I love this article. I myself used to drink Diet Coke and Diet Cherry Dr Pepper A LOT -- I have always loved soda. However, I found out how it can cause health problems down the road and have been promising myself to not buy it as reguarly anymore. I don't keep it in the house, but when it is around, I stay away from it (thank goodness I obtained the willpower!). I only have it on holidays and sometimes going out to eat like once a month. It's a treat to me :)

Thank you for this post.  I have been a soda holic since I was a little kid.  I drank pepsi until about 5 years ago at which time I switched to diet pepsi.  I still drink anywheres between 3-4 bottles (20 oz) a day.  I know that I need to quit especially now that I am reading more about how it could be keeping my weight on; I really believe that too since I eat healthy all day long and still never lose.

My goal is to quit before the end of the year.

I'm afraid I just don't understand articles like this.  The symptoms of kicking the diet soda habit are pretty classic caffeine withdrawal symptoms and could have been alleviated by drinking coffee or tea.  The link to the emerging research on the supposed evils of diet sody pop can be summarized as people don't gain weight from the beverage itself, but that doesn't clear it as a villain because it may have some mystical powers to supercharge sugar receptors.  The link doesn't say just how.  Another study indicates that some people who have lost weight and drink diet soda have a greater tendency to regain weight than those who do not.  No other factors are mentioned.  I have a strong suspicion that something else causes this.

Diet soda contains no calories.   You can't gain weight from something that has 0 caloric value unless that gain is fluid.  No evidence that diet soda enhances fluid retention.  Sounds more like diet soda is something else you should feel guilty about and superior if you break the habit.  There is enough junkscience in weight loss because there is such a market for the magic formula for losing weight. 

I was/am one of those guys who did the high calorie junk food topped off with a diet pop.  I happen to prefer the taste of diet Coke.  My addiction is less than a 6-pack per week.  My real addiction is coffee and iced tea.  No guilt here about diet pop, coffee or tea.

I used to drink a 2-liter plus of Diet Coke each day for about 10 years. I started working with a personal trainer six mionths ago and we focused on making three positive changes to make my life better. One of my three changes was to give up Diet Coke as I new in my heart that it was terrible for me. I swear that they put something in the Diet Coke that makes you want more; I would literally crave it! I went cold turkey for several months and now only have it as a treat if we are going out to dinner or at a social gathering. I do not buy it and keep it in the house any longer.  Needless to say I sleep much better and my abdominal bloat and indigestion are gone!

I am wondering when drinks like cola and diet cola are going to be outlawed the same way that cigarettes are

in my opinion they are almost ust as bad

In the past few years I have given up meat (and I was a die hard carnivore), higher fat foods, adopting a low fat nearly vegan diet. I also gave up (mostly diet) soda and BY FAR giving up soda was harder than dropping meat.

I STILL crave pop more than steak, soda water is now a favorite but it isn;t even close. I don't know what is it in that makes it taste so good but I long for a can of pop far more than a basket of chicken wings.

I started my life style change 11 months ago. I am down 68 pounds with 14 more to go. 5 months ago I gave up diet caffeine Pepsi. I drank at least  2 liter bottle every day. I now drink more water and tea but I sweeten the tea with sweet n low. I am using around 16 packets of the "pink stuff" every day. I' m not sure if that's berrer for me than the diet Pepsi or not.

oppps better for me....

Water does not dive you the same feeling as a bubbly drink.  My favorite is now low sodium soda water with a twist of lemon juice, or a 1/4 cup of apple, orange or other juice.  This is a refreshing treat that keeps the calories down, is not unhealthy and you can have it when you are out at a social function.  Happy Holidays!!!

A number of years ago, I tried to figure out what I liked about Diet Coke, and realized that I liked the fizz (carbonation). So, I've gradually made the switch to seltzer, which included the purchase of a carbonation machine a few years ago. Now, I bring bottles of seltzer to work every week, and drink that during the workday (and drink seltzer at home). Even if I wanted to go back to Diet Coke, I couldn't due to an increased sensitivity to caffeine.

Thanks for this article! I gave up Classic Coke cold-turkey last Friday in my official attempt to lose some weight (after a couple of half-hearted attempts). I don't know if it has helped, but I do feel better. I miss it though! I was only one or two cans a day, but I loved it. This week has been tough, but I will keep going on!

I drank diet soda all, every day. I also drank alcohol and smoked and weighed over 250 lbs. That was over 2 yrs. ago. I quit all of these bad habits "cold turkey" and lost 125 lbs. I "treat" myself to a diet Mountain Dew twice a month. I don't think 24 oz. a month is too bad.  

As others have posted, this sounds like classic caffeine addiction.

I used to drink a lot of coffee and would wake up with screaming headaches if I didn't have a cup of coffee before going to bed and the like. Nothing would touch the headache besides coffee, tea or a soda with caffiene in it. I could then go back to sleep.

A few years ago I got wicked sick with the flu or something and the least of my worries was the bone crushing headaches I had from not drinking coffee.

After getting over the cold/flu, I resolved to not drink as much coffee and the headaches have never come back.

I gave up soda 15 years ago, and I've never looked back.  Good think my beer keeps me happy

I enjoyed your article tremendously, having been in the same position with a 30 year addiction to Diet Pepsi.  Exactly one year ago I was diagnosed with Kidney cancer, and gave up Diet Pepsi "cold turkey" after finding out I had a tumor the size of a small pumpkin!  I lost one kidney, one adrenal gland, and 11 lymph nodes to major surgery.   I was lucky enough to qualify for a clinical trial to try and save my life.   I also am now a self-proclaimed advocate to get people to stop drinking diet sodas. The next time you want to pick up a can of diet soda ask yourself the following question... is this worth dying for?  Save yourselves while you still have a chance. 

Ahhh, I too started with Tab and Fresca, thanks to my obese and diabetic grandmother (cherry pie and a Tab, anyone?). I love it- aftertaste? Have no idea what people are talking about! I was on steroids a few years back and had an odd stomach bloat after the weight came off for the steroids- I stopped my one to two 16 oz. bottle a day habit and within one week my stomach was normal again.  Spending a lot of time in the hosipital this year with a sick relative, I got hooked on it again and guess what- stomach was puffy again. My husband and I are down to about two-four sodas a month and whooosh to poof is gone again. There is a link to obesity and illness, we are sure of it, chemicals are chemicals, whether they have calories or not. It seems as if it is a mild "poison" that builds up and isn't troubling in the beginning but builds up to an issue in middle age. Tab, Tab Cola, was a beautiful drink for awhile, but not for the long run.  I don't even think moderation is ok- try this... water your plants with diet soda. If it's just hydration, plants should be all right. Nope, they die within a week- what is it doing to you when you drink it? Nothing that is very good! 

It is wonderful that you have quit the diet coke addiction, my sister drank 3-4 of the 2 litre bottles per day, when she died the coroner said that he was sick of seeing people "pickled" from the effects of diet drinks. Needless to say all of her family immediately gave up the habit.

It is wonderful that you have quit the diet coke addiction, my sister drank 3-4 of the 2 litre bottles per day, when she died the coroner said that he was sick of seeing people "pickled" from the effects of diet drinks. Needless to say all of her family immediately gave up the habit.

I appreciate this article but perhaps not in the way many would think I would. I haven't been on caloriecount long but I am seeing what I would call 'a trend' against diet soda as this is not the first time this kind of topic has come up in the blogs.

I appreciate it because I think it highlights a problem that those of us wanting to lose weight should really look at:

- 'Comfort drinking'.

What I have noted about this article is that the over-indulgence in diet soda doesn't start when we are 'dieting' but from our previous and current lifestyles.

Whether it is diet or not I think is secondary- soda makes us feel good. Drinking is not the same as eating - and I don't know much about others but my experience has been because I am overweight when I eat - everyone is quick to notice- but when I drink no really notices.This article and the ones before actually re-enforce my own experience and my observations.

When a kid eats 3 chocolate bars in a row - people are around the child are more likely to say something but from what I have been reading a kid could down a 2lt bottle of soda but it doesn't register on the *weight watching meter* that is in those around them.

It's not a great feeling as a kid to be singled out especially for your eating habits- most of us know when we are younger that eating too much is not good but part of the problem is we don't know how to identify what *too much* actually is- so one of the first things we need to learn while losing weight is portion control.What might not register as *too much* might actually be *way too much*.

I think before we say *down with diet soda*  we need to look at what are the reasons that we cling to it- and I think the reasons are less scientific. I think they are social.

Soda is one of the first - non- water drinks we encounter - together with milk but milk is for babies. After all kids can't drink wine or beer.

Soda is also one of the first points where your choice as an individual is expressed. For most of us as kids you couldn't pick what your dinner shall be  ( until you learn to cook) so mom or dad's choice reigns supreme no matter what it tastes like- but we are more free when it comes to soda.Our siblings can like different sodas from ourselves- and it's okay- no one gives your grief that you don't like the same soda as your brother/sister.

When we hang out with our kiddie- friends from an early age be it birthday parties and the like - soda is there- in the good times. Parents who frown upon the Great Soda are *weird*. If you live an active life and don't become overweight the Great Soda will always remain some where in your life- it's your choice to drink or not drink.

I have now reached the point of being a teen/adult and being overweight- your life consists of many treats- chocolates, chips, your fast food of choice. There are lots of foods around you that make you feel good- that taste good. When you're feeling low or you're feeling okay or you're feeling great- there are lots of options.

But as you start to pull away from your *choices* and start creating a new healthier lifestyle- the change hits you. Suddenly your choice is not the good choice- so what do you choose? No more chocolate, no more junk food, no more chips- even the people around become more tentative about what exactly you are eating.

"Haven't you had enough of this?"  and "Do you think you should be eating that?" become more frequent- when people know you are trying to lose weight they become more vigilant- which is good - but what I think we should also acknowledge is the idea of how weightloss is actually very stressful.

When you're hitting your targets you feel great- when calorie count is showing you a beautiful A or A- for the day - you're on top of the world but after that party or that dinner and you've moved down a few grades and you add too many calories so your average burnt is lower - that's when the stress kicks in. Being discerning about what you eat- fighting cravings- keeping motivated- watching those calories- sometimes... I don't know about you all but it makes me want to eat! But I shouldn't eat because that's the problem- so instead I drink... but what should I drink.... um.... hm.....?

Stress.

People who are overweight time and time again have expressed how stressful it is being even amongst friends who can *eat whatever they like* while you have to ration carrots.

So why an *addiction* to diet soda?

Soda is socially acceptable but if you really want to win them over - drink diet soda .People don't look at you like you are weird  if you drink diet coke- neither do they wish to warn you of your caloric intake for the day like they are your analysis chart! Only Calorie Count can say such things to me- everyone else butt out!

The Great Soda, after deciding to lose weight soon gets replaced with the Great Diet Soda which also is acceptable as part of your calorie controlled diet- it's a something that can be carried over from our 'old unhealthy' lifestyle  into our 'new healthy' lifestyle. Unlike beer or wine it doesn't come with the intoxicating side effects either.

The Great Diet Soda-. I don't think is the problem but lets look at who is most likely to be drinking diet soda and actually really care about research into it?

The fact that these articles are appearing on calorie count answers that question.

What I want to hear is not about the science of diet soda addiction but the psychology and sociology behind it- because just using my own life as an example (and I am sure there are many more people who can add their own references for my points) - I think those reasons are more pressing.

If from the time we are kids we realise that if we are chewing on something people are around us are more likely to confront us - than if they find us drinking something-  wouldn't we learn and adopt this behaviour. First thing we do when we want to diet is cut out the *bad food*- we feel good - people around us also aren't confronting us because it's not a chocolate in our hands but a carrot heading towards our mouth. They don't even notice the large diet soda by our side. 

Dieter -1

Others- 0

Now - tell that person to quit the soda.

They by all means can but internally do they want to ?What's the alternative?

And I don't mean drink water or fruit juice because they know- they have the recommended foods list on calorie count in order to get the right balance of nutrients- they log their water and eat their fruit- and drink fruit juice. For years that's what everyone has been saying on the TV, radio and magazines- they do know what the alternatives are- but why diet soda?

If it is as the author of this article has mentioned ' a crutch' - we shouldn't be looking at the person and saying 'stop' but looking at how to make their enviroment conducive to make them 'stop'.

I personally don't believe that what is in Diet soda (caffeine)in the quantities it is included in the drink is as addictive as people would like us to believe- because not everyone who drinks diet soda drinks it excessively unlike say for example narcotics  which by all means - if you don't get addicted it's a borderline miracle but reading the article above makes me *feel* like diet soda is a new narcotic.

I think it's too easy to paint a picture where it is about what's in the can- I think like excessive eating - it's not about the food but about the person, about their environment.

Not to say that the person or environment is bad but it is already known that for a lot of overweight people, the world around you and pressures you feel are very different to say an average size person and for most of us we've been overweight a very long time- so these pressures have been sitting and stewing in our psyche for a while.

Rather than addiction I think a dependency is a better word to use. Yes there are those who will truly get addicted to diet soda but I also feel that has less to do with diet soda but once again the circumstances of an individual.

It is human nature to avoid change - and I think excessive diet soda drinking is a reaction to change. Because you are in that tumultous state of overhauling not just your life but your social standing - you cling on to what you know- especially something you feel you can control and others will not look down upon- something that is acceptable. Even before you even start planning to lose weight.

An overweight person who drinks diet drinks is more socially acceptable than when they drink alcohol. You don't get confronted for what's in the can but the happy meal or family feast in your paw- and for most of us... we already know that it is bad... but it tastes good so we turn the other cheek- and because we feel bad - we need a pick me up and guess what we have a nice happy meal ready for just that.

Being told that you're *perhaps eating too much* is not a positive experience in the beginning - once you feel more confident about your goals and your ability to persevere to reach your goal, you can take the comments like that not as a jab but as constructive criticism that will keep you on track- but that takes some serious kind of strength.

Although I commend elisazied for breaking out of the addiction- I think the presentation of this article may not be appropriate for the audience I think is on calorie count.

Using terms such as 'cold turkey' and 'withdrawal' symptoms makes diet coke sound more like cocaine -when I think caffeine is what is really being referred to.

Although there are similarities I don't think it is right to create strong associations between symptoms of excessive eating and narcotic addictions. The connotations are too great and destructive- already overweight people are outcasts in society who are discriminated against - they live with that every single day- this kind of writing makes 'drinking diet soda- equate to taking a hit of heroine.'

I don't like the thought of people walking around after their calorie count successes feeling like they are 'ex-overweight people' like they are 'ex-drug addicts' thus with this article like they are being 'ex- excessive soda drinkers'.Vegetarians are not 'ex-meat eaters'.

People are people and people do change so  even people who used to use drugs should feel like or walk around with the feeling of being an 'ex-drug addict' unless it empowers them and not deminishes them.

I get what the purpose is of writing this article but I also want to point the following:

I drink diet soda (Coke Zero) regularly and sometimes I overdo it but I don't always have it around me. The writer of this article mentions some behaviour like 'having stashes' but that's not the diet soda's fault- not every excessive diet soda drinker has stashes- stock piles is one thing- but stashes are another matter. Just like some people eat hordes openly while others eat in secret.There is a lot being said here that I don't think people would pick up if you are just reading for some 'motivation of the day' on your diet journey.

I would also counter this addiction to diet soda and say why did you have an aversion to Pepsi to the point you felt you had to bring your own drink - your love for diet soda can also be a symptom for a hate of something else.

To elisazied: I don't mean to take away from your achievement for it is truly great- getting past an addiction is tremendous- and I have a great respect for you for being able to do it. I also would not like to see your achievement be used as 'evidence' to vilify the wrong thing as this doesn't do justice to the fight you fought overcoming your addiction.

The everyone else: the writer is saying a lot about diet soda AND themselves. There are a whole lot of nuances here that I think are falling to the way side. Things that should also be talked about. 

With the few blogs I have read on calorie count (even the success stories) there is a sense of solitude in the victories- but all these people have homes, lives and families - and the physical obstacles they faced are mentioned but what about the social elements? Changing from eating happy meals to eating a healthier diet is sometimes easier than overcoming the negative influences of those around us- the snide comments and the jabs during family outings. 

It is not to say that dwell or blame others for your circumstances but acknowledge them.

I have expressed a lot about myself - but not even the tip of the iceberg- forgive my generalisations in places but I hope you can appreciate my points. A very long post but I felt I had to give some scope in order make the points clearer.

I started drinking diet pop at the same time I started drinking coffee, and for the same reason--I was on a stupid diet that restricted calories to less than 600 a day and was glad for anything to fill my aching stomach!  I quit coffee almost 5 years ago and now drink 3 or 4 mugs of green tea and lots of water daily with the intermittent diet pop.  I try to avoid Coke as I do seem to crave that more than say a diet root beer or ginger ale (my other two favorite sodas).  One summer I had quit it completely but fell back in when we went on vacation.  I feel less bloated around the middle when I don't drink it, and it's hard to define but I feel "clearer" when I'm on a no pop kick.  Maybe just mental but isn't most of life?

I too can relate to quitting Diet Coke.  I quit on September 8th.  I drank so much a day that I didn't even want to drink water anymore.  A HUGE difficulty in quitting is that I kept trying to justify and tell myself that Diet Coke isn't that bad for me, it's not cigarettes, alcohol, etc.  But since I've quit I know I am so much better without it.  I feel great!  Thank you for this article :)

Another reason to quit drinking soda: the chemicals in it leach the calcium out of your bones and can contribute to osteoporosis down the line.

I agree with the person who said this is caffeine withdrawal.  Whether from coke or coffee you will go through the same symptons for a few days. The interesting thing for me was that after that time I found I had natural energy and didn't need the pick me up. I think my body was just used to relying on a coffee to do the work for me.

Current research indicates that drinking diet beverages actually tends to INCREASE a person's likelihood of overeating, or consuming too much calories.  I have also read that the sweet "taste"  may trigger the body to produce ?insulin? in much the same way actual sugar does, which can lead to other health issues.

I'm not against someone switching from regular soda, to diet soda, if it helps them reach their goals, because being overweight also carries risks.  Just don't think the choice to consume diet soda vs. regular comes free. 

Personally, I swapped water for 95% of my normal liquid consumption (instead of soda, instant tea, etc...).  I really didn't like it at first, but after a few months, I really don't crave a sugar-laden drink any more.  When I do have one, which is pretty rare, it is a bit more enjoyable - more like a dessert than a beverage.

Do what works for you.

I started drinking diet soda after I had quit drinking all sodas for years. I lost weight when I quit drinking regular Coke classic. I became dependent on diet coke at my last job which was sedentary and boring. It would keep me awake and without all that sugar I felt that it was like I was drinking tasty water.

I hardly need the wake up anymore from the caffeine but I still buy coke zero from time to time. I guess I do not understand how something that has nothing in it is bad for you. But I do realize hey..it has something in it. A ton of chemical sweeteners. This crap has to be bad for me,so I think I will switch to mainly green tea and maybe treat myself to a coke every few months. Its certainly better than drinking is more frequently.

Not to many people are mentioning the caffeine, which is a classified drug. I stopped drinking coffee and started drinking decaf, which I still drink at present. I stopped drinking caffeine because it interrupted my sleep and also gave me the highs and lows that are typical of caffeine and other stimulates. I started to drink  diet Pepsi, to replace my caffeine habit, and after a period of time,  I found myself waking up in the middle of the night feeling very anxious, the same as the coffee problem. I read a article on diet Pepsi, from the Internet, about this problem, and they were blarming the artificial sweeteners that were used in the soda and said nothing about the caffeine. I started drinking diet soda without caffeine and tried looking for diet soda sweetened with Splenda, which cannot always be found.  After some time I realized I wasn't drinking as much diet soda, in fact i hardly ever crave it. My experiences seem to point more more towards caffeine then then the artificial sweeteners, which in also in non-caffeined soda. I started counting my calories in March 2011, I weighed 233 pounds I'm 6' tall, and I now weigh 191.5.

Seems to be quite an outcry against Diet Coke, and equating Diet Coke with all pop.  (Yes, pop.  I'm from Michigan.  It's "pop.")  But not all diet pops are created equal.  Diet Coke has caffeine and is among the more acidic beverages -- per the chart on my dentist's wall.  And this website: http://quittingsoda.com/post/the-acidity-ph-of-soda-pop

What about diet orange?  Or diet root beer?  No caffeine, and far less acidic so it's better on your tooth enamel than even coffee. 

I do have one question and I don't mean it snarkily: why is carbonated water/seltzer water any better than diet pop?  Carbonated water contains carbolic acid and cardon dioxide -- isn't that bad for you too?

About 8 years ago I was drinking about twelve cans of diet coke a day at the office (this is about 3.5 litres!) I was told by a nutritionist that the worst thing i could do as someone that needed to lose, an awful lot of, weight - although she didn't explain why to me. Anyway I went to a hypnotherapist to help with my weight loss as nothign was working, she performed EFT on me and I haven't touched a drop since, seriously, I was amazed. Even the smell of the stuff makes me feel ill even now eight+ years on. So these days I tend to drink water, still water and I really enjoy it! 

For 10 plus years I have been addicted to the local farm sweet Iced tea and Mountain Dew.  Wired on caffeine is how I lived my life.  September of this year I found myself with less then usual funds in my household.  So flat broke we couldn't afford the daily Mountain Dew and Iced tea.  Wanting to kick the habit for years now, this was the prime opportunity to do so.  When the withdraw symptoms kicked in, I can say I slept for the weekend away.  Of course the headaches and weird burning in my leg muscles made it restless.  I started buying Sprite/7up and drinking that to hold me over until I was ready to go on a diet.  Now in December, counting calories and drinking purely only water has never been so easy.  A huge PRO to a caffeine free lifestyle is that I have never felt more rested.

I don’t understand it either.  Even the author said that her weight went down when her diet soda consumption went up.  I’ve tried to query people who say it is bad and the most I can get from them is the high sodium.  I have had to quit it because of bladder irritation as diagnosed by my doctor but for most people it’s better than the alternatives; junk food, full sugar sodas, etc.

I "quite" Soda of all kinds in 2009, I never drank diet soda since I have pretty severe allergic reactions to certain artificial sweetners. I had to quite soda due to the fact that I developed a severe allergic reaction to corn syrup. 

I still drink soda on occasion, but its rare and always sweetened with sugar. I tend to drink alot of tea now ( my favorite is 16 oz hot water, a bag of tetley, a tspn of lemon juice and a 1/2 tspn of sugar)  

Helium_Sempai - Are you saying, "Don't blame the player, blame the game?"

I gave up Coke for Diet Coke in 1998.  At the start of this year, 2011, I gave up Diet Coke for 6 months under a theory suggesting that diet drinks cause obesity and a friend said I would lose 20 lbs just by not drinking Diet Coke.  I drank coffee instead to make up for the caffeine.  I also drank sparkling water, Crystal Geyser with lime essence is really good.  Zevia drinks, not so good, blech.

I didn't lose any weight.  I guess I'm not "addicted" if I could give it up for 6 months, so that's nice to know.

If a restaurant serves pepsi, I drink water, no big deal.

After the 6 months I decided that Diet Coke was "okay for me."  And added it back into my lifestyle.  I do make a point to limit my daily intake and drink water as well as Diet Coke.  And that works for me.

Good Luck!

p.s. Since I've started tracking my calories, I've lost weight, even while drinking diet coke! ZOMG!

p.p.s. I do have a coworker who insists that all diet drinks cause brain cancer.  I tell him it's only if you don't get floridated water at the same time, cause the floruide cancels out the aspartame (the county we live in does not add floride to the water).  I subscribe to the theory that no one product could cause all the different symptoms attributed to the untested, brain cancer causing, short term memory loss causing, IQ depressing, itch causing, headache starting artificial sweetner.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy#Internet_ hoax_conspiracy_theory

If you're prone to migraines and headaches you'll do almost anything to avoid them, aspartame is a HUGE headache trigger and I've had considerable less headaches since not drinking diet sodas.

My only daily beverages: water, milk, and coffee.  

To me diet sodas are so freaking artificial and why would i want to do that to my body?  There isn't a reason good enough out there to ingest aspartame so I don't!    Easy peasy.

I haven't seen any mention of aspertame which there are many studies on that are linked to cancer and other health issues. Diet drinks contain aspertame. Just saying maybe caffiene isn't the only problem.

I come from a family where my mother and sister both have Type 1 Diabetes. This is the type that you are BORN with and not the type that you can get from being overweight. Both of them drink diet soda and so do I. I have drank diet soda my whole life and many other drinks/foods with artificial sweeteners in them. So far, I have not noticed any corelation between my weight and diet soda or that of my family members. I stopped drinking diet soda and all drinks with caffeine in them during both my pregnancies and while I was nursing and did not notice a weight fluctuation, headaches, stomach problems...anything! I might just be lucky. I don't know. In fact, I gained weight when I stopped drinking diet soda because I don't like water very much and everything esle is loaded with calories.

 My mother is 62 and so far doesn't have any other health problems that could be related to her diet soda consumption and she has drank it everyday for going on 40 years. I am not saying that artificial sweeteners are "good" for you, but I don't know that they are as terrible as everyone is making them out to be. I think there is a certain percentage of the population that is sensitive or allergic to them, just like anything else. I do think that the diet soda addiction that most people are talking about it probably the caffeine and maybe there is an addiction to the carbonation. It seems people that quit drinking sodas prefer carbonated water, so maybe we will soon discover an addictive component in that?   

Oops! I should have said I didn't notice any weight "loss" not fluctuation, since I did gain weight.

I was a 8-12 can a day Diet Pepsi drinker for years and gave it up over a year ago as part of a plan to be my healthiest.  That amount was way too much sodium and caffiene for me, although it felt normal at the time.  I did have a couple of weeks of headaches, but 3 months after giving up the diet sodas, I also was able to eliminate 3 high blood pressure medicines a day and 1/2 a dose of medicine for racing heartbeats.  Yes, I had some significant weight loss also, not necessarily from dropping the sodas, but the "cure" for high blood pressure and racing heart beat happened before most of the weight loss.  I really believe it was due to cutting out the high sodium & caffiene.  Now I  still occasionally crave a soda, but when I get one, maybe once every 2-3 months, it tastes terrible.  I still dislike the taste of water, and ingest artificial sweeteners in crystal lite and diet green tea, but my BP is always healthily low and my cardiac arrythmia is incredibly reduced.  If you aren't good with everything in moderation, elimination of soda is a really good idea. 

Original Post by: scrappytreen

I haven't seen any mention of aspertame which there are many studies on that are linked to cancer and other health issues. Diet drinks contain aspertame. Just saying maybe caffiene isn't the only problem.

Aspartame causing cancer is one of those urban legends that has not been supported by any research.  It keeps being recycled without any substantitive evidence.

Several posters have mentioned extroadinary amounts of diet pop consumed daily.  I could see having some problems from 4-10 liters of pop per day, at least for some.  However, a lot of folks drink large quantities without problems.  I can't say much.  My caffiene intake is between 1 and 2 grams/day.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful comments. I'm now off diet coke for 52 days. Some of you asked about artificial sweeteners. Although I do not think small amounts (a can or two a day of diet soda, or a few packets of artificial sweeteners or 1-2 servings/day of artificially sweetened foods eg yogurt can fit into an otherwise healthful diet, I decided to go cold turkey because of the amounts of diet coke I was consuming.

As an update, I had one diet snapple lemon iced tea on sunday (the first artificially sweetened beverage I had had since I gave up diet coke), and had one on sunday. Got a terrible headache sunday afternoon. I'm not saying the drink caused my headache, but I have decided that for me, it's just not worth it to include any artificially sweetened drinks in my diet more often than on occasion. For now, I will continue to drink plain water (which I actually enjoy) and call it a day. Every person needs to decide what's best for him or her, and for me I know I'm better off not having any diet soda or artificially sweetened drinks since it's hard for me personally to stop at just one. But if you can moderate it, and have one a day or one on occasion, I think from a health standpoint that should not pose a problem.

Mineral water is an excellent drink. There is evidence to suggest that mineral water is beneficial to health, although the body probably doesn't absorb many minerals from it. Some mineral waters are high in sodium and should be avoided by people who have high blood pressure. Read the labels and add juice from lemons, limes, berries, etc... delicious!

Original Post by: greener333

I'm afraid I just don't understand articles like this.  The symptoms of kicking the diet soda habit are pretty classic caffeine withdrawal symptoms and could have been alleviated by drinking coffee or tea.  The link to the emerging research on the supposed evils of diet sody pop can be summarized as people don't gain weight from the beverage itself, but that doesn't clear it as a villain because it may have some mystical powers to supercharge sugar receptors.  The link doesn't say just how.  Another study indicates that some people who have lost weight and drink diet soda have a greater tendency to regain weight than those who do not.  No other factors are mentioned.  I have a strong suspicion that something else causes this.

Diet soda contains no calories.   You can't gain weight from something that has 0 caloric value unless that gain is fluid.  No evidence that diet soda enhances fluid retention.  Sounds more like diet soda is something else you should feel guilty about and superior if you break the habit.  There is enough junkscience in weight loss because there is such a market for the magic formula for losing weight. 

I was/am one of those guys who did the high calorie junk food topped off with a diet pop.  I happen to prefer the taste of diet Coke.  My addiction is less than a 6-pack per week.  My real addiction is coffee and iced tea.  No guilt here about diet pop, coffee or tea.

I hate it when people assume that the body acts only through calories-in-versus-out...there is SO much more to metabolism and body function than that.

Diet Coke contains a chemical known as Aspatame--developed over 45 years ago by a pharmaceutical company attempting to create a drug that affected human hormones. Aspartame was a biproduct of this experimentation.
Studies have shown that aspartame can stimulate the symptoms that the writer of this article has mentioned...look...

http://www.aspartamesafety.com/Graves.htm

http://www.vitawise.com/aspfacts.htm

http://www.detoxprogram.net/articles/archives/2005/12/aspart ame_case_1.php

(the last one is kinda sad...)

My main concern is the way in which it can affect the thyroid gland, which is one of the LARGEST endocrine glands and is responsible for controlling metabolic function. For that reason, I believe that the consumption of aspartame is the reason why many drinkers of diet soda experience weight gain.

By the way, part of the aspartame molecule breaks down in the body into formaldehyde. Don't get me wrong, the bubbly stuff is fun, BUT I tend to fear internal mummification. For all we know it could be the next symptom!

The references are mostly anecdotal with case histories that have little scientific backing. Aspartame has been studied extensively by credible researchers in a number of countries. No evidence has been found to support these claims, with one possible exclusion.  It is reported to be approved in about 90 countries.  Aspartame, I believe, is classified by the FDA as GRAS (generally regarded as safe). Aspartame hydrolizes to a number of component compounds in your intestines.

Aspartame is made from phenylalanine, an essential amino acid. Essential amino acids are those you need, but cannot produce yourself.  If you have phenylketouria (PKU) then you may want to avoid aspartame-containing foods.  However, phenylalanine is found in all kinds if natural foods including milk and beef.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phenylalanine/AN01552

Aspartic acid is a non-essential (your body makes it) amino acid.  It is essential for solubilizing proteins and is necessary for proper cell function.  Aspartic acid is found in many common foods. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002234.htm

Methanol formed by hydrolysis of aspartame is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid by the liver.  Methanol is also derived from fruits, vegetables, juices and fermented beverages.  Food derived methanol is not toxic and has no known side effects. If you start consuming large amounts of methanol in high concentration, say, from denatured alcohol or windshield washer antifreeze, then you will have problems.http://www.gasdetection.com/TECH/meoh.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy

I hate to use wiki as a reference but they seem to have a pretty good summary.  I liked the part of needing 21 12-ounce cans/day to exceed the US recommended daily amount.  I'd think you could develop all kinds of problems if you started drinking nearly a case of diet pop a day and most of them not related to aspartame.  The toxicity is often in the dose.  If you don't think water is toxic, try drinking a couple gallons quickly.