Diet soda is fine, and other food truths it's time you believed

[Brother_Bliss]

I've been saying it all along, but I love when i find someone else saying it too...

 

There is zero evidence that diet soda is bad for us.

 

Oh, wait, except for those big observational studies. In those, diet soda correlates with everything bad. Cancer, obesity, diabetes, just for starters! But a funny thing happens when you actually feed people artificial sweeteners: nothing. Unless you count losing a little weight.

 

https://www.theday.com/food/20220712/diet-soda-is-fine-and-other-food-truths-its-time-you-believed/

[Shawnster]

1 hour ago, Brother_Bliss said:

There is zero evidence that diet soda is bad for us.

Diet soda is nasty. 😝

[Eric B]

Have not researched this topic but I have trouble just getting past the taste. Diet soda is not for me. Lol

Edited July 25, 2022 by Eric B

[Brother_Bliss]

14 minutes ago, Eric B said:

I have trouble just getting past the taste

It's an acquired taste, lol. 

 

Switching to diet soda has helped me when it comes to weight maintenance. Once I acquired the taste for it I could no longer stand the taste and sweetness of regular soda. 

[Tortuga]

2 hours ago, Brother_Bliss said:

There is zero evidence that diet soda is bad for us.

I heard it makes you bald, is that true? 

[coolbrz731]

Diet soda is nasty.  Zero sugar sodas are pretty good.  They even pass the "daughter" test(Anastasia!  You drank all of my Sprite Zero?!  You know I can't drink your regular Barq's, RIGHT????)

 

In a case study of one, I've been diabetic and drinking diet sodas since 2008.  The only thing that happened is that my a1c stayed in the pre-diabetic range.

[Brother_Bliss]

7 minutes ago, coolbrz731 said:

Diet soda is nasty.  Zero sugar sodas are pretty good.

What's the difference? Sprite Zero and Coke Zero are diet sodas, too. 

 

8 minutes ago, coolbrz731 said:

In a case study of one, I've been diabetic and drinking diet sodas since 2008.  The only thing that happened is that my a1c stayed in the pre-diabetic range.

I have kidney issues. I've radically changed my eating habits but I hadn't been able to drop Diet Coke. I asked my Nephrologist if Diet Coke was bad and he said it's safe - billions of people drink it every day and they are fine. 

[Qapla]

It's not the taste that keeps me from drinking diet soda (or other diet drinks) ... I am allergic to the artificial sweetener - it is hard to put into just a few word what they do to me, just suffice it to say I don't really want to feel that way, so I avoid diet drinks ...

 

... except for the original diet drink. The one I drink has:

• No artificial sweeteners
• No artificial colors
• No artificial flavors
• No calories
• No caffeine
• no sugar

Unlike Nutrasweet

  

and other artificial sweeteners with similar composition diagrams, the diet drink I like most has a very simple makeup

 

 

 

 

 

[BLEmom]

It’s an opinion piece without any cited studies from what I can tell. 

[Brother_Bliss]

38 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

It’s an opinion piece without any cited studies from what I can tell. 

The author, Tamar Haspel, does state facts that are available to everyone. There is no reliable evidence that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda are harmful people in general. There is also no credible proof that they cause cancer.

 

That doesn't mean that everyone can have them. @Qapla above explains why they are not good for him. Likewise, I found out almost too late that my coffee consumption was destroying my internal organs, but most people can drink coffee. For whatever reason, I cannot.

 

But the "evils of diet soda" unfortunately falls under the same category as "the evils of mRNA vaccines", namely, conspiracy theory fodder for the foolhardy and gullible. 

 

[GeordieGirl]

Like @QaplaI too, react badly to synthetic sweetners even the, so-called, 'natural' ones like Stevia, Erythritol etc.   I don't drink soft drink (soda) so that is not an issue for me but I have found other products that have got these sorts of sweetners in them, often unnecessarily, like gluten free bread and other gluten free products. 

[coolbrz731]

7 hours ago, Brother_Bliss said:

What's the difference? Sprite Zero and Coke Zero are diet sodas, too. 

I believe the zero sugar sodas use stevia.  I've noticed that a tiny bit of real sugar cancels that weird after taste that stevia is known for

 

[Brother_Bliss]

7 hours ago, coolbrz731 said:

I believe the zero sugar sodas use stevia. 

This is incorrect. The only diet drinks that use stevia that I am aware of is a brand called Zevia (which are pretty tasty).

According to https://www.sprite.com/products/sprite-zero-sugar the description of Sprite Zero is "Sprite Zero Sugar is a diet Sprite with no sugar" and lists these as the ingredients....

 

CARBONATED WATER, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM CITRATE, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM BENZOATE (TO PROTECT TASTE), ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM.

 

I hope I didn't just ruin Sprite Zero for you, lol

[Parale]

14 hours ago, BLEmom said:

It’s an opinion piece without any cited studies from what I can tell. 

I believe the article was originally in the Washington Post, and has since been syndicated.

 

The online version of The Washington Post article includes a variety of links - unfortunately it's looks like all the links where stripped out when The Day syndicated the article

 

Anyway, one of those links was to a previous article she wrote for the Washington Post in 2019, which has around 18 links to various sources including the BMJ and PubMed

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/07/01/food-truths-mythbusting/

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-case-for-diet-soda-it-gets-a-bad-rap-but-the-research-tells-a-different-story/2019/06/21/70ad3f54-92da-11e9-b570-6416efdc0803_story.html

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Parale

[computerwiz]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:32 PM, Brother_Bliss said:

There is also no credible proof that they cause cancer.

Correct.  Cancer starts as a lack of energy for cells, so they cannot copy properly.  "You can only break nature's laws for so long".  As the copies continue to deteriorate, they become cancer.  We all have disease due to energetic debt.  Your body just chooses which bills to pay, and which ones to wait on (and therefore that organ starts exhibiting disease).

 

As evidence for lack of energy = cancer.....have you ever heard of heart cancer?  No?  That's because that is one "bill" your body will always pay.  It prioritizes energy to your heart, so it can beat every minute of every day.  Your heart gets enough energy to make proper copies of its cells, therefore no cancer.

 

BTW - You lose weight on diet sodas because your body has no idea how to process that kind of "sugar".  It doesn't work for most people because they think that because they drink diet sodas, they can "cheat" elsewhere.  But glad to hear it worked for you.

 

Also, we are terrible at associating illnesses caused by long-term use of something.  While drinking artificial sugars does not have immediate side effects, or even short/medium-term side effects, you can be sure that long-term, it does indeed cause issues.  And these are the hardest to scientifically pinpoint on any one cause.  But like with anything that man makes, you can be sure it's bad for you.  Case in point for long-term issues, Google "heartburn medicine kidneys".  I am living proof that long-term use of heartburn medicine damages kidneys.  I have had the same consequences from 3 different brands....and am finally going the natural route to fix my issues.  So much better!!!  

[Brother_Bliss]

19 hours ago, computerwiz said:

have you ever heard of heart cancer?  No?  That's because that is one "bill" your body will always pay.  It prioritizes energy to your heart, so it can beat every minute of every day.  Your heart gets enough energy to make proper copies of its cells, therefore no cancer.

This was interesting. I had never thought about this before. I have never heard of heart cancer either.

 

19 hours ago, computerwiz said:

You lose weight on diet sodas because your body has no idea how to process that kind of "sugar".

The artificial sweeteners have no caloric value at all. 

 

However, some sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, erythritol, and mannitol are used as non-sugar sweeteners, but they do contain calories. Some of these are get processed, but cause stomach aches and gas when consumed in large quantities.

 

19 hours ago, computerwiz said:

It doesn't work for most people because they think that because they drink diet sodas, they can "cheat" elsewhere.

True. Diet is a lifestyle, not something you do temporarily to lose weight.

 

19 hours ago, computerwiz said:

While drinking artificial sugars does not have immediate side effects, or even short/medium-term side effects, you can be sure that long-term, it does indeed cause issues.

Except you can't. There's no evidence, which is the point of my sharing the article.

[computerwiz]

16 minutes ago, Brother_Bliss said:

There's no evidence, which is the point of my sharing the article.

Lack of evidence <> no connection.

 

That's the beauty of science...it's not perfect.  Constantly changing.  What we "know" today can be different tomorrow.  And sometimes we find out that doctors/scientists get paid to say certain things.  Cigarettes anyone?  Sometimes they post results before they're thoroughly done (you know they have bosses that need an answer by such and such a time).  And some scientists are clumsy, just like anyone can be lazy/clumsy in any profession.  They got 'em too.

 

I can show you article after article showing they're bad.  I can provide "evidence" they are harmful.  But that's besides the point.  Because in the same logic, the ones providing evidence could possibly be paid for by the sugar industry.  It's a losing argument.

 

I'll stick to my logic that anything artificial & man-made is not good for you.    The more I see my wellness doctor, the more I know that's true.

[computerwiz]

New evidence:

 

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/sugar-substitutes-may-affect-the-human-body-in-unanticipated-ways

[Shawnster]

Horrifying – New Study Indicates That Popular Sugar Substitutes Worsen Your Memory

 

Using laboratory models, scientists discovered that ingesting FDA-approved levels of saccharin, ACE-K, and stevia early in life may result in many changes to the body, including brain areas linked to memory and reward-motivated behavior.

 

Early-life high-sugar diets have been linked to impaired brain function, but what about low-calorie sugar substitutes? According to recent research, they could have a negative impact on the developing gut and brain.

 

• The results are consistent with other studies that demonstrated sustained memory impairment in adolescent rats who consume sugar.
• Consuming low-calorie sweeteners also affected metabolic signaling in the body, which can lead to diabetes and other metabolism-related diseases.
• Rats that ate low-calorie sweeteners as adolescents were less inclined to work for sugar as adults, but they ate more sugar if it was readily accessible, which is another factor that may influence the chance of developing metabolic disease.

 

https://scitechdaily.com/horrifying-new-study-indicates-that-popular-sugar-substitutes-worsen-your-memory/amp/

[computerwiz]

 

All natural is the way to be.  Rather than look for a way to eat all the sugar with "no" consequences, we really should just stick with the "real" stuff and use moderation.  

[Qapla]

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, computerwiz said:

the "real" stuff

Can you explain what you mean by the "real" stuff?

[computerwiz]

12 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Can you explain what you mean by the "real" stuff?

 

Like cane sugar or honey or just plain fruit.  The stuff we had before our modern world.  

 

Eating plain fruit as snacks (instead of sugary treats) is especially helpful with staying moderate AND preventing the storage of sugar as fat thanks to the fiber content.  Not to mention the health benefits of vitamins & antioxidants...

 

What Jehovah created for us is balanced and healthful.  What man has created.....is based on greed and keeping you buying more and more.  

[Amygdala]

On 8/3/2022 at 7:46 PM, computerwiz said:

Correct.  Cancer starts as a lack of energy for cells, so they cannot copy properly.  "You can only break nature's laws for so long".  As the copies continue to deteriorate, they become cancer.  We all have disease due to energetic debt.  Your body just chooses which bills to pay, and which ones to wait on (and therefore that organ starts exhibiting disease).

Interesting. I learned about mitochondria complex deficiency, and how it can contribute to all sorts of ailments and diseases, such as CFS, Epstien-Barr, and no doubt a host of other ailments leading to disease, including cancer. Mitochondria is part of the cell organelles found in the plasma or body of the cell, and is responsible for producing ATP and producing energy in all the cells. A good blood work done on a person’s cellular activity may show if mitochondria is not properly producing energy. COQ10 is good at assisting with that, plus taking other supplements and dietary changes.

 

Funny enough I’ve been taking on and off over the years COQ10 since my 20’s as I read it is a youth sustaining supplement. Didn’t know why until now. Seems to have helped me over the years.

Edited October 28, 2022 by Woanders

[Qapla]

3 hours ago, computerwiz said:

Like cane sugar or honey or just plain fruit.

 

Some of these very things I was told to avoid the same as things sweetened with "modern sugar products" because, regardless of the source, all these sugars can lead to diabetes when you are sitting near the fence.