Ten reasons to stop drinking diet soda

[Opti]

A slide show which also points out issues with cola and regular soda as well.

If you do drink diet soda, might be a good time to drop it down to one a day

or less. Unless you want to gain weight, then drink at least two for a 500%

increase in weight compared to non drinkers.

It may hurt your heart

 
Just one diet soft drink a day could boost your risk of having a vascular event such as stroke, heart attack, or vascular death, according to researchers from the University of Miami and Columbia University. Their study found that diet soda devotees were 43% more likely to have experienced a vascular event than those who drank none. Regular soda drinkers did not appear to have an increased risk of vascular events. Researchers say more studies need to be conducted before definitive conclusions can be made about diet soda's effects on health.

www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/10-reasons-to-stop-drinking-diet-soda/ss-AAce3J?ocid=iehp#image=11

Discuss.

[bobosensei]

I used to drink diet coke ALL THE TIME.  Then I figured out that fake sugar made me have cravings and it caused gastric issues.  When I stopped drinking them my diet was easier to clean up.  I didn't need so much sweet stuff, and I wasn't as hungry.

[Shooby]

I don't drink diet soda . It's just nasty . I drink an occasional Pespi. But, I like carbonation so I drink carbonated lemon lime seltzer. All the fizz, no calories, no artificial sweetners.

[Cookies Galore]

Feb 20, 2015 9:34:28 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I don't drink diet soda . It's just nasty . I drink an occasional Pespi. But, I like carbonation so I drink carbonated lemon lime seltzer. All the fizz, no calories, no artificial sweetners.

Hubs drinks black cherry seltzer, I like LaCroix grapefruit sparkling water.

[Deleted]

I love my Diet Pepsi.  It's my one vice and I've tried quitting a couple times, but was miserable.  Screw it.  We're all going to die.

[andi9899]

Feb 20, 2015 9:34:28 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I don't drink diet soda . It's just nasty . I drink an occasional Pespi. But, I like carbonation so I drink carbonated lemon lime seltzer. All the fizz, no calories, no artificial sweetners.

I'm going to have to try this. I have a serious soda issue. I need to stop. I would probably lose a ton of weight. Is there a good brand I should try?

[Sam_2.0]

MPL - Was never a diet soda drinker, and I've managed to kick my soda habit for the most part. But come after my coffee or wine and we will have issues.

[andi9899]

Feb 20, 2015 10:10:38 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

MPL - Was never a diet soda drinker, and I've managed to kick my soda habit for the most part. But come after my coffee or wine and we will have issues.

If I had to decide between soda and beer, soda would have to go.

[Opti]

Feb 20, 2015 9:46:18 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I love my Diet Pepsi.  It's my one vice and I've tried quitting a couple times, but was miserable.  Screw it.  We're all going to die.

If you are OK with the manner of your death, so am I.  Your post reminds me of a former

colleague who was a smoker and not willing to quit. 'We all have to die of something.', he said.

Personally, the sweeteners used for most diet soda do mess with my head if I have

more than one occasional can or drink, so I don't touch the stuff regularly. Hopefully,

Stevia does not have horrible side effects.

[Cookies Galore]

Feb 20, 2015 9:49:49 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Feb 20, 2015 9:34:28 GMT -5 Shooby said:

I don't drink diet soda . It's just nasty . I drink an occasional Pespi. But, I like carbonation so I drink carbonated lemon lime seltzer. All the fizz, no calories, no artificial sweetners.

I'm going to have to try this. I have a serious soda issue. I need to stop. I would probably lose a ton of weight. Is there a good brand I should try?

Hubs just drinks store brand seltzer and I think those are fine. I like LaCroix sparkling water and Wegmans has a good line of sparkling mineral waters. My favorite is the lemongrass one.

[andi9899]

I'm going to try to pick some up and report back.

[milee]

I'm not a fan of soda at all (well, that's a lie - I like the taste, but don't drink it because I think it's unhealthy), but most of the "studies" in this type of article show correlation, not necessarily causation. So - again, not defending diet soda - but these studies don't contain very good proof that diet soda is actually causing the problems listed.

It could be that people with certain other health issues or who do not choose to modify their diet for health reasons are prone to drinking diet soda, so the diet soda correlates to their health issues but doesn't cause them. 

I wish there were better quality data about some of these things. 

[midjd]

Does the study say whether the increased risk of death is due to the soda itself, or due to the higher likelihood of being overweight/obese if you consume a lot of soda or diet soda? I'm guessing it's more of a correlation thing (rather than smoking, where the ingredients themselves are carcinogenic).

Unless you want to gain weight, then drink at least two for a 500%
increase in weight compared to non drinkers.

I teeter on the low side of average, so I guess I should keep drinking my 2+ Diet Dr Peppers a day

[Deleted]

Feb 20, 2015 10:15:34 GMT -5 Opti said:

Feb 20, 2015 9:46:18 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I love my Diet Pepsi.  It's my one vice and I've tried quitting a couple times, but was miserable.  Screw it.  We're all going to die.

If you are OK with the manner of your death, so am I.  Your post reminds me of a former

colleague who was a smoker and not willing to quit. 'We all have to die of something.', he said.

Personally, the sweeteners used for most diet soda do mess with my head if I have

more than one occasional can or drink, so I don't touch the stuff regularly. Hopefully,

Stevia does not have horrible side effects.

I'm pretty sure nobody knows their manner of death.  It may be in a fiery car crash for all I know...and no...I'm not OK with that one.

Just saying.  I'm 46 and pretty darn healthy and have been my entire life.  I don't even remember the last time I had a cold.  My blood pressure is super low, cholesterol levels are right where they're supposed to be....and there is no history of heart issues in my family.   The only thing I've ever been treated for is migraines and that's just the last few years which they figure are hormonal.  Never had them in my 20's and 30's and drank just as much if not more diet sodas back then. 

[Lizard Queen]

I used to be a Diet Coke addict.  I quit drinking Aspartame 12 years ago after learning the origins of it.  Now that I'm kind of old, I just find that I feel a lot better if I eat and drink more healthy things.  I still usually drink a glass of RC cola a day, for the caffeine (my stomach no longer tolerates Pepsi or Coke very well).  I should probably try to kick the caffeine habit too, but I need to somewhat function.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 20, 2015 10:21:17 GMT -5 milee said:

I'm not a fan of soda at all (well, that's a lie - I like the taste, but don't drink it because I think it's unhealthy), but most of the "studies" in this type of article show correlation, not necessarily causation. So - again, not defending diet soda - but these studies don't contain very good proof that diet soda is actually causing the problems listed.

It could be that people with certain other health issues or who do not choose to modify their diet for health reasons are prone to drinking diet soda, so the diet soda correlates to their health issues but doesn't cause them. 

I wish there were better quality data about some of these things. 

I was just about to post something like this.  Correlation does not equal causation, and there are a dozen ways the links could be explained that would not be attributed to diet soda.

Not only that, a few of the reasons not to drink diet soda could also be attributed to regular soda.

i the it when MSN posts crap like this, as most of it is incorrect.

[Opti]

Feb 20, 2015 10:25:08 GMT -5 midjd said:

Does the study say whether the increased risk of death is due to the soda itself, or due to the higher likelihood of being overweight/obese if you consume a lot of soda or diet soda? I'm guessing it's more of a correlation thing (rather than smoking, where the ingredients themselves are carcinogenic).

Unless you want to gain weight, then drink at least two for a 500%
increase in weight compared to non drinkers.

I teeter on the low side of average, so I guess I should keep drinking my 2+ Diet Dr Peppers a day

You know slide shows. Pithy paragraphs with no references, so I have no idea.

I think that particular slide was just about the likelihood of gaining weight.

[Opti]

Feb 20, 2015 10:28:02 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Feb 20, 2015 10:15:34 GMT -5 Opti said:

If you are OK with the manner of your death, so am I.  Your post reminds me of a former

colleague who was a smoker and not willing to quit. 'We all have to die of something.', he said.

Personally, the sweeteners used for most diet soda do mess with my head if I have

more than one occasional can or drink, so I don't touch the stuff regularly. Hopefully,

Stevia does not have horrible side effects.

I'm pretty sure nobody knows their manner of death.  It may be in a fiery car crash for all I know...and no...I'm not OK with that one.

Just saying.  I'm 46 and pretty darn healthy and have been my entire life.  I don't even remember the last time I had a cold.  My blood pressure is super low, cholesterol levels are right where they're supposed to be....and there is no history of heart issues in my family.   The only thing I've ever been treated for is migraines and that's just the last few years which they figure are hormonal.  Never had them in my 20's and 30's and drank just as much if not more diet sodas back then. 

It appears I should have phrased that better. If you are OK with diet soda drinking perhaps

contributing to your death, so am I.

Have you tried quitting cold turkey just to see if it the diet soda is a factor or not?

I can not tolerate peanuts in any usual amount I think in part because I ate too much

peanut butter for a few years. Then one day, eating peanut butter was like having a lead

weight in my chest for at least 24 hours. Things change. Aspartame does cause migraines

in people susceptible to it and also mental changes in those susceptible too it. Plus you

have the caffeine factor as well. I've never had migraines but my sib who drank lots of Coke

did.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

It appears I should have phrased that better. If you are OK with diet soda drinking perhaps
contributing to your death, so am I.


Not a single study has demonstrated this.  The best that they have done is said that there is a correlation and correlation does not equal causation.   That is the point people have made.  There are a load of confounders that are not addressed in these studies and until they are addressed, then there will NEVER be anything greater than a correlation.

[Opti]

So Mich, you disagree with the phrase 'perhaps contributing'?

[Deleted]

More people in the South die of heart attacks too.  Should they all move?

[Lizard Queen]

Feb 20, 2015 11:12:41 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Not a single study has demonstrated this.  The best that they have done is said that there is a correlation and correlation does not equal causation.   That is the point people have made.  There are a load of confounders that are not addressed in these studies and until they are addressed, then there will NEVER be anything greater than a correlation.

I don't know.  That seems to be the case with any food study. It's gotten to the point that I don't trust anything they say about what food is healthy vs. unhealthy.

For example: Fat is bad!  Use margarine instead!  (I'm old--I remember that)  Fat is good!  Margarine will kill you!  Red wine is good for you!  Red wine isn't so good! Eggs are bad--suddenly eggs aren't so bad.   I know there's more that I can't think of at the moment, since I skipped breakfast because my mom ran out of eggs am fasting for lent. 

You can drive yourself nuts trying to follow all the advice that is backtracked decades later.  I think, just go as natural as you can.  That can't be too bad, I guess.  

[Opti]

Please post where I said correlation equals causation.

TY.

[HoneyBBQ]

I used to be a HUGE diet coke fan. When I got pregnant I gave up caffeine and hence diet coke. Afterwards, I've completely kicked the carbonated beverage habit. I get lemonade or ice tea if I'm out, but usually just water. It tastes disgusting now if I try it.

[tractor]

I used to be a diet coke drinker, then one day I decided to switch to iced tea. Now that's all I drink (going on four years now). Every now and then I pick up a soda, but I can't finish a whole can, all I can taste is the chemicals and it doesn't matter the brand, they all taste nasty.

I also got tired of coffee about two years ago, and only drink hot tea in the morning. I might have a cup or two a month, but I just don't enjoy it anymore. Strange how your body can adjust if you give it a chance.

Am I healthier? Not sure, I think I feel better, but I really didn't feel bad before.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 20, 2015 11:21:42 GMT -5 Opti said:

Please post where I said correlation equals causation.

TY.

If you are OK with the manner of your death, so am I. Your post reminds me of a former
colleague who was a smoker and not willing to quit. 'We all have to die of something.', he said.

[ArchietheDragon]

The number one reason is so you'll have more time to drink beer.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 20, 2015 11:21:00 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Feb 20, 2015 11:12:41 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Not a single study has demonstrated this.  The best that they have done is said that there is a correlation and correlation does not equal causation.   That is the point people have made.  There are a load of confounders that are not addressed in these studies and until they are addressed, then there will NEVER be anything greater than a correlation.

I don't know.  That seems to be the case with any food study. It's gotten to the point that I don't trust anything they say about what food is healthy vs. unhealthy.

For example: Fat is bad!  Use margarine instead!  (I'm old--I remember that)  Fat is good!  Margarine will kill you!  Red wine is good for you!  Red wine isn't so good! Eggs are bad--suddenly eggs aren't so bad.   I know there's more that I can't think of at the moment, since I skipped breakfast because my mom ran out of eggs am fasting for lent. 

You can drive yourself nuts trying to follow all the advice that is backtracked decades later.  I think, just go as natural as you can.  That can't be too bad, I guess.  

It is.

Not only that, if you consider that over the last 30 years there have been at least 3 changes (that I remember) of artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, then how can you exactly control what someone drank 20 years ago vs today?  How do you control for this?  My hair hurts just trying to figure out the study design (and I have designed a LOT of studies).  Most of these studies are self reported too, which are horribly unreliable.

[Shooby]

Feb 20, 2015 10:19:02 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I'm going to try to pick some up and report back.

It's an acquired taste. Not much flavor. Just subtle flavor if you get lemon lime or black cherry. You have to try it a couple of times. But, now I love it.

[myrrh]

I don't drink diet soda ever. I hate the chemical aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. I try to only have a couple of sodas per week, and recently I haven't enjoyed them as much because they taste overly sweet. I would switch to lemonade but most of the lemonade in soda dispensers has artificial sweeteners as well, so that's out. Tea is ok but usually brewed too strong for me. So that leaves water, which seems like a waste when I'm paying for a drink.  

I agree with minnesotapaintlady that everyone dies of something, so I continue to use 1/3 shortening and 2/3 butter in my pie crust even though trans fats (aka shortening or margarine) are super bad for you.