10 Comments

My husband is very thrilled to hear this and now I have one less thing to nag him about. ;)

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Excellent article!! Maybe my friends and family can even understand this!! It is so frustrating when they read the headlines and call me with their "gotcha".

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Thanks!!! You nailed it!!! People think diet soda is bad for you because it's synthetic, but I'll take the evidence-based research (flawed as it is because it's impossible to do a randomized control study) - which is much more reputable than people's 'gut' feelings.

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/diet-soda

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It is unclear to me that artificial sweeteners are actually helpful in weight-loss diets. It is even unclear to me that some fat on my body is detrimental. What I do know to be detrimental to my mental and physical health is the stigmatization and bullying that I have experienced at weights only slightly higher than I am now.

I sidestep the whole issue by not drinking any sodas at all, regardless of how they were sweetened—sorry, Coke and Pepsi!

People much larger than myself have to endure harassment every day of their lives! People come in all shapes and sizes. We should get used to it.

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What do you think about competing risks? For diabetes having a beverage alternative that does not add sugar is important So blood sugar vs aspartame?

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I agree with Health Nerd, no matter which diet we follow, life remains a deadly condition, and aging is inevitable. I wouldn't want it any other way. All aspects of nature have the complexity we may not understand, ever. Science helps to a certain degree, although, limits imagination.

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Jun 30, 2023·edited Jun 30, 2023

Just because: *Is* plutonium more dangerous than processed meat?

https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-most-dangerous-substance-known-to-man

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You say aspartame is "great for people who want to lose a bit of weight." And, that seems reasonable, since it has zero calories, but I wonder why you ignore the studies that show people drinking it in soda actually gain weight? Are the studies flawed? Or, just weak?

It does seem possible that triggering sweetness sensors, then delivering zero calories could affect hormonal response, feelings of hunger, or later behavior. That doesn't seem plausible to you?

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There's also evidence in weight loss trials whereby those who consume diet drinks actually lose more weight. The question is about the bulk of the evidence and whether it shows a causal relationship.

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