Diet Soda, Anyone ? (Poll)

[PlateletGal]

I've been meaning to do this, but had forgotten about it (imagine that!). I had a friend whose wife had MS symptoms and none of her physicians could diagnose her. It turned out that aspartame, a sweetner that is often added to diet drinks, was responsible for her symptoms ! Aspartame apparently has been banned in Europe in children's products.

Anyhow, so here's my new poll question :

How many people here are drinking DIET sodas ?

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html
http://www.sweetpoison.com/articles/0706/aspartame_symptoms_submit.html --- Aspartame Symptoms Submitted to the FDA

I'm not sure now which diet drinks are still using aspartame, but if you drink diet soda... I would seriously start checking.

[Thanks2]

Unfortunatly, despite dozens of studies by top Universities... documented in
"The Carbohydrate Addicts Healthy Heart Diet"
the word has not gotten out about ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS.
No mystery  at all.
ALOT of companies make alot of money $$$$ from foods with artificial sweeteners.
(Weight Watchers sell alot of this stuff.)
No publication nor tv network wants to risk offending these people.

Also, since foods with artificial sweeters have fewer or no "calories"; people on diets and people in general still think it is OK to consume the stuff.  
They don't know of it's other affects.
They don't think it will affect their weight or other health issues.  
Many diabetices consume the stuff. i.e, Diet Soda, Diet Candy, Diet Cookies, and on ....

[wonko]

Along those lines, I definitely think the Splenda slogan is deceiving..."Made from sugar."  I worry that it's spreading quickly into many products, even ones for kids, when we don't really know in the long run how it will affect people.  Hopefully it is safe, but I decided to not be part of that experiment!

Thanks2, your statements help explain how art. sweeteners really triggered my appetite, thanks for adding that.

[PlateletGal]

Remember saccharin ? I remember it well because if I drank a diet soda with the artificial sweetner, I would get a headache. And then investigations suggested that saccharin might be an animal carcinogen. After that, Canada banned the sweetner and the FDA had proposed a ban. Unfortunately Congress messed that one up. Sigh.

[Thanks2]

All Artificial sweeteners ... look like "sugar" to the body/brain.

They trigger insulin.  which has three immediate affects:

o  Makes you hungry
o  Makes food taste better.
o  Converts glucose in your blood to fat.

Insulin is very powerful hormone that can trickle down and affect nearly everything.

See:

"The Carbohydate Addicts Healthy Heart Diet"
by Dr. Heller and Dr. Heller.

It was on the NY Best Sellers list for a long time.

[PlateletGal]

QuackWatch ? Gosh I can't stand that website. He even slams acupuncture, despite the fact that acupuncture has been in practice longer than western medicine and still remains in practice today.

IMO... that guy should get out of his house and try a few things before he decides to criticize them. He obviously hasn't had any experience with acupuncture before. His non-profit agency hurts people... in my opinion, but of course !

[JackieCalifornia]

No, maybe you need the coffee.  :)  I'm just very very sensitive to all sorts of things (foods, meds), so a little caffeine totally wigs me out, but for others with a less touchy metabolism, I doubt caffeine hurts.  (My grandparents drank coffee and tea and 'soda pop' too, but not huge amounts.)  Everybody's different!

re Dr Mercola and quackwatch:  I had meant to say in my previous post [but forgot! oh well!] -- I read both of those websites, and take both with a big grain of potassium chloride (instead of salt >joke<) -- I do find things Mercola says an interesting take on much of what passes as authoritative advice from the medical/nutritional establishment.  It's always good to listen to all sides -- nobody is right all the time.  

Happy holidays, everybody -- let's look forward to the new year with hope, and with enjoyment of the days we feel good.