# I'm going to quit drinking diet soda



## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Okay, I switched from regular soda to diet to be more healthy. Now...it seems like I've made a worse choice, because the artificial sweeteners are raising hell with me.

I had two Diet Rites today, and half of a bottle of Diet Pepsi. I've never had so much ringing in my ears as I have today, plus stomach aches, acid reflux, eye problems (dry eyes, blurred vision, pain in eyes.) I *know *it's all from the soda, because I normally don't have ringing in my ears (even after going to a loud rock concert.)

I have put the diet sodas in the fridge, and there they will stay, until I have guests over that want to drink them. I won't. Now I've cut out regular soda, diet soda, and coffee...seems like there's a limited amount of things to drink. Guess I'm switching over to Iced Tea, lots of water, fruit juice, and wine/beer.

But not too much of any of it, especially the Wine/Beer. I don't need to become an alcoholic. Everything in moderation.


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## mind_games (Nov 30, 2008)

How about we count you down to a month of you keeping this goal?


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

No, I am serious. Sugar makes me feel terrible, Aspertame and Splenda makes me feel terrible. I'd rather drink boring water than feel sick all the time.


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## coldsorehighlighter (Jun 2, 2010)

Good luck to you. I, for one, am not strong enough.


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

i find it funny reading that people are "not strong enough" to not drink these disgusting drinks. i stopped drinking soda years ago when i realized that water and fruit juice tasted much better.


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## coldsorehighlighter (Jun 2, 2010)

Recipe For Disaster said:


> i find it funny reading that people are "not strong enough" to not drink these disgusting drinks. i stopped drinking soda years ago when i realized that water and fruit juice tasted much better.


Caffeine is a tough habit to kick. I used to think it was a joke that it was considered a drug, but now I know. When I try to go without it, I get really irritable, depressed, headaches...they say it only lasts a week or so but I have an impossible time reaching 4 or 5 days.


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## the Prince of nowhere (Aug 11, 2010)

Huh!? 

Diet Soda causes ringing in ears? I've been experiencing that for the past 3 days. 

but I've been drinking diet for 3 years, 2-a-day and never had ear ringing before.

If I stop drinking diet soda will it go away?! or do I have to stop drinking soda all-together?


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

I'll quit my Caffeine Free Diet Coke when you pry the bottle from my cold dead hands.

I don't smoke or drink. It's all I have.


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## 4realguy (Mar 11, 2010)

aspartame and slenda are pretty bad your better off drinking the regular pop, and everyone is different i stopped drinking pop along time ago and it wasnt a big thing for me, but i have known people that have tryed to stop but have a really hard time just depends on the person.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Aspartame is harmless.

What people don't realise is that aspartame is nothing more than a dipeptide of aspartic acid and a form of phenylalanine. Both substances are present in large quantities in most diets. The only difference between consuming aspartame and consuming both of the substances on their own is the metabolism, which in the case of aspartame can release a small amount of methanol (practically harmless levels, you probably get more from a glass of wine).

All of the supposed side-effects of aspartame are probably more placebo effects from reading too much quackery from bad doctors who have anti-aspartame agendas and probably get cheques from the sugar industry every month.


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## solasum (Nov 17, 2008)

I _totally_ understand. Aspartame has caused deleterious effects on me as well as my parents. Many years ago, they used to drink diet soda. They also had serious migraines at the same time, which stopped once they quit drinking diet after their doctors told them to. Strangely, the same thing happens to me when I drink a few diet drinks. I used to chew a lot of gum with aspartame in it, too, but stopped because even the bit in the gum caused headaches for me. Headache-free since I've stopped consuming that chemical.


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Actually, both Aspertame and Splenda are linked to ant poison. You can poison an ant using both chemicals.

I don't know about you, but something that can poison a rat, I don't want to put in my body.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

There is no toxicity associated with aspartame that isn't associated with it's metabolites, which are already found in vast quantities in "normal" food.

Aspartic acid does have some potential excitotoxicity because of it's NMDA (N-methyl-D-_aspartic acid_) agonism, but unless it's consumed in ridiculous quantities, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. It's not necessary to have it in your diet because you can synthesise it, but it's pretty hard to avoid unless you're a vegetarian. Would you rather be B12 deficient, or consume a relatively harmless amount of aspartic acid?

People have similar hysteria about glutamates (MSG especially, because it's the one most commonly used as a food additive, and people are hysteric about those), which are even more potent excitotoxins than aspartic acid, and they are even harder to avoid than aspartic acid, seeing as almost all food contains glutamic acid. Unless you eat a kilogram of MSG every day (probably less, actually, but a large amount anyway), don't expect anything bad to happen.

Phenylalanine is pretty much harmless unless you have phenylketonuria, which if you've survived to adulthood on a normal diet, you _don't_.

And once again, methanol produced by aspartame metabolism is insignificant.

So yes, aspartame can be toxic IF YOU CONSUME ENOUGH OF IT, but you probably wouldn't be able to consume enough to do any serious damage unless you added enough of it to make you gag to every single meal.

If you're really worried, take a low dose of an NMDA antagonist with every meal that includes high levels of glutamates or aspartic acid... or you could stop listening to quack doctors who exaggerate the dangers of everything to get attention 

You're probably better off drinking diet stuff than the sugary stuff, because unlike aspartame (which is normally only present in small amounts, because it's so sweet), large amounts of sugars are proven to be harmful. If you want sugar, eat some fruit.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

MSG has been researched to death is completely harmless, ^^ very good post, i agree 100% with everything you said.


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

I'm not imagining the ear ringing or dry eyes. They go away after I stop drinking diet soda.

Also, Splenda gives me diarrhea. How do you explain that?


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## Squizzy (Dec 21, 2004)

I stopped drinking soda years ago, it is very hard for a little while but afterwards it gets really easy. Soda is so acidic and doesn't really taste that good, plus I just imagine it eating away at my teeth. Bleh. There is no way I want that stuff anymore. Nowadays even juice is too sweet for me. Plus the caffeine really makes my anxiety x10 worse. 

You can do it!!


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## Rixy (Oct 4, 2009)

I agree with Squizzy. Soda tastes disgusting after a while.


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## layitontheline (Aug 19, 2009)

I used to drink pop daily but now I almost never have any. I'm convinced that it makes me break out and whether that's true or not, I feel gross drinking it now anyways. It can be quite addicting so I understand that it'll be tough to quit, but after a while you'll lose the cravings. Good luck.


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## BetaBoy90 (Jan 5, 2010)

Yeah congratulations for trying this, pop is something I never consume anymore. It makes me bloated and feeling like crap.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Where's the evidence that aspartame itself is bad? The only doctors who claim that it's toxic are quacks. Some people might be sensitive/allergic to it, but that doesn't make it toxic.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Being "natural" doesn't really have anything to do with safety or how well things are tolerated, and even if it did, aspartame would still be perfectly ok. It's nothing more than 2 "natural" amino acids bound together in a way that produces a harmless amount of methanol when they become unstuck (to put it very simply). There's nothing inherently toxic about the structure of aspartame in it's "whole" form, and all of the metabolites are found in nature.

Some people might have bad reactions to it or be allergic, but that happens with "natural" foods like cereals too. Gluten sensitivity anyone?

If you have bad reactions to foods, by all means avoid them, but don't be like these guys:










:lol


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

tutliputli said:


> A friend of mine used to get a rash on her face from drinking diet coke. She does have very sensitive skin but it was checked out by a doctor and he found that it was down to aspartame. Something that does that to your face can't be great for you.


Allergy's have also been associated with strawberry's, it has little relevance to the safety of something.


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## tutliputli (Feb 22, 2009)

Ok, I'll STFU.


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

> Aspartic acid does have some potential excitotoxicity because of it's NMDA (N-methyl-D-_aspartic acid_) agonism, but unless it's consumed in ridiculous quantities, there is absolutelyAspartic acid does have some potential excitotoxicity because of it's NMDA (N-methyl-D-_aspartic acid_) agonism, but unless it's consumed in ridiculous quantities, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. It's not necessary to have it in your diet because you can synthesise it, but it's pretty hard to avoid unless you're a vegetarian. Would you rather be B12 deficient, or consume a relatively harmless amount of aspartic acid?
> nothing to be concerned about. It's not necessary to have it in your diet because you can synthesise it, but it's pretty hard to avoid unless you're a vegetarian. Would you rather be B12 deficient, or consume a relatively harmless amount of aspartic acid?


are you suggesting all vegetarians are B12 deficient?


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## Nae (Nov 10, 2003)

From a caloric perspective juice, sweetened tea, beer and wine aren't much better than soda. I find seltzer/sparkling water a good alternative when you want something that's fizzy yet don't want to drink soda. But really, removing all drinks except milk and water (maybe with some lemon) was the best way to go for me - after a while I stopped craving sweet drinks and forgot that I "needed" to derive pleasure from quenching my thirst (best way I can think to explain it at the moment)


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## tutliputli (Feb 22, 2009)

Duke of Prunes said:


> Being "natural" doesn't really have anything to do with safety or how well things are tolerated


That's your opinion. I disagree. :stu


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

tutliputli said:


> That's your opinion. I disagree. :stu


Well, in nature we find substances with low and severe toxiticy, simular with syntetic substances.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

α-aminitin, most chemotherapy drugs (which are derived from plants), botulinum, digoxin, atropine/scopolamine etc...

Not only are many natural compounds toxic, but they're also incredibly unpleasant to be poisoned by. Organisms produce substances like these to KILL THINGS THAT EAT THEM, and if that fails, at least discourage with horrible effects.

I used to know somebody who processed yew trees for the production of the chemotherapy drug docetaxel. They had to wear gas masks at all times when they were drying out the leaves/bark. If you took your mask off and drew just ONE breath of the fumes, you'd be violently sick for hours. A few breaths would probably do some pretty major damage.

Nature isn't your friend.

Likewise, scientists aren't your enemies. I'd rather trust something formulated in a lab for human consumption than substances synthesised by plants with the purpose of KILLING predators.


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

the fact that some substances in nature are toxic does not mean we should ingest synthetic substances. there is nothing inconsistent about the position that one should neither ingest toxic natural substances, nor synthetic compounds. in other words, ingest non toxic, natural substances. 

i would also recommend people trust nature over substances formulated in lab because nature has no conflicts of interest whereas scientists are corrupted by the desire for profit and personal gain.


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## Ego Dead (Dec 3, 2010)

Ive never done "scientific research" on the negative sides of diet soda, but I still think its worse for you then regular soda.

One time I put sugar in a coke zero to sweeten it up, and the what I figured out was surprising, by just putting one teaspoon of sugar in the can it made a fountain of soda start shooting out.

Im going to assume something that reacts that violently to a little sugar is not good to be putting in your body right?


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

I switched back to regular soda. I feel that it's safer to consume than diet soda. 

I still will only have it every once in a while, though.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Enjoy your diluted sugar syrup  To be honest, if you only drink it occasionally, it's not that harmful.


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## jimbo00 (Nov 28, 2010)

ive been drinking liptons light green tea lately. Not the actual tea you boil but the iced tea stuff. sooooooooooo nice and has like 0 sugar/rest of the other crap. way nicer than coke etc.


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