I think Bill Clinton was the one celebrity who is responsible for the free advertising of diet coke but he sure is not the icon for healthy eating habits! All these discussions are still debatable and quite controversial. I have seen people swear by diet coke and will not touch regular coke and I have also seen parents just snatch and pour out the cups if they see their kids even touching the diet coke. I guess my blog will not solve this controversy but maybe give some clarity in this issue? So lets see how the coke v/s diet coke compare? What's really in these drinks other than empty calories?
Coke and Diet Coke have no apparent difference between them. They have exactly the same ingredients, carbonated water, color, food acids, acesulphame potassium, preservative and of course caffeine. The main difference is the artificial sweeteners 'aspartame'. The other difference is the calorie count of the sugar in the regular coke which actually takes up the calorie count more than anything else. We are not really discussing the sugar content here so we will look more into the 'artificial sweetener' which is more controversial.
Coke and Diet Coke have no apparent difference between them. They have exactly the same ingredients, carbonated water, color, food acids, acesulphame potassium, preservative and of course caffeine. The main difference is the artificial sweeteners 'aspartame'. The other difference is the calorie count of the sugar in the regular coke which actually takes up the calorie count more than anything else. We are not really discussing the sugar content here so we will look more into the 'artificial sweetener' which is more controversial.
- Aspartame/Nutrasweet is not very sweet in itself, that may be why the brand 'Equal' adds Dextrose (sugar) and maltodextrin so that it can tastes sweet.
- Aspartame is actually a brain drug that stimulates your brain so you think that the food you're eating tastes sweet. This may be why Aspartame causes you to crave more carbohydrates and some diet coke drinkers may actually have a slightly bigger waist line? Another reason for that bigger waist line also may be that some of the folks who have thought of switching to diet may have other unhealthy eating habits?
- Aspartame (aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester) breaks down to its poison constituents at 86 degrees (Aspartic Acid 40%, Phenylalanine 50%, and Methanol 10%). Remember your stomach is at 98.6 degrees! Therefore you should never use Aspartame/Nutrasweet in hot beverages or cooked foods.
- Aspartame 10% Methanol appears in the body quickly and is the same alcohol (wood alcohol also in lacquer thinner), which is a little better than "moon shine"?
I also found a few studies which were talking about Aspartame causing neurological damage, obsessive compulsive disorder, brain tumors in rats, muscle fatigues, breathing issues, irregular cardiac rhythms and so much more but I just didn't want to be so biased. Also some of these studies were not so substantiated. After all, FDA has still approved its use in human consumption so why worry? Hmm.....
A lot of these 'facts' are also based on the the quantity of Aspartame consumed in a day and we will need to drink at least 10 of these diet drinks in a day to have some of the ill effects mentioned. It again all comes down to my consistent advice of 'controlled portions'!
A lot of these 'facts' are also based on the the quantity of Aspartame consumed in a day and we will need to drink at least 10 of these diet drinks in a day to have some of the ill effects mentioned. It again all comes down to my consistent advice of 'controlled portions'!
I read so many studies regarding this topic that now I think I can write a thesis on this which also prompted me to keep this concise to avoid even more confusion. A can of coke, once in a while is fine, even then go for the regular coke v/s diet because why go for something which is so controversial? And if you portion control then there is nothing really to worry about anyways.
So generally speaking, to reach our quota of water consumption in a day we need to have at least 6-8 glasses of water. After that milk, green or black tea, which is essentially water, then juices and then the preferred drink is coffee as long as it does not make you a 'hyper godzilla'. Coke should come last in this list.
~Dr. V
P.S. After I wrote my article, I found this published in Mens Health magazine: Here is that article 'verbatim' by Kiara Aaron.....It gives a little more insight on this topic!
"Put down the diet soda and low-fat grilled cheese! The imposters might trick you into eating more later, according to new research.
So generally speaking, to reach our quota of water consumption in a day we need to have at least 6-8 glasses of water. After that milk, green or black tea, which is essentially water, then juices and then the preferred drink is coffee as long as it does not make you a 'hyper godzilla'. Coke should come last in this list.
~Dr. V
P.S. After I wrote my article, I found this published in Mens Health magazine: Here is that article 'verbatim' by Kiara Aaron.....It gives a little more insight on this topic!
"Put down the diet soda and low-fat grilled cheese! The imposters might trick you into eating more later, according to new research.
In a recent Purdue University study, rats that consumed a mix of low-fat diet chips plus regular, high-fat chips gained significantly more fat than rats that only consumed high-fat chips.
We’ve seen this happen in humans—the “I’m allowed to eat more because it’s low-fat” effect. But of course rats aren’t capable of this mentality. So why did they eat more? Hormones.
“Normally, the taste of fat would signal to the body the arrival of a lot of calories,” says Susie Swithers, Ph.D., professor at Purdue University, and author of the study. “The body prepares for these calories by releasing hormones that play a role in digestion and tell you to stop eating.” If your 150-calorie low-fat ice cream tastes exactly like last week’s 1,000-calorie banana split, your body won’t know how to react appropriately and might release inadequate levels of hormones, making you eat more.
The bottom line: Turning to substitutes like artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes isn’t the way to go because they can lead to overeating, says Swithers.
Good news: You can also trick your body into eating less by slowing down, instead of chowing down. Eating slowly can boost the hormones that make you feel fuller, according to Greek researchers. Put down your fork after each bite to force yourself to slow down."
