# Lifestyles & Discussion > Personal Health & Well-Being >  Is diet soda worsa than regular soda?

## Liberty Star

I'm confused with all the information about diet soda. Can anyone with good expertise in nutrition settle this issue for good?

Which is better from heatlh standpoint, diet coke, coke zero or regular coca cola?

Thanks

----------


## Uriel999

water

----------


## AdamT

Do not go near aspartame or any of the artificial sweentners. Stevia is good though.

----------


## decatren

Problem with regular soda in the US is that most of it if not all is sweetened with corn syrup. Diet drinks are sweetened with either aspartame which has been linked to some disorders and then ironically those findings have been ratracted or sucralose. I wouldn't touch artificial made sweetners with a 10 ft pole. Stick to Stevia or Xylitol which is another natural sweetner found in berries. What I do sometimes if I want a sweet drink, I get a bunch of frozen froot like rasp, blues, straw...dump em intop a big mug and pour water in and just mashe it all in there. Vitamin wanter is good too since they use pure cane sugar.

----------


## Kotin

my mother sometimes used to use coke as a toilet bowl cleaner..


so you probably shouldnt drink it.

----------


## Kludge

Caffeine's probably the worst chemical in the drinks...

----------


## Original_Intent

No carbonation and no aspartame. and no caffeine. I like some of the non carbonated stuff like country time or hawaiian punch 

And the occasional root beer

----------


## Chester Copperpot

> I'm confused with all the information about diet soda. Can anyone with good expertise in nutrition settle this issue for good?
> 
> Which is better from heatlh standpoint, diet coke, coke zero or regular coca cola?
> 
> Thanks


From a health standpoint, regular coca cola is best for you.

That being said, a few points are in order.

The absolute worst sweeteners are the Splenda, and Nutrasweet.. Stay away from them... Splenda is actually a pesticide, and aspartame can be used as a pesticide. Aspartame has also been blamed for people losing their vision, getting diabets etc... Donald Rumsfeld got Nutrasweet approved back in the day, even though it was shown in lab results to kill animals, put holes in the brains of mice, etc..

Splenda and nutrasweet are 2 chemicals that should not be ingested at all.

Normal "Regular" soda will be sweetened with high fructose corn syrup which also contains substances that trick your body into thinking its hungry, inducing you to eat more..

Some sodas out there are sweetened with just regular cane sugar.. (Jones Soda, 7-11 Big Gulp Cola, etc.) and those are much better for you than the ones with corn syrup.

Sugar and other empty calories will consume Vitamin B in your body, so there are issues you might want to compensate for. (weighlifting, putting on muscle mass, etc) You need B vitamins for protein synthesis, etc.

There are whole grain sugars you can buy which are very nutritious and good for you.

----------


## satchelmcqueen

diet has aspartame in it which is very bad stuff. regular doesnt. other than that i dont know.


speaking of aspartame, google how it was causing cancer in monkeys and proven to cause all kinds of serious problems in humans but was finally allowed anyway, thanks to.......donald rumsfeld.

----------


## Uriel999

Actually if you really crave a coke buy mexican coke which is sold at Sam's Club. It is made with cane sugar. It tastes way better than corn syrup made American coke and real sugar is better than that $#@!. But at the same time remember sugar only in moderation. Consider a coke a desert like treat.

----------


## TastyWheat

If you're really looking to improve your health then don't drink any kind of soda (except in moderation).  Soda is never a good replacement for water or juice (though juice should also be drank in moderation because of high sugar content).

----------


## anaconda

> No carbonation


What's wrong with carbonation?

----------


## anaconda

> Do not go near aspartame


I believe aspartame was originally created as an ant poison. Check out the relationship between Donald Rumsfeld and FDA approval of aspartame in 1981. It's a real hoot.

----------


## Original_Intent

> I believe aspartame was originally created as an ant poison. Check out the relationship between Donald Rumsfeld and FDA approval of aspartame in 1981. It's a real hoot.


Wasn't Rumsfeld the president of the company that developed aspartame at the time it got FDA approval?

----------


## Original_Intent

> What's wrong with carbonation?


Thank you for making me do some research. I have avoided carbonation for a long time because I had "heard" that carbonation was bad for you.

My few minutes of research just now says otherwise, in fact carbonation can be good for you, it is the sweeteners (artificial or otherwise) and the caffeine that needs to be watched.

----------


## heavenlyboy34

btw...if you want a "fizzy" drink, try sparkling cider or perrier instead of soda.

----------


## Matt Collins

> Actually if you really crave a coke buy mexican coke which is sold at Sam's Club.


Is it an actual Coca-Cola? Or is it something else? What is the specific name and UPC of the product? I would be interested in trying it sometime.

----------


## Chester Copperpot

> Actually if you really crave a coke buy mexican coke which is sold at Sam's Club. It is made with cane sugar. It tastes way better than corn syrup made American coke and real sugar is better than that $#@!. But at the same time remember sugar only in moderation. Consider a coke a desert like treat.


Im going to go check this out today... thats a good idea if thats the case.

----------


## Chester Copperpot

Ive also heard there is one Dr. Pepper bottling facility in Texas that still uses the original ingredients with just sugar, and its a place where you can bring in your own bottles and they will fill them up with soda for you... Not any good for me out here but if youre in Texas....

----------


## tonesforjonesbones

I recently read that Pepsi is working on using stevia in their diet drinks due to low sales..and more interest in health...that is fabulous!  tones (I use stevia..it's great)

----------


## brandon

> Is it an actual Coca-Cola? Or is it something else? What is the specific name and UPC of the product? I would be interested in trying it sometime.


It's Coca Cola. The Coca-Cola made in Mexico uses sugar and the Coca-Cola made in USA uses HFCS.

The reason is because sugar in the US sells for nearly twice the price of sugar on the world market due to government intervention.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/christensen1.html

----------


## anaconda

> Wasn't Rumsfeld the president of the company that developed aspartame at the time it got FDA approval?


http://www.newswithviews.com/NWVexcl...xclusive15.htm

----------


## Uriel999

> Is it an actual Coca-Cola? Or is it something else? What is the specific name and UPC of the product? I would be interested in trying it sometime.


It's real coke and has the same name. They come in the classic glass bottle though I would imagine they might come in cans in Mexico as well. I dunno the UPC, my dad gets em, I just drink them.

----------


## Matt Collins

> It's real coke and has the same name. They come in the classic glass bottle though I would imagine they might come in cans in Mexico as well. I dunno the UPC, my dad gets em, I just drink them.





> It's Coca Cola. The Coca-Cola made in Mexico uses sugar and the Coca-Cola made in USA uses HFCS.
> 
> The reason is because sugar in the US sells for nearly twice the price of sugar on the world market due to government intervention.


As I'm walking through Sam's how will I be able to distinguish the difference between US Coke and Mexican Coke? Also, is there a noticeable taste difference? Keep in mind I haven't had anything to drink other than water in bout 2 years. I gave up Cokes a while back.





.

----------


## Matt Collins

> http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/christensen1.html


Damn educational read BTW

----------


## Dr.3D

> It's real coke and has the same name. They come in the classic glass bottle though I would imagine they might come in cans in Mexico as well. I dunno the UPC, my dad gets em, I just drink them.


The last I knew, Mexico doesn't put soda in cans.  All of the soda I ever found in Mexico was in reusable bottles.   They like to recycle things there.

You might find some for export in cans though... hard to say for sure.

----------


## satchelmcqueen

> I believe aspartame was originally created as an ant poison. Check out the relationship between Donald Rumsfeld and FDA approval of aspartame in 1981. It's a real hoot.


yes , its a real hoot as to how these same crooked people always get the higher up jobs no matter what.

corruption always allows for corrupt people.

----------


## satchelmcqueen

> btw...if you want a "fizzy" drink, try sparkling cider or perrier instead of soda.


now call me stupid but what is perrier? wine or sort of like ginger al? (sp????)

----------


## satchelmcqueen

> As I'm walking through Sam's how will I be able to distinguish the difference between US Coke and Mexican Coke? Also, is there a noticeable taste difference? Keep in mind I haven't had anything to drink other than water in bout 2 years. I gave up Cokes a while back.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


good for you. i gave up all cokes and related products for about a year and man was it good. i slept beter and i could actually dream again and wanted to go to bed around 9 or 10 no matter what. i caved due to my wife and started drinking cokes again out of them just being in the fridge. i envy you.

----------


## Andrew Ryan

I love soda. Regular ftw.

----------


## AggieforPaul

I admit that I drink a lot of coke zero. I used to have regular soda, but I dont want the empty calories. I drink a lot of milk and water also though.

----------


## Matt Collins

When I stopped drining Cokes, about a week later I noticed everything changed taste. Everything that I ate tasted noticeably different.

----------


## Matt Collins

> i envy you. i caved due to my wife and started drinking cokes again out of them just being in the fridge.


you have a wife....I envy you...

----------


## heavenlyboy34

> you have a wife....I envy you...


The grass is not necessarily greener on the marriage side of the fence.

----------


## heavenlyboy34

> When I stopped drining Cokes, about a week later I noticed everything changed taste. Everything that I ate tasted noticeably different.


I hope you're enjoying your new taste sense.

----------


## heavenlyboy34

> I admit that I drink a lot of coke zero. I used to have regular soda, but I dont want the empty calories. I drink a lot of milk and water also though.


You drink the breast milk of moo-cows?

----------


## torchbearer

Jones Cola.

----------


## Chester Copperpot

> Jones Cola.


Im stealing your sig line brent.. Some people need to see that.

----------


## Matt Collins

> The grass is not necessarily greener on the marriage side of the fence.


When one is 26 and single, yes it is.

----------


## torchbearer

> Im stealing your sig line brent.. Some people need to see that.


i think it is helpful to understand what the law books state.

----------


## Matt Collins

> i think it is helpful to understand what the law books state.


Who wrote your signature?

----------


## torchbearer

> Who wrote your signature?


not sure, it was published here: American Jurisprudence 2nd Edition, Volume 16, Section 178 
not sure who originally wrote it. Contact the editors of american jurisprudence.

----------


## Anti Federalist

You can also buy Kosher Coke, without HFCS:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PASSOVER-KOSHER-...QQcmdZViewItem

The key is, look for the yellow cap with kosher markings.

Bottom line: if you must drink carbonated soda, stay away from HFCS and *especially* aspartame.

----------


## The_Orlonater

> Is it an actual Coca-Cola? Or is it something else? What is the specific name and UPC of the product? I would be interested in trying it sometime.


Mexican soda is better than American soda, but I don't like to drink soda.

I'll stick with beer and tea.

----------


## H Roark

I was listening to NPR the other day and they had a story about high-fructose corn syrup vs regular table sugar.  The scientific studies cited conclude that high-fructose corn syrup isn't any worse than regular table sugar!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=98657403 <--- listen to the segment

----------


## brandon

> I was listening to NPR the other day and they had a story about high-fructose corn syrup vs regular table sugar.  The scientific studies cited conclude that high-fructose corn syrup isn't any worse than regular table sugar!
> 
> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=98657403 <--- listen to the segment


Yea I heard that live the other day.

My main problem is that HFCS tastes like $#@! compared to sugar, and HFCS is forced on us by government intervention.

----------


## Agent CSL

Tea > Tea/Juice (without sugar) > Water > Juices (w/sugar NOT HFCS) > org.milk > Soda > Liquid de-icing salt > diet soda

----------


## decatren

don't forget that over 90% of corn in the US is genetically modified.

----------


## kathy88

> btw...if you want a "fizzy" drink, try sparkling cider or perrier instead of soda.


perrier is the $#@!

----------


## heavenlyboy34

> perrier is the $#@!


QFT!!  I like the lime kind best.  You?

----------


## kathy88

Lime as well  Or the regular with a chunk of real lime

----------


## american.swan

> I admit that I drink a lot of coke zero. I used to have regular soda, but I dont want the empty calories. I drink a lot of milk and water also though.


I grew up drinking a LOT of water down cow's milk.  

But looking back on it,  I am not a baby cow. 

And I had a math teacher in high school ask students why they ate chicken menstration.

The FDA is a mess and needs to be eliminated, but I have to say their nutritional guidelines are pretty good, vegetarian.

----------


## BCR_9er

Diet is by far worse than regular, but regular is really bad too.  You should avoid drinking pop overall.  Drink water (non-fluoridated of course ).

----------


## Rael

Diet is better than regular IMO.

I have "heard" that artificial sweeteners are bad for you but I have not seen any proof. But I do know that refined sugar is bad for you. Sugar is worse than fat due to the insulin spike you get. Regular soda is full of empty calories.

A pound of fat has 3500 calories. If you drink 2 100 calorie sodas a day that comes out to 3500 calories every 17.5 days. That extra weight is real bodily harm, not some theoretical "bad for you" that you have "heard" can come from artificial sweeteners.

Also the idea that water is vastly superior to diet soda or even regular soda does not make sense. Think about it. It is all mixed up inside you and the water is separated. Whether you are ingesting other ingredients in solid food form or mixed in the liquid, it all gets separated from the water.

----------


## tmosley

> Diet is better than regular IMO.
> 
> I have "heard" that artificial sweeteners are bad for you but I have not seen any proof. But I do know that refined sugar is bad for you. Sugar is worse than fat due to the insulin spike you get. Regular soda is full of empty calories.
> 
> A pound of fat has 3500 calories. If you drink 2 100 calorie sodas a day that comes out to 3500 calories every 17.5 days. That extra weight is real bodily harm, not some theoretical "bad for you" that you have "heard" can come from artificial sweeteners.
> 
> Also the idea that water is vastly superior to diet soda or even regular soda does not make sense. Think about it. It is all mixed up inside you and the water is separated. Whether you are ingesting other ingredients in solid food form or mixed in the liquid, it all gets separated from the water.


Yeah, everybody here is scared $#@!less of "chemicals" in their body, despite the fact that their entire body is made up of chemicals.  All artificial sweeteners have been extensively tested for toxicity and have been shown not to have any at any reasonable dose (toxic effects start to appear at something like 100-200 grams per day of Splenda, which is tens of thousands of packets EVERY DAY).

With the amount of study that has been done on the subject, you would be better off consuming Splenda than you would Stevia (which has inconclusive toxicity studies, sometimes being shown to be a weak mutagen, and sometimes testing normally--which is worrying).

I personally would say that water is far better, though, due purely to the high acid content of sodas, which can cause tooth decay (both directly and by encouraging the growth of plaque).  As for HFCS, some studies have shown that it reduces the feeling of fullness, leading to overeating, while other studies have indicated that it is little different from sucrose.  The latter studies were funded by institutions with financial interests in the matter, so the results are somewhat suspect.  More research is needed.  That said, I would avoid it and go with cane sugar, or a Splenda sweetened soft drink instead.  All the soft drinks I take these days are mexican sodas (made with cane sugar), and Coke Zero (made with Splenda--tastes better than diet, and doesn't leave the nasty aftertaste I get with HFCS sodas).

----------


## Birdlady

All artificial sweeteners give me severe migraines. It took me years to figure out what was causing it because my mother went on a "health kick".  There was some form of artificial sweetener in almost everything we ate.  It was in the sodas, bread, salad dressings, gum, mints and even maple syrup we used.  I had no idea.  Finally when I lived on my own and could make my own food choices is when I correlated the severe migraines to aspartame and splenda use.  I haven't touch the crap since and I haven't had a severe migraine since.  HFCS also gives me a headache. 

I don't particular care for the flavor of stevia. I've even grown my own and I hate how it tastes. yuck! Xylitol from birch is pretty good though.  You have to be careful with xylitol now though because they are making it from GMO corn. 

There have been plenty of studies showing the dangers in aspartame use.  I figure in 5-10 years it will come out in mainstream news how it caused brain tumors.  They are in the process of switching to stevia in diet sodas.  Once it is all switched over, then they can admit aspartame was bad.

----------


## HOLLYWOOD

> It's Coca Cola. The Coca-Cola made in Mexico uses sugar and the Coca-Cola made in USA uses HFCS.
> 
> The reason is because sugar in the US sells for nearly twice the price of sugar on the world market due to government intervention.
> 
> http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/christensen1.html


Gotta love the CORN Growers of America! The #1 lobbying gang in Ag!

*http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/has-the-corn-fructose-lobby-begun-to-sound-like-the-tobacco-industry.html*

Ethanol: $6 Billion in subsidies...

*http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0512/p08s01-comv.html*

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Propaganda Ad #1

Did you know it take HCL (ACID) to process corn into HFCS?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbRxTOyGf0

Then there's KING CORN:

*http://kingcorn.net/blog/*

----------

