Addicted to Diet Coke?Anyone?

[juan ruiz]

My family and friends have some concerns about my daily amount of Diet Coke that I consume during the day, in a "slow" day ,I will drink a 6 pack but I can easily cruise to 12-20 cans a day at any giving time, I will go weeks without drinking water and if I drink 4 glasses of water in a month that may be a lot.

For some reason I just don't like the taste of the water period, I know I have to stop this drinking habit but what I'm going to replace it with??

Anyone has a similar problem?

[M.D. Holloway]

The Dangers of Diet Coke, Pepsi and Other Diet Foods

A better alternative to Aspartame is Stevia Sweetner, which comes from leaf and is 100% natural. It can be found at eHealthSupplies.com or Wisdom Natural Brands.

(The foregoing article is from Dr. Whitaker’s March 2000 vol. 12 No. 3.
You can subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s Health & Healing by calling 800/539- 8219 or go to Dr. Whitaker - Home Page)

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Artificial sweeteners are marketed with the promise of weight control, and the vast majority of people who consume them do so to either lose or avoid gaining weight. Folks, this is a fraud of gigantic proportions.

From 1960 to l976, there was virtually no change in the number of Americans who were overweight: roughly 24 percent of the population. However, from the mid l980s to the present, this number has more than doubled to 54 percent! This coincides with the massive infusion of noncaloric chemical sweeteners and sugar-free “diet” foods that are eaten by close to three-quarters of the adult population.

Although several factors contribute to these alarming statistics, I am convinced that our blind acceptance of the most popular of these artificial sweeteners, aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful), plays a significant role in our current weight problems. Far from helping us lose weight, aspartame has been proven to increase appetite, especially cravings for sweets. Imagine “diet” products that help you pack on extra pounds! And aspartame’s downside doesn’t end with weight gain: This sweetener is associated with multiple health problems.

ASPARTAME MAY CAUSE A VARIETY OF DISEASES
Since aspartame came on the market in l981, it has accounted for more than 75 percent of the complaints reported in the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. The most common adverse reactions attributed to aspartame are headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, slurred speech and vision problems. This cluster of symptoms has become so common that it is actually referred to as “aspartame disease”.

Even more serious disorders have a suspected link with aspartame. Is it an accident that the incidence of brain tumors has increased by 10% since l975? John W. Olney, MD, of the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis believes there may be a link between the two. In an article published in The Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, he notes that animal studies reveal high levels of brain tumors in aspartame-fed rats. According to Dr. Olney, recent findings show that aspartame has mutagenic (cancer-causing) potential, and the sharp rise in malignant brain tumors coincides with the increased use of aspartame.

Could serious seizures and vision loss somehow be associated with the sweetener? The U.S. Navy and Air Force published articles in Navy Physiology and Flying Safety with this warning: “several researchers have found aspartame can increase the frequency of seizures, or lower the stimulation necessary to induce them. This means a pilot who drinks diet sodas is more susceptible to flicker vertigo, or to flicker-induced epileptic activity. It also means that all pilots are potential victims of sudden memory loss, dizziness during instrument flight, and gradual loss of vision.”

What about multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and other mood disorders? I have reviewed scores of documented cases of patients with symptoms so severe that they were mistakenly diagnosed with one of these conditions, only to have all signs of disease completely vanish after getting off aspartame.

THE FDA IGNORES SAFETY CONCERNS
Yet the FDA has chosen to turn a deaf ear to repeated requests by scientists, physicians, and consumers to review aspartame’s safety.

Aspartame has spelled trouble from the get-go. The unique property of this chemical, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, was accidently discovered in l965 by a chemist trying to develop an ulcer drug. Although the FDA rescinded its initial approval because of studies showing that it caused seizures and brain tumors in lab animals, the agency eventually capitulated to political and monetary pressure and in l981 gave aspartame the stamp of approval. In doing so, this bureaucracy overrode the 3-0 decision of a Public Board of Inquiry, which had reviewed the scientific data and had recommended delaying approval pending further studies on the sweetener’s link with brain cancer.

In the intervening years, safety concerns have mushroomed. Ralph G. Walton, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, reviewed all the studies on aspartame and found 166 with relevance for human safety. Every one of the 74 studies funded by the aspartame industry gave it a clean bill of health, while 92 percent of those independently funded revealed safety problems.

ASPARTAME CAN UPSET BRAIN CHEMISTRY
Once you understand a bit about the chemistry of aspartame, you’ll see why it can cause so many problems.

Aspartame is comprised of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartic acid acts as an “excitatory” neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, in the brain, stimulating neurons to fire. Problems can arise when aspartic acid is out of balance with “inhibitory” amino acids that calm things down. Phenylalanine also easily enters the brain, where it is transformed into neurotransmitters that can further interfere with normal brain function.

This is a likely reason why aspartame lowers the threshold for seizures, mood disorders, and other nervous system problems. This altered brain chemistry may also be responsible for the addictive nature of aspartame. Some patients report that getting off diet soda takes more willpower than giving up cigarettes!

A LITTLE MOONSHINE FOR YOU?
The remaining component, which makes up 10 percent of aspartame, may be the most dangerous part. It is a methyl ester that breaks down after ingestion into methanol, a nervous system toxin also known as free methyl alcohol or wood alcohol. Methanol is extremely harmful to the optic nerve. A main ingredient in “moonshine” it was notorious during Prohibition for causing blindness. Methanol is rapidly released into the bloodstream, where it is further metabolized into other harmful components, including formaldehyde (a known neurotoxin and carcinogen) and formic acid (the poison in ant stings).

Is it any wonder that many of the symptoms of “aspartame disease” are neurological and visual? Drinking a diet soda or two (and I’ve had patients who drink at least a liter a day) delivers a powerful chemical rush with decidedly negative effects. With this kind of questionable history, who would want to consume this artificial chemical, particularly when there are natural and healthy sweeteners available?

(The foregoing article is from Dr. Whitaker’s March 2000 vol. 12 No. 3.
You can subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s Health & Healing by calling 800/539- 8219 or go to Dr. Whitaker - Home Page)

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[Dave L]

My aunt's nick name in school was Pepsi, she would consume it like you wouldnt belive. I think her consumption was similar to what you describe. She wasnt the healthiest woman, she had poor eating habits and smoking for a number of years certainly didnt help. At 62 she died leaving behind her husband, a pregnant daughter and a son.

perhaps diet coke is better but I dont think its doing anything great for your health

[Dueller]

I am not a health nut by any stretch of the imagination and I too had a DC "addiction." Or maybe just a habit. Wifey was concerned about my intake, similar to yours.

I began drinking flavored waters since plain water wasn't doing it for me. Worked out great...after a few days I no longer missed the DC...have one occasionally now but really like the water better. I will say this...almost immesdiately I noticed I was able to sleep more soundly...just feel healthier and more alert now. I also lost about 10lbs since I started drinking the water.

YMMV

[Gogar]

In college I was drinking about 6 DP a day.

These days I'm down to about 2; coffee is my thing now.

Aspartame and also the 'caramel coloring' are bad stuff.

Water is pretty amazing stuff. When I get on a water kick I too can lose about 5 lbs in a week.

[bivenator]

12 to 20 cans IMHO is excessive. You could be setting yourself up for a trip to the cardiologist with heart arrythmias if you keep up that amount of caffeine comsumption.

[JJ 911SC]

Was drinking about 4 liters a day.

Also was going for "pipi" all the time. I saw a specialist, they check the "tube" and could not explain why until she saw me with a can of diet coke. She ask me how much of that "crap" I was drinking? I told her and she said that was it.

Never had another Diet Coke since (15 years ago).

Got married 14 years ago, and now I go "pipi" all the time because of the wine I drink... Also did not have a gray hair before I got married.

Feel free to draw your own conclusion... But if it was not for her, I would not be on this board.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by Dave L

My aunt's nick name in school was Pepsi,

Dave

Was she from Quebec by any chance?

[Dueller]

All this chemical talk made me look at my flavored water ingredients...Sucralose is the sweetener used. Wiki'd it....seems to be relatively safe compare to aspartame:

Sucralose - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[VincentVega]

I drink way too much diet coke. Lately started drinking coffee in the am, that's helped quite a bit. The thing is, the only way I like coffee is with a splenda.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by Chris Martin

I drink way too much diet coke. Lately started drinking coffee in the am, that's helped quite a bit. The thing is, the only way I like coffee is with a splenda.

Splenda is sucralose.

[t951]

My wife is truly addicted to it. No joke.

When I did an experiment and cut her off for one week she had actual withdrawal symptoms. (headaches, etc).

We thought it may be a caffeine withdrawal so she had coffee, tea.....all to no effect.

After the 6th day or so she was all normal again. On the 7th day, she habitually cracked open a can at work. She said it was soooo good. And now we are back to her diet coke habit.

Seriously, i think the aspartame is addictive. It can't be good.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by Chris Martin

I drink way too much diet coke. Lately started drinking coffee in the am, that's helped quite a bit. The thing is, the only way I like coffee is with a splenda.

Same here, 3 packet of Splenda per coffee (3 large Tom Horton in the morning)... slightly wired.

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

Dave

Was she from Quebec by any chance?

Sudbury, close enough

[Gogar]

Yeah, Juan; 12-20 cans a day is going to fk you up.

No, really. It's going to fk you up.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by Dave L

Sudbury, close enough

Pepsi outsell Coke 4 to 1 in Quebec.

You need a lot of "Joe Louis" to go with that... lol

[rattlsnak]

My wife says its fine to drink up to 40 cans a day of Coke...

Pepsi on the other hand is VERY bad for you...

(oh yeah, did i mention the fact that she works in off premise sales for coca cola?)

[juan ruiz]

Thank you guys some REALLY good points here, I do appreciate the feedback and maybe this will help me against this habit, I started this about 5 years ago when I did the Atkins diet ( another bad thing) and never put the can down

Some of the very good point that you guys mention.

1- Sleep- if I sleep 5 hours thats a lot, I never sleep more than 2 hours in a row due to the fact that I have to go to the toilet, I have been to 5 urologist and the last one was not fun, so maybe this is my first problem all along.

2- Weight gain- I think this has also influence in my weight gain.

3- According to Mama between flipping over in bed like a cheeseburger and the snoring she wont sleep in our room any longer.

how do I kill this habit?

[sammyg2]

Maybe you could just like .... not drink that crap?
that might solve your problem.

[Z-man]

I drink too much diet soda myself. More than 2 liters a day. As a diabetic, it seems that diet soda satisfies my sweet-tooth without the carbs, and is readily available. I suppose that I am addicted to the stuff, and need to cut back.

On days where I don't drink any soda, I get the withdrawl symptoms - headaches, primarily.

I recently read an article on the effect of soft drinks - Link to article.

I guess I need to make a plan to stop drinking this stuff too....

-Z-man.