Most of us probably assume that if your only beverage choices were diet or regular soda, the diet variety would be better. After all, drinks made with non-nutritive sweeteners do give us fewer calories.But recent studies indicate that drinking diet soda can lead to our gaining weight. They can raise ...
The Trouble with Diet Soda
11/ 6/07 10:14am
I think the biggest problem with people drinking diet sodas is the fact they THINK they can eat more because they are saving calories by drinking diet sodas. It all boils down to moderation even on diet sodas.
I do drink a diet soda ever so often but my primary beverage is water with lemon and filtered when possible. And I drink unsweetend tea with stevia or splenda.
When I was younger I did drink more of them. I have never been a regular soda drinker as these are way too sweet for my taste.
11/ 6/07 11:11pm
This is an interesting comment in that I seldom drink a diet soda just to enjoy the soda - I always drink it while I am eating something. So, if I go get a diet soda out of the fridge, I am getting something to eat at the same time. I tend to eat until the diet soda is gone; whereas, if I am drinking water or unsweetened tea, I quit eating sooner. And, now that I realize this, I guess I need to use this info on myself and work it in my favor.
11/ 7/07 8:05am
11/ 6/07 11:42am
Diet Orange, like the citrus flavored drinks another poster mentioned, has no caramel color. Diet Creme flavored soda does. Years ago I switched from diet colas to 7-up etc. because of the phosphorous content. My microalbumin decreased from 1800ug/mg creat. to less than 100. There may have been other factors responsible but I can't identify any. Diet citrus and orange drinks seem a reasonable compromise for those adddicted to diet soda.
11/30/07 1:42am
i have only been diagnosed as a Type 2 for a couple of months. i was never a huge soda fan - but i have now discovered Sprite Zero. This leads me to point out that not all diet soda is "sweetened" with the same agent. therefore, the type of diet soda you drink MUST have a direct correlation on your hba1c. if a diet drink (such as "4C Totally Light) says it has zero carbs then how can it effect your hba1c? does the study mention which diet drink was used or was the choice left to the user?
-- Joel
11/30/07 9:21am
Dear Joel,
Yes, there are many types of non-nutritive sweeteners. But the soft drink industry primarily uses aspartame (brand name NutraSweet) in its diet drinks, and undoubtedly the studies focused on these.
I did address your question about how zero carbs can affect your A1C in the article with two theories that the researchers hold:
How could these non-nutritive sweeteners possibly be associated with weight gain and the metabolic syndrome? The authors of the Circulation study led by Ravi Dhingra, MD, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, think that the high level of sweetness “may lead to conditioning for a greater preference for intake of sweetened items.”
That’s controversial. But an even more disturbing mechanism that the authors propose is that, “The caramel content of both regular and diet drinks may be a potential source of advanced glycation end products, which may promote insulin resistance and can be proinflammatory.”
1/19/09 12:13pm
3/26/09 7:42pm
I have Type II Diabetes for years, I am a huge diet soda drinker because I have never seen any serious study counter it although many freinds have warned me about it and I have heard what I thought were urban myths that it was bad, hurt my HB1C numbers and blood sugar levels. I have not been greatly successful at maintaining my blood sugar even when eating right. Well, this stuff with the aspartame and caramel have me concerned enough to quit finally, I should have tested out the water, tea or sparking water but you know us addictive types. Diet soda had been a way for me to justify an occasional sugary sweet.
Anyways, I just started and we sill see. Based on my own experience I think I may have been having those espisodes from too much aspartame and carmel every day. Just a few days of drinking water and unsweetened tea I feel much better and my blood sugar seems better. Heart rate feels better. Urban myth? Well maybe sometimes what people learn out of life experience (my freinds advice) may have large kernals of truth that science just finds out latter and that Corporations try to quell.
Any help in giving healthy substitues please tell me. Starting to love carbonated wate with lemon, but what about orange drinks and diet sprite? What about the flavored carbonated Walmart sells. That stuff is great? Anyways, I'll try my own research but if anyone knows, I would appreciate it.
3/26/09 9:14pm
Dear George,
I am so glad that you have successfully given up those sodas!
Carbonated water with lemon is a great choice. Another one is herbal tea sweetened with Truvia. I wrote about herbal tea here at http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/61432/herbal-tea and Truvia at http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/54803/caloric-sweeteners
Best regards,
David
8/15/10 8:13am
I DRINK ONLY WATER OR WATER WITH LEMON JUICE. IT GETS BORING SOMETIMES BUT I HAVE SEEN A DECLINE IN MY AIC TO 6.8. I'VE STARTED TO EAT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD TO SEE IF THAT MIGHT HELP ME WITH WEIGHT LOSS. I ENJOYED SODAS AND SWEET TEA IN MY YOUTH BUT HAD TO GIVE THEM UP. I AM 17 YEARS TYPE II DIABETIC AND STILL STRUGGLING.
6/ 8/09 6:39pm
Any non-natural substance and many natural substances should be suspect when included as a daily part of your eating habits, but I am skeptical of correlation studies.
Most people who diet are overweight. Does that mean you can avoid being overweight by avoiding dieting? Too many studies are designed to get press attention rather than advance science. We are living in the Internet generation where instant answers are more valued than correct answers.
Is diet soda good or bad? Coffee? Green Tea? Cinnamon? Don't know. But I do know that too many carbs, too much sugar and not enough exercise will hurt, so pardon me for focusing on those for now.
8/ 7/09 5:18pm
I have been wondering for a long time why I felt 'weird' (almost like a sugar low, but mostly just shaky) after drinking diet sodas. After searching on the internet a number of times, and coming up with nothing, I find this. I haven't actually read the studies, but maybe there really is something to the diet soda/weird sugar low thing. btw, I am a type 2 without medication.
10/ 4/09 8:12am
I can only speak to my experience -- admittedly as a newly diagnosed diabetic.
When I was diagnosed five months ago, i weighed in at @ 305 pounds. I am 5' 11" tall, so I was pretty heavy.
In the five months since then -- by shifting my HUGE intake of regular soda to diet and by cutting my admittedly huge intake of calories and carbs -- I have been able to LOSE 105 pounds. I have gone from a size 48 pant to now fitting comfortably into a 36.
Diet sodas are NOT the problem. I drink several each day. I have limited my milk and my carb intake -- trying to stay at under 60 carbs per meal -- and my A1C has dropped off the table. I also now run or walk 5 to 6 miles day.
Again, diet sodas are NOT the problem -- they and sugar-free Jello gelatin -- are my salvatioin. People who argue inane points like dumping diet soft drinks for people who in many cases have been sugar-holics their entire lives, are ridiculous. If you can't have a few things that make you happy and satisfy your need for "comfort food" why bother?
In the great scheme of things, I would have to say that the drinking of diet sodas for diabetics is pretty low on the list of concerns. What is a bigger concern is hinted at in this same article -- diabetics repeatedly falling off the wagon and taking in regular sugary foods or foods high in carbs. Another thing is the need to get active. Whether we drink diet soda, water, sugary drinks or the nectar of the gods, we have to get off our butts and start EXERCISING! I know that is a horrible thought to many people, but it is truly the only way to address the issue and is, I believe, the REAL CAUSE of "metabolic syndrome." There is no panacea or way to eat yourself into good health -- good, old-fashioned hard work is the ONLY way to achieve good health.
Terry L. Headley
Huntington, WV
1/15/10 1:36pm
My boyfriend, age 35, is a diabetic. He has not been tested in years, as he hasn't been able to afford healthcare or doctor bills, that having been said, he still drinks diet soda to be on the safe side. My concern is the amount of diet soda he drinks daily. When we first met he was drinking atleast 300 oz of diet pepsi daily- he carried around a 100 oz. trucker mug. Now that we've been dating for 2 years, we have seen the last of the mug, I'm happy to say, but he is still drinking 3-4 cans of diet pepsi in one sitting. Is this really healthy? So potentially a whole 12 pack in a day (144 oz+), give or take. I have tried to find other options that are low in sugar, or that he would like (think big 5-year old). So far the only other thing he has taken to is Powerade Zero (Low Cal Sports Drink; he's a softball player), but they have discontinued every single flavor he liked... one at a time. Any suggestions? Should I really be concerned about how much he is drinking?
1/15/10 8:02pm
Maybe others can advise, but I don't really know. While it sounds excessive, he isn't getting any sucrose or fructose, which are really bad. He is most likely consuming a lot of aspartame, the sweetener used in most diet drinks. Lots of people have concerns about aspartame, but I don't really know.
Best regards,
David
8/14/10 9:03am
It sounds like, even though he's not been tested in a while that his diabetes is out of control. For someone to have that much fluid intake and be that thirsty can only point to other issues. He needs to get in to see a doctor, otherwise he's in for some major health issues down the road that he doesn't want to experience. Blindness, kidney failure and amputations aren't all that much fun and certainly something to look forward to. And if you are serious about being with him for the 'long haul' you wouldn't be looking forward to taking care of someone who is blind, going to dialysis 3-4 times a week and hobbling around on a prosthetic leg or two... Get him in to see a doctor if you really care about him.
I know it's not easy, I'm an insulin dependent diabetic without any health insurance, but I really try to take care of myself because the alternatives are completely out of the question.
8/16/10 11:55am
Thanks for the replies David and Ben! The "mondo mug" has since disappeared and he drinks much less considerably, but he still has 3-4 diet pepsi's throughout the day. And now he's found some Low Cal Gatorade to chug all day! I think this is much better considering how much he used to be drinking. He's finally got a job with insurance too, so the doctor's visits should be quite helpful. I'm just so glad that big ugly mug has gotten "lost"!
8/14/10 1:56am
Many years ago I started drinking Diet Coke and I started to Grow Large ! For some Reason maybe the after taste of the Diet Coke I went back to Regular Coke with My Rum and woolaar ! My weight started to go down and My last Blood test showed the possibility of Diebetes had almost gone , I,m Done with this Low fat No sugar Fade stuff . Give me Natural every time
8/14/10 1:58am
Many years ago I started drinking Diet Coke and I started to Grow Large ! For some Reason maybe the after taste of the Diet Coke I went back to Regular Coke with My Rum and woolaar ! My weight started to go down and My last Blood test showed the possibility of Diebetes had almost gone , I,m Done with this Low fat No sugar Fade stuff . Give me Natural every time
8/14/10 8:48am
8/14/10 9:18am
I seriously doubt it! It's all in the head . . . "if I drink diet soda, I can eat more" or "I can have a candy bar if I drink a diet soda". Tomorrow there'll be another culprit. At one time we were told "don't eat eggs" now it's okay. If there's anything at all wrong with diet soda, I'd think it would be the caffeine, of course you can drink caffeine free soda. The reason people are overweight is they're unknowingly trying to treat a psychological problem and are doing it with food. Once they figure out the need they're feeding and deal with the underlying cause . . . . then they lose weight.
8/14/10 9:49am
8/14/10 10:52am
8/14/10 10:53am
8/14/10 10:55am
8/14/10 10:55am
8/14/10 10:58am
8/14/10 11:12am
I now limit myself to one Diet Soda per day.
I now drink Twist an organic water, they use the Agave plant as a sweetner.. Also I drink ActiVwater, which is an all natural isotonic, made with pure cane sugar. It doesn't spike my glycemic levels...
Go to talkingrain.com, to locate a store near you...
Ken
8/14/10 11:27am
Interesting thoughts but researchers have been trying for years to link diet drinks and artificial sweeteners to a variety of health issues from weight gain to alzheimers. My personal feeling on this is quit projecting "possible" problems with these commodities until you have established without a doubt that there is a connection. Caramel coloring is mentioned as a potential problem in sodas but there are a large number of carbonated diet drinks in the market place that have no caramel coloring. What about those? There is reference to the soft drink manufacturers in this article with the inference that they are biased in their view of this issue because it is their product that is under attack. Well, I suggest that there is a bias on the part of the researchers who continue to flagrantly attack the soft drink and artificial sweetener industries without hard numbers from scientific research that "prove" factually and conclusively that these products are indeed dangerous to our health. As a diabetic who drinks and enjoys water, I also enjoy diet sodas and the use of artificial sweeteners. I find the supposition that diet drinks "may" lead to more belly fat curious, since I have lost nearly 40 lbs in the past 10 weeks primarily from reducing my carbs and eliminating my sugar intake by substituting diet drinks (for regular soda) and artificial sweeteners for my coffee and cereal. It is difficult to accept these reports as serious research when they appear to have no other purpose than to scare the public into giving up their diet drinks for water. I realize most of us probably don't drink as much water as we should each day, but this attempt at laying the blame at the feet of the soft drink manufacturers for "possible" health issues due to our liquid refreshment choices is lame and an insult to any rational individual with any degree of understaning of medicine or science. Produce the smoking gun; show us the hard evidence where this issue is concerned. In the mean time, quit injecting your personal bias into this issue in an attempt to contol what people choose to drink. You do yourself no service and, in my mind, are like the little boy who kept calling wolf to get attention. At some point in time, and it may already be here, people will simply ignore what you have to say because your past claims have been proven false, (i.e. saccharin causes cancer, aspartame is a major factor in causing alzheimers, eggs are bad because of cholesterol, caffeine causes heart problems) or with little or no merit. In summary, I am tired of seeing and reading health reports about what "might" be the result of eating or drinking certain items in our food supply. We don't need scare messages about something that "might" occur. We need hard research with a defineable result that points absolutely to a qualified conclusion. Please do us a favor by adopting the latter and stopping the former.
8/14/10 12:06pm
A good article which is causing me to rethink my "drinking" habits. What about flavored seltzers? Are these an 'okay' alternative to diet sodas? Also, what about using things like Sweet-n-Low in morning coffee? Same risks?
I have been fighting the weight thing now for two years and despite workouts 3x a week for an hour each, I can't seem to lose more than 10 lbs (and gain it back over time). I will have to try and cut out the diet sodas to see if there is a difference.
8/14/10 12:45pm
what a bunch of bull!! seems like every day there is a new study about something that's been around for ever and now is so terrible for you. I've been a type one diabetic for 40 years and have been consuming diet soda most of that time -my a1c's have been stellar at 5.5 -6.2-how do you explain that-oh and I am at an ideal weight.
8/14/10 1:13pm
I did not see any of the other factors that would need to be taken into consideration. Generally Type 2 or adult onset affects persons who have other issues, particularly weight. These folks are already at risk for heart disease This study will only start a panic to those who don't understand the full scope of this chronic illness. . I think the doctors involved could be using their grant money to research a cure as opposed to telling us what we already know.
8/14/10 1:42pm
I too have trouble with these studies and their claims, to say nothing of the comments I get from other people around me. I regularly hear, "That artificial sweetner stuff is unnatural and it's gonna kill you one of these days! You're a diabetic? Oooo, so sorry! But you should still drink things with a little sugar or honey or agave syrup in them because that's NATURAL."
Right. Natural enough to kill the 75,000 people a year who die from diabetes and the diseases it brings with it, heart disease and stroke. I have seen a large number of sites that claim that artificial sweeteners give people illnesses and headaches and whatnot, but that appears to be subjective, and on top of that, I've never seen any peer reviewed studies that show that a single person has died from directly consuming artifical sweeteners. Trust me I've looked.
Furthermore, I echo the concerns of the person who posted the first comment. Were these people who were already Diabetic, or were they non Diabetic? Were they normal weight or overweight? What else did thwey regularly eat or drink? How much exercise did they get during the course of the study?
And then I read: "How could these non-nutritive sweeteners possibly be associated with weight gain and the metabolic syndrome? The authors of the Circulation study led by Ravi Dhingra, MD, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, think that the high level of sweetness ""may lead to conditioning for a greater preference for intake of sweetened items.""
So, the people drinking the regular and diet colas were also consuming more calories, eh? And from sweet foods, because of their "conditioning." Can we say, "carbohydrate overload?" Big surprise! And if someone else is fool enough that they think that large amounts of regular chocolate are OK because both the chocolate and their diet soda are sweet, then all I have to say is ***RED ALERT! DARWIN AWARD CANDIDATE APPROACHING! RED ALERT!***
No wonder their A1c is high. I count my carbohydrates and I KNOW that sugared food and high carbhydrate sweet food is bad for me. If someone else does not, that's their problem.
Sure, I break on occaision. I eat things with sugar in them when I know I shouldn't. I chow down on a single serving size Nacho Cheese Doritos a little more often than I should, usually at work on break, where it can be hard to remind myself that, Laurie, this is "Not Yo Cheese!"
However the things that I don't eat are more important than the things I do eat, specifically:
No white bread, except sourdough and that only because I cannot yet make my own.
No white pasta (I eat Dreamfield's perhaps once every two months or so)
No rice, except in soup, and that but rarely
No sugared candy, though I do indulge in maltitol sweetened chocolate and make ny own maltitol sweetened truffles.
No real sugared baked goods, unles I make them myself, and then with the recipe modified by me with the sugars replaced at a 2 to 1 ration with, yes, and artificial sweetner, or stevia, or erythritol, or all three.
No preprocessed foods. No TV dinners, no cured meats, no prepackaged mac n' chees mixes, no dry or canned premade soups, very few canned sodium high vegetables, no bread mixes, no cakes, no cookies. If I want any of those things I make my own, with no preservatives, sugar, salt or hidden ingredients. I even make my own frozen yogurt, sugar free.
And I make my own sodas. I use a Sodastream carbonator (www.sodastream.com) and flavor the water with small amounts of their flavorings to create a slightly artificially sweetened base, then add concentrated sugar free brewer's fruit flavorings and stevia to it. No caffeine, no aspartame.
I also exercise, not as much as I should yet, but I cycle several miles about every other day after work.
So, after 5 months of drinking diet sodas containing a combination of Splenda and Stevia, where's my A1c? 6.0. That's down from 9.0 last fall, and down from 7.4 three months ago, and that second measurement was taken BEFORE I started taking a small (10 unit at first, now 14 unit) dose of Lantus long acting basal insulin before bedtime.
So if somweone drinks three diet sodas a day and also eats a half boule of store bought sourdough, or two chocolate bars with real sugar, or a huge plate of pasta, and their A1c is high, then go figure! What should they be cutting out?
Not the diet soda!
8/14/10 2:45pm
This is what's called a 'spurious correlation'. They take two seemingly contra-related variables ('intake of diet soda' and 'weight gain') - discover a positive correlation between them - and then state that the first factor 'intake of diet soda' must be causing the second factor 'weight gain'.
They ignore that the group of people who are the single heaviest 'users' of diet soda are PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY OVERWEIGHT.
So let me restate their proposition and we'll see if it sounds so alarming.
'People who are already overweight' are more likely to gain weight than people who are NOT already overweight.
Not so scary this time around, is it?
8/14/10 2:55pm
The test/studies you mention , for your information, are unfounded.
We place a lot of blame on artificial sweeteners instead of where the blame lies.
The bad eating habits and lack of activity (INTENSE activity) that individuals need to keep their weight down and there A1C levels controlled.
I've been a Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetic for 48 years and have no problems with weight gain. The only time I've had problems with my A1C levels is when I failed to continue my exercise program and ate undisciplined for periods of time.
That doesn't happen often! I am 60 years old and train like a warrior.
I drink diet sodas often and there is no indication whatsoever that the diet soda inhibits my health in any way.
We need to more honest (blunt) with those having problems (self caused in the higher percentage of cases) and inform them to get off their fat asses and move effectively and eat better.
Quit placing blame on artificial sweeteners and those products that contain them and place the blame on those undisciplined individuals along with our government agencies for letting our country become a weak nation through their fear of "hurting someone's feelings."
8/15/10 5:23am
Yes you are so right!! I have hd type 1 diabetes for 38 years and have been actib=ve for much of that time and been if anything, underweight. I have drunk the diet drinks for amny years and now that I'm in my early 40's, I have gained weight due to inactivity because of diabetic complications in my legs and also the vast amounts of medications I'm on.
However because I have been so inactive, it has definately had an impact on my weight. You can't just eat and think it'll go away by itself!! I also have thyroid malfunction but at the end of the day, exercise is the key to maintaining a stable weight is to exercise. I am trying different ways to exercise that suits me and my situation.
Good on you for having the na na's to say how it is!!
8/14/10 7:55pm
8/15/10 1:26am
8/15/10 1:44am
I train others with diet and excercise programs. It is sillyness to say that sugar pop is no worse for you than diet. It seems so clear to me that studies don't take into consideration that most people who drink diet are either already over weight or have a propensity toward that. A good diet and excercise routine with diet pop instead of regular is very beneficial. I've seen it work a thousand times. Scientist sometimes miss the most practical tested results. The body building world knows what the scientists are figuring out ten years later. Someone who is 20 pounds lighter and active is most always healthier. Study something that has merit... This is such an old arguement.
8/15/10 5:27am
8/15/10 7:05am
8/15/10 9:33am
I have been recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes. What an enlightenment. I have always believed that diet soda was healthier than regular soda. With a history of heart disease and diabetes in the family, water is very appealing. Does anyone know if Crystal Light and the sugar free packets of tea or kool-aid have the same effects?
8/15/10 9:26pm
8/15/10 9:26pm
8/15/10 10:25pm
Hi...I see that yesterday several people sent in comments about this subject....but I still want to know more about Diet Rite and answers to my post about Splenda. Hope to get some response to the Diet Rite subject and it seems that I am not the only one that is wanting this info bout Diet Rite. I love the drink and would hate to have to give it up.
Roberta
8/16/10 12:07pm
Hello!-thank you for the remarks on diet soda-i have had diabetes type 1 for over 42 years-when i was a teenager the only diet drinks were tab and fresca-i did not care for the taste of either drink-i make plain ice tea with teabags-i also add ice cold water with ice to a very small amount of fruit juice-these two drinks have sustained me for years!-every so often as a special treat(maybe once or twice monthly), i will have a diet coke with caffeine-thanks again for the article-mary alice
8/16/10 8:19pm
A recent article in Science News talked about new research that shows there are taste buds in the gut for sweet and bitter. Sweet, even no calorie sweetner, may cause the release of insulin and other enzymes that increase hunger. Most of the studies have been on rats. We'll have to see about human correlation; however, the taste buds are in humans, too.
8/18/10 3:02am
8/19/10 11:09am
I really do not believe this at all. I have been on insulin shots for 281/2 yrs and have always drinken diet sodas. I take 1 shot per day and 4 pills and I maintain a A1C of 5.9 and I drink a good amount of diet soda. I think this is a low shot to the diet soda industry----a good drinks for diabetics.
8/20/10 5:27am
Soda Diet soda is one of my favorite foods I used to think it needed it's own section on the food pyramid.
But when I stopped drinking soda I noticed quite a few things begin to happen I lost weight, my blood pressure went down, my headaches stopped the swelling in my legs went down I now have ankles not cankles and the pain I had in my joints has decreased, The only thing I have changed was that I stopped drinking diet soda.
8/23/10 1:41pm
I have been drinking diet soda since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 1983. After I delivered in 1984 my glucose levels went back to normal but by then, I no longer cared for regular soda and continued with diet. After my last pregnancy (I had to use insulin for this one) in 1988, my glucose levels again went back to normal. Unfortunately, I started losing extreme weight and within a year was diagnosed with diabetes and put back on insulin. I never had a weight problem (except when pregnant) and still don't have a weight issue (although I'm finding I'd actually like to gain about 5 pounds) and no one in my family has diabetes. My cholesterol is good, my A1C's are good, my blood pressure requires a very small dose of lisinopril. I only use artificial sweetener (except when my glucose level drops) and figure I'm just fortunate. I do drink a lot of water but that can get really boring sometimes. My true belief is "moderation" - it's worked for me so far and if it's NOT BROKE, don't fix it - lol.
9/28/10 10:33am
Diabetes, Home Brewed Tea from the bag and Splenda
Will the above have an adverse affect on my blood sugar levels ?
If I totally give up Diet Sodas and go with Earl Gray Tea and Splenda what affect will that have ?
9/28/10 2:46pm
Dear Mark,
Neither tea nor Splenda will affect your blood glucose levels. Still, Splenda is an artificial sweetener with a caloric bulking agent. Stevia is even healthier, especially if you can get it without any bulking agent (Whole Foods carries the SweetLeaf brand, and one of their offerings has no bulking agent).
If you give up diet sodas, you will help your health to improve.
Best regards,
David
12/25/10 11:23am
Better get use to being Diabetic and getting on with life anyways!!Don't be upset with it.Just get better control of your life like you should have done years ago,I know what you are hoping it just won't happen,period!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to boot !!!Drink Diet Coke with Splenda and the rest will taste like s.....lol.
5/18/11 10:36am
I'm not entirely convinced that diet pop is the problem. I drink diet pop but do not eat or crave sweet things. They have been considered out of bounds for so many years that I don't even see them as food anymore. When I was first diagnosed, it replaced my craving for the deserts that I used to eat after meals. I see it more as a useful tool than an enemy. I do consider the cardiac issues to be real however and don't drink more than one/day very often.
12/ 3/11 11:52am
12/ 3/11 8:26pm
I found your article very interesting and sort of confirms my thought about myself.
I gave up diet drinks this summer. I only drank water. My blood glucose dropped immediately to 80 from 208. I know this is the reason because I didn't change anything else. In a weak moment I went back to diet drinks and my blood glucose again went back up in the 200s. I know that it is not that simple but it is a significant finding for me.
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David,
All of these studies seem to have giant holes. Of course I haven't read them, only what you've condensed here.
My questions:
"Participants in an eight-year study at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, who drank several cans of diet soda every day were more likely to become overweight or obese than those who drank several regular sodas. "
Okay, are they saying that these were thin people who began to drink diet sodas and became fat? Or could it be that people who are fat, or on their way to being fat drink diet sodas in an attempt (usually failing) to lose weight? Fat people are conditioned to drink diet sodas instead of regular.
"Another study, this one in the Annals of Epidemiology last year, found that adults with diabetes who drank one or more drinks of diet soda per day had A1C levels was 0.7 percent higher than those who drank none."
So, were the diet soda and the non-diet soda drinking folks eating and exercising the same? Was drinkng diet soda the ONLY variable? If not, maybe folks who don't drink soda also have other "healthier" behaviors.
“The caramel content of both regular and diet drinks may be a potential source of advanced glycation end products, which may promote insulin resistance and can be proinflammatory.”
The Grapefruit Diet Shasta sitting in front of me has no caramel... nor does it have aspartame.
"When David Pierce and his associates at the University of Alberta studied the eating habits of young rats, the found that the rats tended to eat too much when they ate diet foods."
What kind of diet foods? Low fat? Sugar Free? Are the rats bodies just trying to make up for the calorie deficit?
I'm not the biggest soda drinker... perhaps a can or two a day. Mostly non-caffienated.
I just have to take all these studies with a shaker of salt. It seems if I just wait a week there will be another study with conflicting results.
Dear Jennifer,
Thanks for you comments. Please note that I did provide links to the studies (or their abstracts) so you can check out all the detail that they provided and I had to leave out.
I have recently had my blood sugar increase, it is now over 250. I have been drinking diet sodas thinking it would not raise my blood sugar. I was mistaken, it is the soda and the bread that has raised my sugar levels...so in the next week I will give up the sodas and the sweetner and will let you know the results...Jay
Yeah, that's gonna make a lot of difference... Give up the sodas because we know they don't have NEAR the carbohydrates as the bread does. Do yourself a favor, lay off the bread and continue the drink the diet soda. These studies have holes big enough to drive a truck through.
That's very scary! Also a bit confusing. Are they saying its better to drink regular soda or refrain from drinking soda altogether? So many studies each having different conclusions,its all so confusing!