Diet soda... friend or foe?!?

the caffine dehydrates you big time.. leading to the body not having the water it needs to repair and replenish itself. My doctor and chiropractor told me for every cup (250 mls) of caffine i have i need to drink 3 cups of water to replace what it has sucked out of me.. that on top of the 4 liters i drink of water a day.

I was an addicted... diet pepsi.. pepsi.. oh lord i was a crack addict for them.... lol i would legit "jones" for them.. i got the shakes and the sweats and was evil when i stopped drinking them..... it was bad.. i would have to say.. harder than quitting smoking... which lead me to two theories... I NEVER EVER want to feel the way i did getting off that crap.. and two. what the hell is in it that made me feel that gross.. i mean i smoked for 15 years and stopped that easier then the pepsi addiction...

I promise you.. if you stop all soda and let your body hydrate with water.. and feel good.. you will be thankful..

I switched to diet green tea. The carbonation in soda is supposed to be hard on your kidneys.

You can do a carbonated water with some Stevia Flavorings that taste like soda... Whole Foods has a whole bunch of different flavored Stevia drops... The Root Beer one tastes surprisingly like root beer. I just have to close my eyes since it's clear and not dark brown like the real thing

Good luck!

I have found that this tastes awful! Stevis tastes weird in my mouth and i do not enjoy it

In moderation and you will be fine! I need the caffeine, so I drink a can daily, but I also drink lots of water

Good luck!

Although weight-loss articles often suggest drinking diet soda in place of full-calorie counterparts, health experts warn that the beverage's long-term side effects may not be worth the short-term benefit of consuming fewer calories.
Loss of Calcium

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), high level of phosphates from diet soda leeches calcium out of the bones. Daily consumption of diet soda makes you three to four times more likely to suffer from a stress fracture and at an increased risk for osteoporosis.

This has been debunked. The phosphates in diet soda have absolutely no effect on calcium levels. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11522558 It's the caffeine that causes calcium loss. And the human body is adapted to it. When consuming caffeine, the body excretes more calcium, but makes up for it by excreting less calcium throughout the remainder of the day, leading to a net difference of zero compared to someone who doesn't consume soda.

Dehydration

Caffeine from diet soda triggers the kidneys to increase urine production, which results in an increased loss of water in the body. Dehydration can lead to dizziness, headaches, racing heartbeats and even death.

Also has been debunked. Caffeine is only a diuretic in high doses. To reach the dose necessary for a diuretic effect, you would have to consume an entire 12 pack of soda at once, and even then, the gallon+ of water (144 oz) you would consume along with it more than makes up for the potential dehydration. Couple that with the fact that regular caffeine consumption creates an immunity to the diuretic effect of caffeine, and this argument doesn't have any merit.

Aspartame

The low-calorie sweetener, aspartame, is found in most diet sodas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims the ingredient is safe to consume; however, several side effects involving the ears, eyes, chest, skin, neurological system, gastrointestinal system and metabolic system, as well as psychological conditions, have been linked to its use. Hugo Rodier, M.D., author of "Sweet Death," suggests that drinking beverages containing aspartame leads to weight gain.

Again, these are all unsubstantiated claims, and no clinical studies have been able to confirm any of this.

Benzene

In 2005, the FDA received reports that the carcinogen benzene was present in soft drinks containing benzoate salts and ascorbic acid. An FDA study found that the level of benzene in most drinks was below the U.S. standard for drinking water. The World Health Organization confirms that benzene causes cancer and that no safe level of exposure to benzene can be recommended.

This says it all, there's more benzene in regular drinking water than in soda. If your choice is to consume less benzene, then soda would be the safer choice.

Bottom Line

Drinking diet soda to lose weight may reduce your calorie intake, but it offers no nutritional benefits and could lead to negative health consequences over time. The ACSM recommends drinking water or mixing juice and water at a 1:1 ratio.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/18690-side-effects-drinking-diet-soda/#ixzz1tv4vkDH9

Water contains the same nutritional benefits as soda.

Foe. I have warded off soda completely though, in lue of soda I drink teas now. I don't miss the carbonation and the teas are way healthier! Then again I still have alcoholic drinks on the weekends, like everyone else said, in moderation.

I generally agree with everyone, but I do have to relate my own experience. I used to drink 2 cans of DIET pepsi a day, and occassionally 3. I'd read/heard about the reports that drinking even diet sodas kept and added weight to people and I rahter thought I wasn't one of those who drank it to excess. However, I decided to do an experiment. I quit drinking all diet pepsi, and switched to plain water, and occassionally a flavored but unsweetened seltzer. I was totally shocked!!! I lost 10 pounds in about 3 weeks. Seriously!

So I now only very rarely have diet anything, and stick with clear water and unsweetened seltzers.

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???

We all have our own vices, but i just dont get the soda one. It doesnt do anything for you, so why drink it. I personally dont like it, but if you only have it from time to time you should be ok.

It actually has the same hydration effect that the equivalent amount of water has so it does do something for you. (and yes, even if it is caffeinated)

It doesnt do anything for you, so why drink it?

So everything we put in our bodies HAS to be purely for nutritional benefit? How about that thing called taste?

It's a foe. I kicked the habit about a month ago and I feel so much better physically and mentally.

I agree that it is a foe I have been travling to UVA medical center for 5 years now as a patient. I was told I had PKD and that drinking soda wasn't good but drinking Diet Soda was very bad. It is very bad for people who have miagrains as this is a trigger for them to start. It took me another 4 years to cut out soda all together but I have done it!!! I drink alot of water or add lemon and I can see and tell the diffrence in how I feel.