Wellness

[millieshops]

I'm not even certain how/why it happened but about three or four years ago, after years and years of drinking diet soda every day and sometimes more than once, I cut back, way back. I still occasionally order soda on a rare occasion when I eat out but not always and I do occasionally buy some for the house when company is coming. Overall from soda every day to soda maybe once a month, I'm okay with that.

I just wish I knew what triggered the change and could apply the same process to my other bad habits - although I have to say I don't look any better or sleep any better than I did when I was drinking the soda. I do feel better during the day though and that's good.

[kzjohnson]

There are studies for both sides on nearly everything... studies that show whatever it is is bad for you, and studies that say there are no negative findings.

Just another data point. I've been drinking diet sodas for over 30 years. When I was 17 I picked up my first Tab and haven't looked back.

I continued to drink 3 -4 cans of diet soda a day while I lost over 100 lbs over a 5 year period. I was borderline diabetic 6 years ago...not any more. I was diagnose with mitral valve prolapse which there are no longer any signs of it. Many of my ailments where due to my morbid obesity and not because of the diet pepsi I had with my 2000 calorie dinner!

You only have my word, but when most people find out my age they are shocked as they typically guess me to be 5-10 years younger. My bones are doing just fine, my teeth are not rotting out of my head, and I don't get headaches or dizziness.

Either all these evils are not factual for the entire population or I'm an anomalous freak that is not impacted by artificial sweeteners.

Again you can refuse to believe any of this as I have no proof other than my word.

I'm not saying diet sodas are healthy, but I personally take many of these studies and their "facts" with a grain of salt.

[sidsmom]

The 'pro' studies are usually sponsored/paid for by the diet drink manufacturers....follow the money trail. All those cans/bottles not being recycled should be #1 reason for not drinking those items.

Sidenote: I heard today we throw away 500 Million deposiable plastic straws every day! Eco-friendly restaurants are encouraging ""No Straws"" campaign.

[ValuSkr]

Thank you for sharing this information. The sooner America gives up soda - both regular and diet - the healthier she'll be.

[Buck-i-Nana]

On 1/30/2015 annabella said:

On 1/30/2015 Tissyanne said: Diet soda is not sugary, yet your statement about type 2 diabetes states "sugary drink".

It's long been known that sugar-sweetened drinks raise a person's risk of Type 2 diabetes. But now, a new study from French researchers at Inserm suggests sugar-free diet drinks could also play a role.

The research, to be published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows an association between consumption of "light" or diet soda and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The study involved 66,118 women, whose beverage habits were tracked over 14 years. The women self-reported their consumption of 100 percent juice, sugar-sweetened drinks and artificially sweetened drinks.

By the end of the study period, 1,369 of the women were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that on average, the women consumed more diet drinks than sugar-sweetened drinks -- 328 milliliters each week of sugar-sweetened beverages and 568 milliliters each week of artificially sweetened beverages.

Both diet and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was linked with a higher risk of developing diabetes, researchers found. But interestingly enough, when comparing diabetes risk between the diet soda drinkers and regular soda drinkers, the diet drinkers had an even higher risk of diabetes.

Notice the 100% juice above? People think they're doing good by drinking 100% juice, but they are drinking concentrated sugar. Interesting how the study ignored the juice drinking and put all the blame on the soda.

[Buck-i-Nana]

On 1/30/2015 kjohnson said:

There are studies for both sides on nearly everything... studies that show whatever it is is bad for you, and studies that say there are no negative findings.

Just another data point. I've been drinking diet sodas for over 30 years. When I was 17 I picked up my first Tab and haven't looked back.

I continued to drink 3 -4 cans of diet soda a day while I lost over 100 lbs over a 5 year period. I was borderline diabetic 6 years ago...not any more. I was diagnose with mitral valve prolapse which there are no longer any signs of it. Many of my ailments where due to my morbid obesity and not because of the diet pepsi I had with my 2000 calorie dinner!

You only have my word, but when most people find out my age they are shocked as they typically guess me to be 5-10 years younger. My bones are doing just fine, my teeth are not rotting out of my head, and I don't get headaches or dizziness.

Either all these evils are not factual for the entire population or I'm an anomalous freak that is not impacted by artificial sweeteners.

Again you can refuse to believe any of this as I have no proof other than my word.

I'm not saying diet sodas are healthy, but I personally take many of these studies and their "facts" with a grain of salt.

Add to that, I take the people who push these studies and become aggressive about defending them with a grain of salt as well.

[Ibby114]

On 1/30/2015 annabella said:

There are few foods on the planet that offer absolutely zero nutritional value, and soda falls into this category. I'm always surprised at how many people ask me if diet soda is really that bad for you. If you're not convinced, it's time to get the facts and understand the real risks that come along with this unhealthy habit.

It messes with your skin: Studies have shown that a regular soda habit has been linked to accelerated aging. If the long-term effects aren't enough to scare you, diet soda lowers your pH levels, which can cause acne and leave your skin looking dull and tired.

It alters your mood: The aspartame found in diet soda has been linked to headaches, dizzy spells, and even mood swings. It's especially potent in people with a predisposition for anxiety or depression.

It leads to weight gain: A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the greater their risk of becoming overweight. Downing just two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500 percent.

It increases your risk of heart attack: One University of Miami study found that folks who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who abstained from drinking soda.

It ups your chances of developing diabetes: People with a daily soda habit (even just one or two per day) were more than 25 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than individuals who had no more than one sugary drink per month.

If you're ready to quit for good and reclaim your health, learn how to break your soda addiction. It may seem tough, but it is possible!

Thanks for starting this thread- funny how the soda drinkers are the ones to argue the validity of your post! Yes, it's been known for awhile that all sugar substitutes (not only sweet 'n low's aspartame) also impact your insulin level.

If you know the basics of reading a food label it's clear you should limit juice- whether we do it is another thing! We can have all the information in the world, but just not apply it to our lives.

Add this to the list: drinking soda (diet or regular) also affects your teeth. And poor dental hygiene ultimately leads to a whole range of other medical issues, cardiovascular for one.

[Ibby114]

On 1/30/2015 sidsmom said:

On 1/30/2015 annabella said:

On 1/30/2015 LipstickDiva said:

I gave up diet soda for probably 6 months last year. I never drank a lot of it anyhow, not even daily, but I noticed absolutely no difference at all to how I felt when I gave it up. I went back to sporadically drinking it.

The day after x-mas I got sick and since then, I have zero taste for diet soda. I don't know what happened but the thought doesn't even appeal to me. Again, I don't feel any different not drinking it.

I also posted in another thread about drinking more water that people were suggesting flavored enhanced waters or using those powders or liquids to squirt in plain water but those are all artificially sweetened.

they have flavored stevia liquids you can add to water that are very good!

Flip over the packet/bottle of your stevia product.....greater than zero chance it has additional chemicals added. Whole Foods has one of the cleanest brands w/ nothing but Organic Stevia, Water & Alcohol. Alcohol is questionable, but it's used in small amount only for cooking....I wouldn't use it for drinks. How about a leaf of the stevia plant? Or a leaf of mint?

I use Stevita- and get it from Amazon. Amazing product- it's a very concentrated liquid. I use 3 little drops in a big mug of coffee and it's plenty sweet! It's as natural as can be - Distilled water, Stevia & grapefruit seed extract (preservative). They also have flavored varieties but I haven't tried them (yet!).

[ChynnaBlue]

Also, they taste really, really terrible.

[Carmie]

I have been drinking and eating food with diet sugar since I was about 16 years old. My poison of choice is saccharin (Sweet & Low). I am not a soda drinker and never have been, but I drink ice tea with artificial sweetener and Sparkling Ice which has Splenda in it. A drink with real sugar makes me thirsty.

I am 60 and I am not dead yet. I don't have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and I am not overweight. Okay, I could lose 5 lbs. I have been overweight in the past and I have to keep a careful eye or I gain easily. Obesity is more dangerous than diet drinks.

I have every one of my teeth with no dentures or bridges and my bones are fine. My skin is fine too.

If we think of all the bad chemicals we come in contact with every day, a soda or two is not too bad.

Just think: Everyday we shower, we use bath soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair styling products, face soap, deodorant, maybe shave cream for legs, cologne, toothpaste, mouth wash, skin lotion, make-up and make-up remover. I am sure there are many more I didn't mention. This is EVERYDAY!!

We color our hair too.

Lots of food in America is fortified with artificial vitamins, colors and even wood shavings in some breads, Steroids in our meet and our grains and vegetables are genetically modified. Oh, and the pesticides we ingest eating healthy fruits and vegetables!

We put all types of medications into our systems and most have a list of side effects that may be worse then what ails us. Our poor liver takes a beating no matter what types of chemicals we ingest.

My way of thinking. I am going to die anyway, so as long as I am healthy and feel ok I will ingest artificial sweetener.