Risks of diet coke and aspartimine

[Chippychop]

I drink far too much of it. As Does Dh. Dc aren't allowed it and don't want it. We've told them its nasty stuff and they avoid it. Trouble is I know it's not great for you but I don't really know why. Can you educate me? I do appreciate I drink fat to much of it -in my defencei don't drink hot drinks generally or milk

[MrsMushroom]

the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

[[http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx there's a link with info. It's terrible stuff and you should stop now.

[YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue]

Caffeine is also bad for you in large quantities.

How much do you drink? If a lot you may need to cut down to avoid caffeine withdrawal, rather than going cold turkey.

[Chippychop]

I drink about 4 cans a day. I don't drink coffee or tea or anything else with caffeine in.

[Trills]

The Food Standards Agency says

In the case of aspartame, an adult would have to consume 14 cans of a sugar-free drink every day before reaching the ADI, assuming the sweetener was used in the drink at the maximum permitted level. In practice most drinks use aspartame in combination with other sweeteners so that the level is considerably lower.

(ADI = Acceptable Daily Intake)

[Primrose123]

I drink too much diet coke too, but only the caffeine free type. I don't like tea or coffee (or water really). I'm trying to drink more juice, but I just love diet coke.

I am really trying to cut down.

[YellowAndGreenAndRedAndBlue]

Caffeine intake not High then, so you will probably be fine just stopping.

All processed foods and sweeteners, additives etc are less good for you than not having them. But you are not in freaky eaters territory yet!

[nancerama]

Seriously, ditch all the diet foods and eat sensibly - it's the best thing for your body. Diet versions of foods are almost always crammed with other ingredients that the body struggles to process.

It's fine to eat full fat yogurt. It's fine to eat biscuit and sweet drinks and cheese and just about everything else, so long as you do it sensibly. If you know something is bad for you, just eat a smaller portion, rather than conning yourself you can eat as much "diet" food as you like.

[Chippychop]

I'm trying to drink sparkling water (and squash) but there is something so easy about popping a can open Its the only diet thing I have but I know it's rubbish. I am a great believer of everything In moderation normally but this is my soft spot.

[hiddenhome]

Could you just limit yourself to one can each evening as a treat?

[Primrose123]

Chippychop, me too. I like diet coke. I don't like regular coke at all. I dont drink diet coke as a substitute for regular coke. I don't have anything else low fat or low sugar, I just have small amounts of those things. Diet coke is my weakness though, I love it! I don't have any other unhealthy habits, I don't drink, smoke or take drugs!

[MortifiedAdams]

Thankfully I cant bear the taste of diet coke. I do drink full fat but see it as a treat (because its full fat), so once every three or four days.

I think because its 'diet' people think they can use it as their main drink and its not bad for them.

Ive been nagging dh about aspartame for a long time and he just thinks im batty. Maybe he will listen now its not just me (he is a diet coke addict).

[ilovepowerhoop]

I dont think Mercola is a reputable site to get information from and many of his theories have been discredited.

www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/are-artificial-sweeteners-safe/

[hmc]

Your dh is right MortifiedAdams - see the FSA guidlines which Trills linked to, I rather trust their advice over any mumsnetter's

[MortifiedAdams]

right that im batty?

[hmc]

Well I am sure that you are not batty

No, he's right that it isn't a problem

[ilovepowerhoop]

whatdoesthesciencesay.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/extraordinary-claims-about-aspartame-in-the-huffington-post/

[ilovepowerhoop]

its even on snopes

[RachelHRD]

I switched over to Sainsburys own brand diet cola as it doesn't contain aspartame and it tastes fine.

[RattyRoland]

Rachel I agree, I buy only Sainsbury squashes and soft drinks, if you read the label (or their website) they have a policy of not using aspartame in any of their own brand products :)

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

I can taste aspartame (possibly because I'm a supertaster?) and it seriously tastes like death, and leaves a horrible aftertaste. If everyone could taste it, the sales of drinks containing aspartame would drop like a stone.

I realise this isn't the information you were looking for, but I thought you might want to know anyway...

[luanmahi]

Apartame can cause reactions in some people (as can anything) but in the levels you find in your average fizzy drink it is going to do you no harm. That mercola site is terrible for peddling science myths so I would never take anything on there at face value.

I think it's safe to say that simply by drinking diet coke you're NOT going to get cancer or MS or any other serious illness. What you have to remember about the scientific trials that test these is that they test people who drink massive quantities of diet coke and a lot of those people aren't generally going to be making the best choices healthwise in a lot of other areas (I don't necessarily mean you OP). There could be any number of factors in a generally unhealthy lifestyle that make you more prone to illness but they've only measured one thing.

[Trills]

I can't drink Sainsbury's own brand diet drinks now they have switched to a different artificial sweetener because I can taste the difference between that and aspartame and I like it much less than I like the taste of aspartame! remember: different people like different flavours. :)

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

Trills: now I'm just worried that there's something out there that tastes worse than aspartame.

[Trills]

It probably wouldn't taste worse to you, but I like it less.

[HavingALittleFaithBaby]

I used to drink loads. I cut it out and now (after a couple of months) it tastes vile to me! Try going cold turkey!