Is this the one vice every FOF needs to give up . . . now?
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When Dr. Vincent Pedre, MD, one of New York City’s most sought after internists, meets a new patient, he always asks her: “How much soda do you drink? How much diet soda do you drink?”
“I don’t wait for her to volunteer the information,” says Pedre. “Soda consumption is an important part of the overall health history.” The fact is, millions of us drink diet soda because we’re (a) trying to lose weight; (b) like it more than water; and (c) compared to soda, it's the lesser of two evils . . .right? Wrong, says Dr. Pedre, who insists that diet soda is just as bad if not worse for your body...and for your waistline. Here, he offers seven reasons to stop drinking it right now.
1. It actually makes you fatter.
Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio followed 474 people for 10 years and
found that the more diet soda the subjects drank, the fatter they got. Diet soft drink users experienced 70 percent greater increases in waist circumference compared with non-users. Those who drank two or more diet sodas a day saw their waists grow 500% bigger than non-users, even when controlling for things like age and exercise. Wait . . . what? How could America’s favorite diet drink be making us fat? “We still don’t know for sure, why,” says Dr. Pedre. “One theory is that when you eat something sweet, it triggers insulin and the cascade of hormones that make you feel full. Diet soda triggers the sweet receptors on your tongue, but
not the insulin, so you never feel full. It actually causes you to crave--and probably eat--more high-carb, processed foods.”
2. It increases risk of stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
A recent study of 2,564 adults over 40 living in Manhattan (published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine) concluded that
daily consumption of diet soda was independently associated with an increased risk for stroke, heart attack and death. Shockingly, consumption of regular soda was
not associated with an increased risk. “Again, this doesn’t tell us why,” says Dr. Pedre, “but we know that people who drink diet soda seem to gain weight and have a greater chance of developing metabolic syndrome,” an increasingly common syndrome associated with abdominal weight gain, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes.
3. It gives you a super-powered sweet tooth.
“The level of sweetness in these diet drinks--the strength with which they stimulate your sweet receptors--is so strong, that you can lose the ability to taste the natural sweetness in foods like fruits and vegetables,” says Dr. Pedre. “You end up wanting to eat things that are going to stimulate those receptors, such as processed foods and other sweets. When you put someone on a detox, and take these things out of their diet for a while, their taste receptors come back. Suddenly they’re able to eat a blueberry, which maybe tasted bland before, and appreciate how delicious it is.”
4. It leaches calcium from your bones.
Diets high in phosphoric acid are associated with lower bone density, hip fractures and osteoporosis. Guess what contains phosphorous? That’s right, cola. Phosphoric acid gives your diet Coke that tangy, acidic taste that’s so fun to drink, plus it prevents mold and bacteria from forming in the can. Yum? “The addition of caffeine also causes reduced calcium absorption,” points out Dr. Pedre. “If you’re drinking a diet cola or two a day, you’re really setting yourself up for osteoporosis in the long run.”
5. Some experts insist that artificial sweetener is a neurotoxin.
The debate has long raged as to whether artificial sweeteners cause cancer. “It’s fine!” says your friend as she swirls five Equals into her coffee. “That answer is still up in the air,” admits Dr. Pedre, “But, aspartame
is a neurotoxin, which means it causes irritation and over-stimulation of the nerves.” This is also a highly controversial statement. The FDA has assured consumers that aspartame is safe, however the debate has raged on, and in recent years many European brands have been slowly removing aspartame from their products. In addition, a minority of very vocal doctors, including
Dr. Joseph Mercola, a Huffington Post blogger, and
Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board certified neurosurgeon, have led crusades against the additive, insisting that it causes longterm nerve and neurological damage, with common symptoms being headaches and migraines. According to
a widely quoted article by Dr. Mercola, "100 percent of the
industry funded studies supported aspartame's safety, while 92 percent of the
independently funded studies identified at least one potential health concern.”
6. The caramel color is a carcinogen.
Coca Cola and Pepsi both use a chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) to give their drinks that signature brown, caramel color. Looks yummy, but 4MI is a known carcinogen that, in high doses, has been linked to cancer in mice and rats. As part of California’s new
Proposition 65, a company must inform consumers if its products contain any substance “known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.” Reluctant to put a “toxic” warning on millions of cans, Coca Cola released
a statement this week saying: “We have asked our caramel manufacturers to modify their production process to reduce the amount of 4-MI in the caramel.” Is the additive gone? No. Is this language sort of hazy? Yes. “The FDA has let this slide because they say the quantity of 4MI in the sodas isn’t enough to be harmful,” explains Dr. Pedre, “But these toxins are stored in fat, so if you’re overweight or carry weight in your mid-section, I can tell you that you’re likely not flushing this toxin out of your body. Each time you drink a soda, more toxins are going in than are coming out. That cumulative effect is very hard to account for.”
Ready to crack open an ice cold cola? Yeah . . . we aren't either. So what should we drink? "Water," says Dr. Pedre. "I can also get on board with sparkling water and a touch of organic berry juice or lemon. Bottom line: If you drink water, herbal tea and eat lots of plants, you just don't have to worry about this stuff." How . . . refreshing.
Editor's note: We're curious . . . do you drink diet soda?
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Diet coke tastes nasty, never have liked it. Seldom do I drink any soda, I know all about how bad it is for my body!
I don’t drink much soda, maybe one or two a month. However, my daughter was drinking several cans of diet coke every day. She decided to experiment and started drinking water instead, with an occasional soda, perhaps once a week. She has lost weight since that time and said her clothes are fitting better, not to mention she is healthier because of the extra water!
Never. An internist told me years ago that it is toxic for my body.
I was a diet soda addict for most of my adult life, frequently drinking between 3-6 cans a day. Then, in my mid-30′s, I started developing debilitating pain. I was treated by a neurologist at UCLA who was convinced I had the early stages of MS, despite having numerous clean brain scans. Since the brain MRIs kept coming back clean, I went to USC for consultation. There, they thought it was most likely lupus. Aside from debilitating pain, I was having frequent migraines, trouble with balance, unbelievably bad leg spasms, difficulty controlling my gait, fevers, etc. Finally, my pain management therapist saw me walk into her office with a Diet Coke. She begged me to stop drinking diet sodas. Honestly, I refused to believe that could be the cause but agreed to stop for a month to shut her up. Initially, after stopping the diet sodas, the pain increased. I was having awful withdrawal symptoms. Finally, at about the 30 day mark, I woke up and realized I was not in tremendous pain. I have not had any artificial sweeteners since then, approximately 3 years. I am no longer on any neurologic meds and no pain meds. I really believe I was being poisoned by that soda. And yet, despite that, many of my family and friends still drink it (even those with chronic pain issues) – which I think is a sign of just how addictive it is.
I am still drinking diet coke but starting to feel less and less comfortable with it. For the first time I’ve left it off the shopping list. Another thing I can add to the above list is that it can also cause skin reactions like itchy rashes or hives, that will only go away with antihistamines. When I go through a phase of not drinking diet coke I don’t get those symptoms.
NO diet soda for me. Strictly a Pepsi addict (yes the high fructose corn syrup version)–but I only drink it at work. So that means I drink about 10 cans per week. At home its only coffee, hot tea or iced tea–no sugar or artificial sweetener in any of them.
I have consumed over the years a lot of beverages containing aspartame and, over the past 10 yrs, sucralose. I was diagnosed 6 yrs ago with fibromyalgia and wonder if there is a link re: neurotoxins??
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I seldom drink any carbonated drinks because I want to keep my bones! Never in winter, and maybe two a month in summer.
I just stopped my 35+ year diet soda habit last Sunday. It has not been easy, but it was time. I have to agree re carbs – have not had any carb cravings all week! I am watching my sodium intake too so stopping soda will help with that. Thanks for the article.
Absolutely not, that is ABSOLUTELY NOT!
I don’t drink sodas —diet or regular
Thanks, Patty! this is so nice to hear.
No, I quit drinking it years ago. I might have one every couple of months if I go to lunch or something but very rarely.
I quit after 40 years of diet pepsi. I learned that the carbonation continues in your stomach and stretches it – therefore allowing more food intake.
Gave up soda drinks including diet cola 6 months ago and don’t miss it. Switched to water usually spiked with a little lemonade. Now regular juice tastes too sweet and I’m noticing the natural sweetness of fruit and vegetables!
I’m hooked on coke and coke zero, but I think this article is telling me to change that.
No – it blows my head off with a 3 day migraine. Cannot eat aspartane in any form.
Not Anymore!
I now only drink diet soda on a rare occasion after years of drinking it 1 or 2 x a day. Now it’s water, water, water and then seltzer.
I don’t drink any soda. I used to drink at least one can of diet Coke every day. I started a wellness program almost 2 years ago, and I haven’t touched soda of any kind since then. I drink water or iced tea without sugar (no more sweet tea for yours truly!). There’s a lot of truth in the article especially regarding the sugar cravings/ and weight gain. The only sweets I eat now are a piece of dark chocolate, or I will have a small piece of pie or cake on a special occasion, but I don’t crave sweets at all anymore. I do eat and love fresh fruit. When I first started my program, I used to put a little agave nectar or honey on my fruit, but before long, I just stopped using it. BTW I have lost over 30 pounds and kept it off and I feel great.
Suzanne,
First, congrats on the weight loss!
I can totally relate! I have never been a diet soda drinker but I did have a soda sometimes when we ate out. But like you, I have started on a wellness program. NOT A DIET! I have learned over my past years that diets don’t work. Oh, yes, you can lose weight, but most likely will gain it all back and sometimes more than you lost.
A totally rethinking of your food intake is what it takes. And being model thin is not really the object.
I could possibly have crossed to other other side of the fence! LOL ABSOLUTELY no fast food, no processed food. Only organic. If it is not organic I do without. Also, no wheat. I recently found out I am gluten intolerant. I count that as a blessing. Even though I don’t eat a lot of bread, gluten is in a lot of our food.
It is a process and it is not always easy. But if was easy, if the magic potion, per se, were in a pill, wouldn’t we all be model thin and healthy?? Eating healthy is not easy! Period! It is a lifestyle. And something we all have to choose.
Thinking that drinking a diet soda and then ordering a Big Mac is going to help is just, well, crazy!
I realize the diet soda debate is going to have two sides. But if there is a chance that the additives are going to cause health issues, doesn’t that give pause? Are soda, diet or not necessary in the scheme of things?
And I do believe that being off the soda or even diet soda craze has changed my taste buds. I don’t crave sugar. Ever! When I have a dessert it is because I choose to. Not because my body says, “sugar, sugar, sugar!!!!!”
Confession… Even though I only drink coffee in the morning along with my juiced carrot or fruit juices and then water throughout the rest of the day, I must confess, I love my red wine in the evening along with “one square” of really dark chocolate!
Good luck on your continued journey to good health!
VJ
VJ :
Thanks for your kind wishes. I changed some of my other eating habits as well. For the first 2 months of my program I cut out all pasta, anything with white flour, along with sodas, sweets, white rice, ditto watching the gluten. That is a tricky problem as I’m sure you know, because gluten is in so many food items, even dark chocolate ! I became a dedicated label reader which has been a good thing, and used to shop at Whole Foods Market. There isn’t a Whole Foods where I now live, but I belong to the local food co-op & go to the local farmer’s market. I just know that because of all the changes I have made, I have more energy, do not resort to “stress eating” when I’m upset and have learned to make good food choices.
In Health,
Suzanne
Haven’t had soda for over a year, drink black coffee, no cream, water, wine and sun tea in the summer
One or two cans a day but have changed to water due to too much caffeine causing heart palpitations!
I drink maybe one or two sodas a year and never diet.
Yes. I am a diet Coke drinker. Usually 1-2 a day.