Diet soda... friend or foe?!?

As far as friend or foe for the diet soda - I agree with doing your own research. It really depends on how you view your body and personal health program: only pure and natural foods/drinks vs. a little bit of anything in moderation. If you drank it as a way to get something else than water, there are lots of options. The flavors of caffeine free herbal teas are endless. Make a pitcher of iced tea at home, pour in an extra water bottle and take with you during the day to drink when you get sick of just water. If you're looking for a little pick-me-up, there are plenty of other teas that do have a little caffeine. Also, keep a bottle of real lemon juice in your fridge. When you fill your water bottle in the morning, squirt a little lemon juice in the water. Not only will it give you a little flavor, but lemon juice has been shown to provide a little boost to the metabolic system - a good reason to drink lemon water in the morning. Also, for a fizzy drink with some flavor (but without the caffeine or chemicals), try seltzer. Cans or bottles make it easy to take on the go - just make sure that if you are drinking a fruit flavored seltzer, it is natural flavoring and does not have sugar. Some of cheap store brands add artificial flavors and sugar!

I drink it. I only have two heads. You'll be fine.

P.S. You're gonna get a whole bunch of different answers, all backed up with good or lousy science, anecdotal evidence, or simple make-believe, and you're gonna have an even harder time knowing what to believe. And googling it will give you even more answers and scary not-scientific baloney.. I suggest you go to reputable websites like the Mayo Clinic or WebMD, read what they have to say, think about it, list the pros and cons of partaking, and choose to drink or not drink.

Diet Soda will give you Super AIDS. Don't drink it.

I vote for foe- though I am not saying I never have a diet soda because I do - occasionally- maybe 5 a year.. having said that though..nutritionally diet soda is pretty bankrupt- nothing good in it.. what is it about diet soda you like? the caffeine, the fizz, the taste? caffeine can easily be replaced by iced tea, coffee etc,, the fizz I have to admit is the bigeest draw for me.. but now I drink sparkling water with a little lemon.. but you can use other juices.

I've been drinking nothing but water for the past two weeks and this morning I couldn't take it anymore! I got a diet soda out of the vending machine. Zero calories, zero carbs and 85mg of sodium. Can someone tell me if its okay to drink diet sodas???

Foe. Water and unsweet tea is all for me.

It might be 0 calories. But it's all fake scientifically made ingredients.

I only drink it with vodka ;p

One every now and then as a treat is probably not a bad thing?

However, as a way to stay hydrated - FOE!

There are some nasty chemicals in diet sodas!

As an aside - do you drink tea?

I have been trying green tea and chai tea a try every now and then when I want something different than water. The taste is slowly growing on me.

I think I am just gonna leave this here.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/blogs/the-human-condition/2009/05/22/by-the-numbers-the-truth-behind-those-scary-diet-soda-myths.html

Diet soda is 99% water, and is far less acidic than your own stomach acid. I've been drinking it like water for years. Never had a cavity or any problem whatsoever.

I've been back and forth on diet soda. Whenever I start drinking it again I feel worse than when I drink water. I'm on day 3 without it right now and I can already tell a difference. I know they say it makes you crave carbs... that it doesn't... it does, etc. I know for me when I have it I crave junk food. That might be psychological because it seems whenever you have junk food you have soda with it. I know the more diet soda I drink the more my running suffers. So back to no diet soda.

Drinking diet coke will turn you into and obese, sugar craving monster, but diet cherry pepsi with some rum in it will make all of your troubles disappear - just sayin'

Drinking diet coke will turn you into and obese, sugar craving monster, but diet cherry pepsi with some rum in it will make all of your troubles disappear - just sayin'

Fact.

I always tended to believe that diet drinks were better, and had become a diet coke junkie back in 2004. Earlier this year though, I wound up getting put on a medication for migraines that makes all carbonated drinks taste like butt, so I had to say goodbye to the diet cokes. You no longer want them when they no longer taste good.

Much to my surprise, I lost 13 lbs in two weeks by doing nothing more than ditching the diet cokes. I didn't change anything else at all!!!!

That's what got me started on the idea to lose weight. If that simple change could make a difference, why not make a few more. So now it's water only for me.

There are a ton of bad things in soda's regular or diet. Have one here and there of either time is fine. Drinking them all of the time is not.

Look, people -- you can get all righteous and eco-political as you want -- but can we try to stick to (a) the TOPIC at hand, and (b) actual FACTS...!?!

I just loooove [end dripping sarcasm] wildly flung passionate assertions like: "If you have cellulite and you want it to stick around, sucking down aspartame is one sure way to make sure of it." Oh, really? And you know this because of which study? Or are you a biochemist? Or... is it more likely that you're repeating something you've heard from someone who heard it from someone....? (And they wonder where urban legends and net-myths come from. Did you hear the one about waking up in a bathtub full of ice missing a kidney?)

"If it's not from the earth you shouldn't be putting it into your body." Well, hey. Sounds nice as a platitude. My sister sure likes her athsma inhaler, though. And - hey - sugar and carbs *are* from the Earth -- but there are *lots* of good reasons that you should NOT be putting THEM in your body.

"Can you pronounce the ingrediants [sic]? If so, do you even know what they are? Do you think your body truly recognizes those when you put it [sic] in your body regularly?" Hey, some people can't pronounce dextrorotatory pantothenate or eicosapentaenoic acid, but I'd sure put vitamin B-5 and Omega-3 fish oils in *my* body.

SO:

(A) There's a (very good) reason that Wikipedia requires sources, and a 'neutral POV' -- NOT personal opinions or assertions. When someone's asking for advice, on something as serious as health and diet, and as personally important as losing weight, it's irresponsible at best to toss out what you just sorta think and believe (especially when it's, well, wrong).

(B) I will actually ANSWER the OPs original question in the next reply - with some facts, some explanation of those facts, and some (clearly identified as such) personal experience.

Diet Soda is not good for anyone. The Chimicals in the soda are really bad for thoes who have issues with migrains. If you want a soda you might as will have the real thing. Personally I was told by my doctor at UVA not to drink Diet there are alot of reasons why but we are all adults and make our own decions. Everyone have a great day