i have an opinion based on my personal experience. i was a heavy drinker of diet coke since it was introduced, when i was around 15..i am 40... i drank between 1 and 2 two liter bottles a day. actually, the vast majority of my days were ''4-liter' days. i used coke before and after running, too....

i stopped cold turkey, and drank just water for a couple of months, and spent the money i saved on the gym.

one day, due to a bad day at work, i bought one of those 1 liter bottles at a minimart. two hours after drinking it , i had hunger pangs as if i hadnt eaten all day....truly a dramatic response. of course, cuz i dont have any sense, i 'experimented' with this 'phenomenon', like for another month. i was physically hungry a lot more. it took me a month to cut the stuff out again...

psychologically, it made my taste buds much more open to junk food, and decreased my interest in fruit/vege/lean pro type foods. maybe it actually did something to my tastebuds, for all i know!

as a coke addict, i hate to share this bad news, but diet sodas just dont work for me.....

quote:<HR>Originally posted by carina:
Here is a reference to artifical sweeteners and insulin release (this article claims that there is indeed an association). (Reference: Malaisse, W.J., et al., Effects of artificial sweeteners on insulin release and cationic fluxes in rat pancreatic islets, Cell Signal., 1998 Nov; 10(10), 723-33.)

I don't currently have access to Medline, so I can't get the full article. My recollection is that the journal is a fairly good one, so I would be inclined to trust it. I'm sure that someone here can check the veracity of this work and decipher it for the rest of us.

<HR>

There are good reasons to doubt your conclusion from this often cited reference. Most telling, is the complete absence of any confirming research in the decade since its publication. In addition, any product that actually had a significant impact insulin release in humans would not likely be recommended by virtually all the diabetic organizations in the world.

Perhaps more relavant is this study on the effects of artificial sweetners on hunger and weight.
Click here and I hope it works.[/URL" target="_blank">

The following is a brief excerp and the conclusion.

quote:<HR>QUESTIONS about the potential benefits of intense sweeteners (also referred to as nonnutritive orartificial sweeteners) arose largely from only two articles, both of which were published in 1986. Thesearticles suggested the possibility that the consumption of intense sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin, could increase hunger ratings and, therefore, would result in a higher food intake and anincrease in body weight. This situation would be the very opposite of that which common sense dictates and it is not surprising that it attracted considerable media attention-it is a classic example ofthe "man bites dog" type of story. Neither article demonstrated that the use of intense sweeteners actually caused an inerease in calorie intake, and both had important limitations with respect to drawing such a conclusion.Since 1986 a large number of studies have shown that these early articles led to premature andincorrect conelusions and that the use of intense sweeteners does not cause an increase in calorie intake or body weight. Despite the publication of this large amount of more recent research in proper peer-reviewed joumals, the media have not updated their story and continue to misinform the public based on outdated information. The following review provides a brief summary of the main findings and limitations of the two originalarticles followed by a resumé of the more recent investigations in human volunteers. It is clear fromthe recent data that the use of intense sweeteners does not cause an increase in food intake or body weight. It is also clear that intense sweeteners can help to reduce calorie intake in individuals who are trying to control their weights.

Snip.....

CONCLUSIONS It is clear that recent comprehensive studies reviewed in (31) have disproved the early reports that consumption of intense sweeteners may increase appetite and food intake compared with water or anunsweetened product. In reality, of course, intense sweeteners replace sugar and, therefore, there has to be a net saving in calories compared with the normal product itself. Some individuals may choose to use the lost calories to assist in weight reduction; others may choose to use the lost calories to allow them to enjoy some other item of food. In both cases there is a benefit to the consumer by allowing them a wider choice without an extra intake of calories.<HR>

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gotta run...

quote:<HR>Originally posted by bigapplepie:
I just assume that anything artificial is always worse for you than the real thing.<HR>

Artificial has nothing to do with being bad or good. Neither does "natural". Cyanide, anyone? Totally natural.

Avoiding diet soda is a lifestyle choice, which is fine. Given the range of horrible things that you can put in your body, diet soda is so benign that it is laughable (for me) to worry about it.



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Chris[/URL" target="_blank">

I'm not in a position to argue with you DrChris.

Obviously there are many studies with conflicting results but thos one[/URL" target="_blank"> from the University of Texas is the most oft quoted.

In the other hand, a Danish study concluded that people switching to diet soda were more likely to lose weight.

Another group from Purdue University found that when rats were fed the equivalent of diet soda, they ate more high-calorie food afterwards than did rats fed the same amount of a drink sweetened with high-calorie sweetener.

So go figure!