Is diet soda bad for you?

atomsk

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I sometimes hear people saying it is, even though nobody comes up with any real reasons why. I'm drinking diet rite and it has no calories, no aspartame(it uses splenda), no caffeine, and no sodium. so what could be bad about it.
 
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...q=0&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=splenda+versus+as&gs_rfai=

One of my sister-in-laws goes into anaphylactic shock if she eats enough aspartame much in the same way I break out in hives when I take a 'cillin antibiotic. So, aspartame is bad for her. Of course, she is the exception and not the rule.

If you dig deep enough into conspiracy theories, you see enough fearmongering.

The bigger question is to why are you drinking liquids with artificial sweeteners?
Are you trying to lose weight? Try water. Yeah, it's fluoridated, but so is the water in your soda.
Do you need the caffeine? Try sleeping more.
Are you drinking it for the taste? Then, you should just drink the regular high fructose corn syrup version. Hmm. Maybe not.
 
" Additionally, caffeine is a diuretic, so while you may be thinking that a diet soda quenches your thirst and helps keep you hydrated, the opposite is true. Diet soda often contains sodium, which exacerbates thirst, while the caffeine causes you to lose fluid.

All carbonated sodas also contain calcium-leaching phosphoric acid, and so much acid in your system can tilt your pH balance to an unhealthy level. Healthy detoxification takes place in a slightly alkaline environment. Too much acidity will sabotage the detox process."

Also I have heard that the imitation sweeteners in the Diet soda do something to your body to make you hungrier causing you to eat more which ends up making you put on more pounds. Not sure how valid this is though. I do see a lot of fatties drinking diet soda though.

Its all about moderation. If you have to drink diet soda every day there is a problem.
 
[quote name='lordwow']It's great for your teeth.[/QUOTE]


Drink with a straw and brush 1-2 more times a day. Problem solved.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...q=0&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=splenda+versus+as&gs_rfai=

One of my sister-in-laws goes into anaphylactic shock if she eats enough aspartame much in the same way I break out in hives when I take a 'cillin antibiotic. So, aspartame is bad for her. Of course, she is the exception and not the rule.

If you dig deep enough into conspiracy theories, you see enough fearmongering.

The bigger question is to why are you drinking liquids with artificial sweeteners?
Are you trying to lose weight? Try water. Yeah, it's fluoridated, but so is the water in your soda.
Do you need the caffeine? Try sleeping more.
Are you drinking it for the taste? Then, you should just drink the regular high fructose corn syrup version. Hmm. Maybe not.[/QUOTE]

why is that the bigger question? if diet soda isn't bad then shouldn't be a question at all right?

but anyway, since you're so interested. :p I drink soda(mostly diet, sometimes not) with lunch and dinner because drinking water with a meal is friggin gross to me. for the rest of the day I usually get tons of water because my job is slightly physical.

[quote name='musha666']" Additionally, caffeine is a diuretic, so while you may be thinking that a diet soda quenches your thirst and helps keep you hydrated, the opposite is true. Diet soda often contains sodium, which exacerbates thirst, while the caffeine causes you to lose fluid.

All carbonated sodas also contain calcium-leaching phosphoric acid, and so much acid in your system can tilt your pH balance to an unhealthy level. Healthy detoxification takes place in a slightly alkaline environment. Too much acidity will sabotage the detox process."

Also I have heard that the imitation sweeteners in the Diet soda do something to your body to make you hungrier causing you to eat more which ends up making you put on more pounds. Not sure how valid this is though. I do see a lot of fatties drinking diet soda though.

Its all about moderation. If you have to drink diet soda every day there is a problem.[/QUOTE]

well, as I said before: this soda has no caffeine or sodium so your first comment is a charade.

the rest of your comments just sound like someone whistlin dixie, unless you have a scientific source for that.

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending soda too much but I just wanted to know if anyone had some good facts.
 
[quote name='atomsk']why is that the bigger question? if diet soda isn't bad then shouldn't be a question at all right?

but anyway, since you're so interested. :p I drink soda(mostly diet, sometimes not) with lunch and dinner because drinking water with a meal is friggin gross to me. for the rest of the day I usually get tons of water because my job is slightly physical.



well, as I said before: this soda has no caffeine or sodium so your first comment is a charade.

the rest of your comments just sound like someone whistlin dixie, unless you have a scientific source for that.

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending soda too much but I just wanted to know if anyone had some good facts.[/QUOTE]

hey buddy, next time you ask a question know your audience. This is a forum - you'll get some facts mixed with a heaping ton of anecdotal evidence and conjecture. You want some facts? Try google or searching through some medical journals.

That being said, I don't know if diet soda is bad for you, but ingesting chemicals en masse doesn't seem to me to be a prudent idea.
 
[quote name='lordopus99']Everything is bad for you. It's all about moderation.[/QUOTE]

+1. Diet Soda is disgusting. It might not be super bad for you but it can't be good for you either.
 
[quote name='lordopus99']Everything is bad for you. It's all about moderation.[/QUOTE]

+2

Your going to hear negatives about anything you could possibly ask about. Unless everyone here is drinking nothing but water they are probably drinking something that someone could come up with negatives about, I personally drink alot of coke zero which I guess is a diet soda, I dont drink it due to diet or anything else I just like the taste better so thats what I drink.
 
all diet sodas takes like shit to me. coke zero is actually fine.
but if you wanna drink soda - just drink whichever one you like, in moderation!
(either way all of them are not good for your body)
 
even if diet soda isn't great for you, it's a hell of a lot better than directly taking in the ~200calories per can of regular soda.. especially if you drink 2 or more a day.

i usually just drink water but when i get soda, i go for diet. i used to think it tasted gross but now that i'm used to it, it's the opposite. regular soda is disgusting to me.. it's just about what taste you're used to.

as someone said, diet soda MAY increase your apetite, so be wary of that.. but otherwise i wouldn't worry about any really serious health conditions(just dont be drinking 2 liters a day)
 
"All carbonated sodas also contain calcium-leaching phosphoric acid, and so much acid in your system can tilt your pH balance to an unhealthy level. Healthy detoxification takes place in a slightly alkaline environment. Too much acidity will sabotage the detox process."

I don't know about the "pH balance", but I do know that drinking too much soda will actually cause the phosphoric acid to displace calcium in your bones, causing your bones to be extremely brittle over time. My coworker has been drinking a crap load of soda his entire life, and sure enough, last month he STOOD UP on his foot wrong and cracked his fibula. I drove him to the hospital for his surgery, and the first thing the surgeon asks him is "Do you drink a lot of soda?" Go figure...
 
[quote name='atomsk']well, as I said before: this soda has no caffeine or sodium so your first comment is a charade.

the rest of your comments just sound like someone whistlin dixie, unless you have a scientific source for that.

I hope I don't sound like I'm defending soda too much but I just wanted to know if anyone had some good facts.[/QUOTE]

You're in denial. While his detox comments might have sounded a bit kooky, he's still spot on about the acidity and calcium-leeching properties of soda. An occasional soda might be okay, but to drink excessive amounts simply because it is calorie-free would be foolishness.

Diet soda, like anything, is fine in moderation. However, don't think you can use it to replace water.
 
Yeah, I gotta cut down on soda. I switched pretty much entirely over to diet recently, in part because of the calories and in part because both my parents are diabetic. But I should drink more water rather than replacing soda with diet soda.

I've been drinking more diet tea lately too. Like the big gallons of turkey hill stuff. It at least isn't acidic like the soda.
 
[quote name='atomsk']I sometimes hear people saying it is, even though nobody comes up with any real reasons why. I'm drinking diet rite and it has no calories, no aspartame(it uses splenda), no caffeine, and no sodium. so what could be bad about it.[/QUOTE]

Because it contains a chemical called aspratame that is bad for your health. Like use of it in childrens products are banned in europe. Its also been to greatly increase the chance of kidney stones or exasorbate exsisting ones and other health related problems.

Wasnt a major focus in nursing school but it was enough of a one I had a teacher go over it briefly.

Now granted its also kind of blown out of proportion since you would have to drink litres of the stuff everyday to really effect you but thats also not to say it couldnt have a cummuliative effect over time if you consistantly drink it.

If you go look up the chemical only read about it on officially documented websites that are well known like mayoclinic or something like that. Dont read about it "Mydietsite.com" or "therealdoctor.net" because all they do is list it as causing virtually every disease on the planet because when it comes to stuff like this you can tell a person anything no matter how stupid if you put at the end of the statement "I read it in a magazine" and alot of people think because "They read it on the internet" that its true. Plus shit snowballs because people love to add to things to sound smart, especially if someone is listening that believes them.
 
Maybe you have something specific in mind, but your body definitely doesn't process aspartame just like it's real sugar, if it did that would defeat the purpose. It's a different chemical structure that breaks down into different components. There's no glucose, so no energy, so no calories. The point of it is all flavor - you get a sweet taste without the chemical being broken down to create energy (or else you'd get calories).

Not that it means that's necessarily bad for you, obviously the stuff you eat breaks down into different things during digestion, not all of which have any nutritional value. And other things don't break down at all.
 
I don't buy into all the horror stories.

But I'm also sure it isn't good for you so I limit myself to 1 a day at most. I'm used to the taste, and try to avoid liquid calories (beyond beer).

And yep, you're body doesn't process aspartame and other artificial sweeteners the same as sugar. Sugar has glucose and thus calories--and thus can be stored as fat. Diet soda's do not.
 
There was something I read that since an articial sweetner is hundreds of times sweeter, it'll just activate your cravings for sugar and you'll eat a bag of Snickers out of desperation, or something. Who knows if that's true.

But, really, to the diet soda drinkers. Try something. Force yourself to have nothing but water (or fruit juice in addition to water, that is something that I can't shake fully myself so I won't preach to others) for a month. You'll find that not only have you lost the desire for diet cola (if you are truly committed to not drinking it anymore) but you'll actually start to crave water when you're thirsty. Just like how the flying spaghetti monster had in mind when he created each of us.
 
[quote name='bebop']Study in 2008 found in rats. The ones who had the non calorie sugar gained more weight than the ones that actually had sugar with calories. Scientists theorized the non calorie sugar created a disconnect between sweetness and calories and led to overeating. Check out the article.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080210183902.htm[/QUOTE]

thanks for posting something that's actually useful.

If that's the only problem it can cause, then I guess I have nothing to worry about since I know I don't overeat. I'm actually in pretty good shape. I was just wondering if there was a "silent killer" lurking in diet sodas. I know there are conspiracy theories, but really...

[quote name='RAMSTORIA']unless youre not a diabetic drink normal soda. your body processes fake sugar just like its real sugar.[/QUOTE]

that's a bold claim. do you have anything to back that up?
 
[quote name='help1']Coke Zero is awesome. Before that, I never gave diet drinks a go, since they tasted nasty.[/QUOTE]

+1

I love Pepsi Max & Coke Zero. Before I never drank diet soda since it tasted awful.

Its all about moderation.
 
I love me some Diet Pepsi. I honestly prefer it to the real thing. I can't say the same about Diet Coke, though. For some reason, I always get a nasty headache when I drink Diet Coke or Coke Zero. Diet Pepsi doesn't seem to trigger the headaches.
 
[quote name='atomsk']
that's a bold claim. do you have anything to back that up?[/QUOTE]
Don't worry. He made that up. If it was true coke and pepsi would be getting sued for millions right now due to pretending to have 0 calories in their diet drinks.

Diet soda is a great replacement for regular (I use Coke Zero in my rum and cokes all the time) but it obviously isn't as good as plain water due to preservatives and all that other junk they add with no nutritional value. Like Friend of Sonic I have also heard that it causes you to desire sugar by faking your body out but I haven't noticed that personally.
 
[quote name='pacifickarma']I love me some Diet Pepsi. I honestly prefer it to the real thing. I can't say the same about Diet Coke, though. For some reason, I always get a nasty headache when I drink Diet Coke or Coke Zero. Diet Pepsi doesn't seem to trigger the headaches.[/QUOTE]

My favorites are Diet Dr. Pepper and Coke Zero. Diet Pepsi is fine too.

I too prefer it to the regular. Switched to diet probably 10 years or so ago, regular just tastes too sweet and sugary for me now.
 
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jX9QklC3G...3jxvHYqQk/s1600/Lucky+Strike+cigarette+ad.jpg

Lucky+Strike+cigarette+ad.jpg


http://www.typophile.com/files/21-Camels-smoke-a-fresh-cigarette-doctor_6728.jpg

21-Camels-smoke-a-fresh-cigarette-doctor_6728.jpg


Ads from the past are funny.
 
I drink Coke Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper and Black Cherry Fresca (shh, don't tell anyone it's good because it is hard to find) because:


  1. I like mother fucking NEED a regular stream [of] caffeine.
  2. Coffee has a laxative effect.
  3. I do not have it, but diabetes runs in my family.
  4. I drink about 5-6 a day for my fix; If that were regular soft-drinks it would be an additional ~700-800+ calories.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Here something to digest

The reason Splenda produces no calories, is that the majority passes through the body without being digested. Most studies show that only around 15% of Splenda is actually digested. The worrisome fact for some researchers is that people with healthier GI systems, will absorb more of the Splenda, and thus more of the dangerous chlorine.
The results of the tests done by Splenda’s manufacturers, McNeil Nutritionals, are also quite worrisome. Their studies revealed that test rodents suffered from dangerous side effects such as shrunken thymus glands, and enlarged livers and kidneys … and there were only short term studies. No long term studies were performed before Splenda was approved by the FDA. One could say that the long-term study is being conducted in households and supermarkets across America, with consumers as the test rodents.

Of course, Splenda is not likely dangerous in smaller doses, but what about larger ones in which larger quantities of chlorine are ingested? Herein lies the bigger problem. Perhaps the greatest reason for Splenda’s success in the marketplace is that, as opposed to the other sweeteners, Splenda remains stable at higher temperatures, meaning that it can be, and is, used in cooking. Many of the sugar-free, and low-calorie diet foods use Splenda in their recepies. People on diets are at greater risk, obviously, because they may consume this product many times a day without knowing it.
A small segment of the population is allergic to sucralose, and the reactions produced in this group can be everything from rashes, panic attacks, headaches, to intestinal cramping, diarrhea, muscle aches, and stomach pain. Findings for allergic reactions are well-documented, but for the rest of the population, the studies are murky, at best.
As with any nutritional supplement, caution and due diligence should be practiced. Read and learn all you can, and consult with you doctor before starting on any new diet. If you are already dieting, be sure to read the labels to see if the diet foods are using Splenda in the place of sugar, and make sure that you aren’t replacing the bad effects of sugar with the potentially dangerous side effects of Splenda.


Hope this helps.


http://www.steviacafe.net/dangers-of-splenda


http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

http://www.healthmyths.net/view_learning.php?learning_id=14
 
I drink tons of the stuff, and if you haven't tried Pepsi Max I highly recommend it. I allow myself one vice and drinking diet soda is it, I figure we all have to die of something so I might as well pick it.

As for if it is bad for you or not? Well I've yet to see any conclusive evidence that has pointed to a direct link between drinking diet soda and harmful effects. There are just too many variables to consider not to mention the fact that each person has a different level of tolerance for ill effects.
 
[quote name='Loonknight']I drink tons of the stuff, and if you haven't tried Pepsi Max I highly recommend it. I allow myself one vice and drinking diet soda is it, I figure we all have to die of something so I might as well pick it.

As for if it is bad for you or not? Well I've yet to see any conclusive evidence that has pointed to a direct link between drinking diet soda and harmful effects. There are just too many variables to consider not to mention the fact that each person has a different level of tolerance for ill effects.[/QUOTE]


there's 70mg of caffeine per can. almost as much as a red bull. it doesn't matter what your stance is on artificial sweeteners, pepsi max is harmful to you due to the high amount of caffeine.
 
[quote name='h3llbring3r']I drink Coke Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper and Black Cherry Fresca (shh, don't tell anyone it's good because it is hard to find) because:
I like mother fucking NEED a regular stream [of] caffeine.I drink about 5-6 a day for my fix; If that were regular soft-drinks it would be an additional ~700-800+ calories.[/QUOTE]

Have you considered sleeping eight hours a day?
 
[quote name='Koggit']there's 70mg of caffeine per can. almost as much as a red bull. it doesn't matter what your stance is on artificial sweeteners, pepsi max is harmful to you due to the high amount of caffeine.[/QUOTE]

LOL. My wife drinks a 24 ounce bottle of it when she can in the mornings. I'll just add it to the list of things that will kill her before I die.
 
Still probably nothing to worry about. 69 mgs is a lot, but according to the mayo clinic 200-300mg a day is fine for most people.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600

So as long as you're not pounding it all day, I wouldn't think the caffeine in Pepsi max would be much of a health risk.

Even then the symptoms of taking too much caffeine are pretty mild as long as you don't have heart issues etc. As long as you're not having problems sleeping, headaches, anxiety, jitteryness, stomach issues etc. your caffeine intake is probably fine.
 
"Health risk" is vague. Obviously I'm no Mayo Clinic, but if you're drinking enough caffeine to notice the positive effect, then it'd make sense to assume that's enough caffeine for it to have its negative effects too. Kill you, no, I wouldn't expect that much, but I think it's still worth avoiding. I used to drink soda with my meals, I was having probably about 100 mg of caffeine a day, and starting having hemorrhoids in my early 20's. Saw a doctor and he suggested I cut soda entirely, and haven't had any problems since. There are a LOT of health issues like this -- I mean, seemingly unrelated problems which can be made much worse by caffeine.

I'm a pretty firm believer that drinking a lot of water, and only water, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's often overlooked, as people order a beer or soda to accompany their grilled chicken dinner... in my experience it's just eat healthy, drink healthy, feel healthy.
 
I can respect that. Especially if you were having symptoms, it's time to make a change like that for sure.

I'm fairly healthy, but care more about enjoying life that maximizing health/life span, so I place limits on it. So I'll have my 1-2 diet soda's a day, coffee a few times a week, couldn't give up beer, and have an unhealthy meal once or twice a week. :D

But other wise I eat healthy, mainly drink water, and try to hit the gym 4 days a week--though I've been lucky to get 2 or 3 days since starting my new job in August.

In any case, I feel great. I'd make changes if I started having issues. Occasionally I'll have some acid reflux issues and cut out soda, coffee, beer etc. for a few weeks. The real key is to just listen to your body and adjust accordingly.
 
[quote name='Koggit']"Health risk" is vague. Obviously I'm no Mayo Clinic, but if you're drinking enough caffeine to notice the positive effect, then it'd make sense to assume that's enough caffeine for it to have its negative effects too. Kill you, no, I wouldn't expect that much, but I think it's still worth avoiding. I used to drink soda with my meals, I was having probably about 100 mg of caffeine a day, and starting having hemorrhoids in my early 20's. Saw a doctor and he suggested I cut soda entirely, and haven't had any problems since. There are a LOT of health issues like this -- I mean, seemingly unrelated problems which can be made much worse by caffeine.

I'm a pretty firm believer that drinking a lot of water, and only water, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's often overlooked, as people order a beer or soda to accompany their grilled chicken dinner... in my experience it's just eat healthy, drink healthy, feel healthy.[/QUOTE]

Hard to go wrong with water...
... unless you have CHF, CKD, or cirrhosis, where it'll make you edematous and short of breath.

With normal kidneys, you can handle 15 L of water per day before you make yourself hyponatremic and start seizing. Plus, it's got zero calories and (hopefully, depending on the source) no dangerous additives.

I mainly stick to water and unsweetened teas.
 
if you get migraines, artificial sweeteners are believed by some(including my neurologist) to be a potential trigger...also, I read somewhere that aspartame is the most researched item ever approved by the FDA- you could take that to be a measure of reassurance or a major warning sign depending on what you wanna believe.
 
I used to drink regular Pepsi all the time. Probably at least 2 bottles a day but I realized that the sugar was causing me to get bad outbreaks of acne every now and then so I had to switch to Pepsi Max. Generally everything is bad for you, I really don't like the taste of diet pop as much so this change is causing me to cut back on the amount that I drink so I can hopefully cut it out completely in the future. I've drank so much Pepsi in the past the the boosted caffeine in the Max doesn't affect me at all, I can honestly drink an energy drink and barely get a boost off of it.
 
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