I know drinking water is good for you. Not only to lose weight but for overall health. I rink Dt. Mountain Dew like there is not tomorrow. Do you guys think that would be close to drikning water? The only thing it has in it is 25mg of Sodium (!% od daily value) per 8 oz serving. I know it can't really replace water, but would it have pretty much the same effect? Thanks,

D

I know drinking water is good for you. Not only to lose weight but for overall health. I rink Dt. Mountain Dew like there is not tomorrow. Do you guys think that would be close to drikning water? The only thing it has in it is 25mg of Sodium (!% od daily value) per 8 oz serving. I know it can't really replace water, but would it have pretty much the same effect? Thanks,

D

Im no doctor, but the artificial sweeteners and the citric acid are not beneficial to your diet or health in general.

Im no doctor, but the artificial sweeteners and the citric acid are not beneficial to your diet or health in general.

I read a study a few weeks ago that suggested that over time, the human body may be able to learn to metabolize artificial sweeteners. The advantage to artificial sweeteners is that the body doesn't know how to use them and isn't able to burn them, therefore they're simply bypassed through your system. However, as we all know, the body is amazingly adept at adaptation.

So it makes some sense to me that over time, if you continually expose yourself to artificial sweeteners (i.e., diet sodas or anything else with aspartame, sucrose, stevia, etc...) your body will find a way to use it.

I'd drop the soda and drink water. I like the diet Mt. Dew Code Red... but I think I drink about a can a week of that with my lunch on the weekends... that's about it.

-R

I read that the carbonated (soda)water can dehydrate u. I remember years ago when i used to drink a $&#*load of diet pepsi i was always cramping up. I was drinking alot of water too, ever since i quit, no problemo :)
Timber

Do you remember where you saw that study? I'm always just a little skeptical about findings that go against everything we think now. I would be shocked if humans had the ability to metabolize artificial sweeteners. Also, CL117, why do you think citric acid is not good for you?

I read that the carbonated (soda)water can dehydrate u. I remember years ago when i used to drink a $&#*load of diet pepsi i was always cramping up. I was drinking alot of water too, ever since i quit, no problemo :)
Timber

I have heard the same thing about soft drinks. Actually that it is a diuretic. I have read that the body will become accustomed to drinking it after some time and it will no longer dehydrate you.

I know drinking water is good for you. Not only to lose weight but for overall health. I rink Dt. Mountain Dew like there is not tomorrow. Do you guys think that would be close to drikning water? The only thing it has in it is 25mg of Sodium (!% od daily value) per 8 oz serving. I know it can't really replace water, but would it have pretty much the same effect? Thanks,

D

Soda can shred your gut ... trust me, I know. I was on Prilosec (back when it was prescription) had MRIs and the works due to horrible stomach pains. The solution? Cutting out soda kept me completely pain-free. Now, just because I had a reaction doesn't mean everyone will ... but if it can happen to one person .... besides, when you figure the carbonic acid can be used to degrease engines, it makes me shudder to think of what it does to my insides.

I personally DO have diet sodas ... as a treat, in moderation. I would never consider making it my primary source of water. Your best bet for hydration is pure water, fruits, and veggies.

Jeremy

I can't find the damn study... it was from an Australian university's website. Oh well.

I should qualify what I said better... the body does break down artificial sweeteners, no matter what. The components it breaks them down into are usable by the body. But... you have to consider that the advantage of artificial sweeteners is that they're hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. They DO have caloric value - but because it takes so little artificial sweetener to do the same job as sugar, it's considered to have no caloric value - and that's not true - the caloric value is there; it's just so low that it's easier to say it has zero calories.

The study was concerned with people who ingest appreciable amounts of artificial sweetener; as I remember, it didn't say anything about the person who drinks one or two diet sodas a week.

Other than the fact that just about anything in large quantities seems to cause cancer of some sort, I doubt a learned ability to metabolize an artificial sweetener is a big deal whether or not it's possible, and with the body's ability to learn, I find it plausible. I try to limit ingestion of anything artificial in my diet with the exception of whole foods.

The caffine can cause problems, look what it does to diabetics. Point: it has effects previously unknown.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=594&ncid=594&e=1&u=/nm/20040726/hl_nm/health_caffeine_dc

I have seen numerous articles on how the artifical sweetners can cause the body to react as if it was a sugar. Those interested can go find them.

Another bad thing about diet soda is that the acid can be hard on the teeth and lead to tooth decay. It's best to just stick with water.

Another bad thing about diet soda is that the acid can be hard on the teeth and lead to tooth decay. It's best to just stick with water.

This is the most damaging aspect of the sodas. There is a website that lists the pH balance of most large commercially available brands and I was surprised that Pepsi products generally top the list as most acidic. (I cannot find the link but I think it was Men's Health) The acidity of the fluid affects the whole plumbing system from the mouth through the kidneys.

I was a 2 litre of pepsi a day guy for many years. My face became so dry from the diuretic effect that I began to get dry scaly patches all over my face. I seldom ever drink soda now opting for water and green/herbal teas. I have read studys that say things like it takes 33 cups of water to replace what 1 can of soda will take out of your body. I don't know if it is really that drastic. but I think I can safely assume that soda is unhealthy enough to not bother with.
Supposedly soda will take water from you to the point that when there is no more to take, it starts sucking the calcium right from your bones.

This is the most damaging aspect of the sodas. There is a website that lists the pH balance of most large commercially available brands and I was surprised that Pepsi products generally top the list as most acidic. (I cannot find the link but I think it was Men's Health) The acidity of the fluid affects the whole plumbing system from the mouth through the kidneys.

A glass of orange juice is more acidic than any soda on the market. If it is acidity that you want to avoid, then you would also be avoiding any citrus juice.

The pH in your stomach is 0.7-1.5 usually, adding 'acidic' drinks raises the pH. If you have reflux, your stomach acid is coming up, and usually hurts. Drinking soft-drinks doesn't hurt, does it?

Andrew.

Caffeine is the diuretic in soda.

Weight watchers actually lets you replace 1/2 of your required water intake per day with caffeine-free soda.

Bluestreak-- Are you talking about the study that was posted on here a few weeks ago?

I think you read it wrong. The link that was posted was from a news website (in India I think) and the article mashed up the study and made it sound as if your body can use the artificial sweeteners. I found the actual study though and the effect is much different.

They found that your body can't tell the difference between real and fake sugar and it messes up the internal calorie counter in your brain. Your body, though, does NOT create calories that are not there.

Don't want to panic anyone into thinking their body is going to use artificial sweeteners just like sugar. ;)

Here is the link...

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/hp/Swithers.research.html

Bluestreak-- Are you talking about the study that was posted on here a few weeks ago?

I didn't read it wrong... that's not the same study. I did read the one you posted before.

Don't want to panic anyone into thinking their body is going to use artificial sweeteners just like sugar.

As I said above, there is a caloric value associated with artificial sweeteners... but it's so low it may as well be zero when used in the tiny quantities necessary to sweeten our foods/drinks. I believe it's aspartame that has just as many calories as sugar. However, since aspartame is estimated at 200 times sweeter than sugar, you get 1/200th of the calories using aspartame to achieve the same sweetness as sugar.

-R

As I said above, there is a caloric value associated with artificial sweeteners... but it's so low it may as well be zero when used in the tiny quantities necessary to sweeten our foods/drinks. I believe it's aspartame that has just as many calories as sugar. However, since aspartame is estimated at 200 times sweeter than sugar, you get 1/200th of the calories using aspartame to achieve the same sweetness as sugar.

-R


Hmm, ok, yes it has a tiny bit of calories, but your body isn't going to create calories that are not there. Correct?

As I said above, there is a caloric value associated with artificial sweeteners... but it's so low it may as well be zero when used in the tiny quantities necessary to sweeten our foods/drinks. I believe it's aspartame that has just as many calories as sugar. However, since aspartame is estimated at 200 times sweeter than sugar, you get 1/200th of the calories using aspartame to achieve the same sweetness as sugar.
-R

If a caloric level is below 5 they can round down to 0 (this is why i think pepsi 1 came out because it really had 6+ calories per serving and they were able to find a loophole and round down to 1 rather than up to 10).
I've heard of that study you're talkin' about Bluestreak, but if I remember correctly it wasn't a very large study and the conclusion was all over the daily news here (yeah, Indiana is THAT boring) for a while.

Also, WickedFaerie: word of advice...don't trust ANYTHING from Purdue! GO HOOSIERS!!! hehe
:p

I've heard of that study you're talkin' about Bluestreak, but if I remember correctly it wasn't a very large study and the conclusion was all over the daily news here (yeah, Indiana is THAT boring) for a while.

To me, the study was junk... it was simply noteworthy because if it's true it's yet another example of the body's ability to adapt. After all, aspartame breaks down into aspartic acid and phenylanaline (sp?). Those are protein precursors, and are substances we naturally ingest in much larger quantities through natural sources like meat. Noodling around, I found that 1-tbsp of sugar has 48 calories. The "equivalent-sweet" amount of aspartame to that 1-tbsp of sugar, assuming that the calorie ratio of sugar:aspartame is 1:1, would have 0.24 calories. You'd have to drink a whole lot of diet soda to rack up calories that way.

-R