked up over. Wow.