Is diet coke really bad for small children?

[AndiPandi]

Read all sorts about artificial sweeteners etc, if child really wants coke (as a treat) would it be better to give normal or coke zero?

When my daughter was little her dad would drink Pepsi nearly constantly and was still skinny as a rake, the bastard, so of course she wanted to drink it as well. It very rarely happened but maybe once or thrice, she won't touch the stuff now because it makes her sick, although she does drink those vile Monster drinks. I think just to annoy me.

I've been told, absolutely, by nutritionists and a doctor, that if you're going to drink fizzy drinks don't, for the love of all that's good and holy, ever, ever, ever, drink diet. Among other things, there is strong evidence that diet drinks are more likely to lead to weight gain than the 'full fat' variety. That, and Aspartame tastes dreadful.

i would prefer juice with sparkling water if child wanted fizzy.

There's a lot of aspartame in diet drinks, which has over 90 potential side effects, none of them nice. This includes depression, asthma, and infertility. Don't give a child diet coke :( If mine want a treat they have lemonade or fizzy orange.

Squoosh. It's not just diet coke. I have had a major addiction to Pepsi max and ended up with aspartame poisoning (including my periods mostly disappearing for over a year). I know a couple of other people who have found Pepsi max a bit addictive!

I went a few days without and I thought I had flu, I drunk lots of tea and coffee and water to avoid too much caffeine withdrawal! But there is such a thing as aspartame withdrawal and it is addictive!

do not make somethig that is bad for you a treat, and all coke is bad for you you are then rewarding somethng good with something bad

all coke is bad for you but if they do have a little occasionally letting them know the reason why they can only have a little now and then rather then having it as a treat

Why is it not possible to say 'No DC, you can't have coke'

I don't get it.

Who is the parent here?

the occasional drink of coke is going to do no harm

Apparently on MN an occasional Coke is the fast track to death and destruction.

"Drinking diet soda can lead to bone loss. This is because the phosphoric acid in the soda causes calcium in your bloodstream to be excreted more quickly than normal through urine. Your bones then give up some of their calcium in order to keep the bloodstream calcium level constant".

Citric acid and phosphoric acid both erode tooth enamel.

I drink it myself (especially with rum) but wouldn't let any of my dcs drink it.

It's rather difficult to say no Coke if you and DH both drink it and you can't think of a decent reason why adults can have Coke and DDs can't.

Because I said so really doesn't wash with DD2.

In anycase I would get no back up at all from DH, who introdued her to Coke in the first place.

I never drink diet juice,

Always full fat Coke/Cherry Coke/Pepsi or Irn Bru.

My DDs are now 22 and 21, and they were allowed the occasional glass of coke when they were growing up.

They are healthy adults with good teeth, no weight issues or anything else.

We drink fruit juices and Ribena too, never drink water of any description,

Water is horrible stuff.

No need to give coke to a four year old.

For a 'treat' drink, how about a milkshake, preferably made with fresh fruit such as strawberry or banana, and a little honey to sweeten if necessary.

I'm concerned by some of the assertions being made here about aspartame. Sugar is far more of a risk to children (obesity / tooth decay) than the occasional sweetener. Government advice

All the people saying they give their DCs lemonade instead - you do realise that even full-sugar lemonade nearly always has sweeteners in? It's not just the diet drinks!

And not to be picky but there's no such thing as full-fat Coke - there's no fat in any Coke :)

As for the argument about Coke cleaning pennies so not wanting to put that in your system - wouldn't stomach acid do the same job? Or maybe it isn't as strong, I don't know...

Vasta it always makes me roll my eyes in these debates the totally bizarre and unsubstantiated claims made about aspartame

the effects of sugar are scientifically proven

Drinking diet soda can lead to bone loss

Well, not really.

From what I understand it isn't the diet drinks that cause this to happen, it is replacing things like milk. It is not the diet drinks itself.

Sweeteners have been tested more thoroughly than almost any other food stuff.All the weight of research show sweeteners to be perfectly safe, but In the parallel universe that is mumsnet, they are pure poison

And not to be picky but there's no such thing as full-fat Coke - there's no fat in any Coke

Thank you for that!

(And it's not just for blokes either, but nobody's called it "Blokes Coke" on this thread )

The government also advise giving children reduced fat dairy products, and lots of other things I choose to ignore because what the government think best for the entire country isn't necessary best for me and my family.

It is something that's pretty easy to avoid completely. Our 3 children never had it, and don't want it now (two older teens, one 12yo). I just see it as one problem which is easy and painless to avoid, and I do think that having it as a treat when young makes it more desirable to them when older.

Another one here who thinks coke is a complete no no.

I was completely addicted to coke (pop) for a while. Now I have it occasionally but it's vile stuff really.

Ds sees fizzy drinks as adult drinks end of story. And he now doesn't like them at all, he unwittingly drank fizzy orange at a party once and it made him gag. He'll drink water, weak squash, the occasional juice.

Correct me if I'm wrong but surely a milkshake would be better for a treat than coke? Better still smoothies, kids love them and though full of sugar at least there is some nutritional value.

I once saw someone giving their approximately 3 year old and under 1 year old coke in a pub once with BREAKFAST, the dad had to help the baby drink it by tipping the glass.

And sorry but I judged.

And not to be picky but there's no such thing as full-fat Coke - there's no fat in any Coke smile

Yes thank you for that Captain Obvious.But is a figure of speech which is why the poster, TeamEdward, put it in inverterted commas I imagine!!