Diet Soda

Are diet sodas bad for you even though they contain zero everything?

 

I love Diet Dr. Pepper and really do not want to give them up! 

If you don't want to give them up then don't. I don't drink them, they give me headaches and for some reason make me crave sugar. Is aspartame good for you? probably not. But if you are trying to lose weight then focus on that and eventually you'll get around to not eating artificial foods.

I had the same question a while ago and when I googled diet soda and dieting most of the research I saw said diet sodas actually make you want to eat more as your body looks for the calories diet soda doesn't have (thus craving ensues).  Other studies show that you are more likely to be obese if you drink diet soda, but I have a feeling people are more likely to drink diet soda if they are overweight.  I love diet coke but have cut way back to only once a week with a slice of pizza or something that goes perfect with coke.

Sodium in diet soda makes you retain water, you might see the scale go up from the amount you retain. The caffine is also something to watch.

I've read that any carbonated beverage is bad for you because it depletes the calcium in your bones.

How timely, an article just came out in the NY Times about diet soda

Researchers have found a correlation between drinking diet soda and metabolic syndrome — the collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels — and elevated blood pressure.

 The whole article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/nutr ition/05symp.html?ex=1359954000&en=f5c231 95166bb784&ei=5124&partner=permalink& amp;exprod=permalink

I'm a big Diet Pepsi fan, have been for decades. It was always how I got my caffeine. I loved the taste of an ice cold pop first thing in the morning.  Loved the fizz.

In August 07, I decided to quit drinking diet pop completely. Mostly because I noticed a lot of bloating and inflamation. I switched to unsweetened ice tea for my caffeine. Within 3 weeks I was feeling like a whole new person. I wasn't bloated anymore. I didn't crave sweets as much. I didn't have that feeling of malaise I'd been feeling for months.

I don't think diet pop in moderation or sporadically is that bad. But I believe way too many of us flood our systems with artificial colors, additives, preservatives and bizarre chemicals our bodies were never designed to handle. I personally feel better not drinking diet pop.  I now have a diet pop maybe once a week.

Original Post by virgostardeana:

Sodium in diet soda makes you retain water, you might see the scale go up from the amount you retain. The caffine is also something to watch.

 There's hardly any sodium in soda (diet or regular).  A can of Diet Coke has 42mg of sodium.

Been drinking 2-3 a day atleast. Lost 160 pounds. Just like artificial sweetners, it effects everyone differently. I prefer clear diet liquids though like sprite/sevenup/fresca.

Hmm...you may feel tha Diet Soda is okay because it has 0 calories, sugar, and carbs, but the aspartame in diet sodas is lethal.  Side effects associated with Aspartame include: 

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines and (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal pain
pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

There's TONS of information on various sites, I found this on http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-eff ects.html

Once again, thats just like the side effects of certain medications doctors prescribe. They have to list it as a side effect because it maybe happened to one out of three million people. Not to mention, someone had previously wrote it on this forum somewhere, but alot of these side effects were discovered when aspartme was originally formed, before any testing was done. Scientists admitted to rushing out their original compound before testing it.

You can have your opinions on this, obviously, but I've done the research for my college mid-term paper and just like every other conspiracy story, it is only as you make it.