Coke zero as a treat

[scoyyt57]

Been Type 1 for almost 50 years-so have probably drank diet coke for about 40 years?(could be longer but not sure.) My kidneys and liver are both fine. Remember it being called TAB before it became Diet Coke in the 80's

 

[zand]

I've been type 2 diabetic for ten years. The local tap water tastes like battery acid, and so I drink diet lemonade or ginger beer at the rate of about a two litre bottle a day. I've just had a full blood count done and everything is functioning beautifully. If there are any serious side effects, then they haven't affected me yet!

I also drank 2 litres of diet drinks daily, for around 6 years. Then I started to put on weight. I had a problem with the nerves in my mouth and jaw, and my dentist said it could be a reaction to the high levels of aspartame I was drinking. I cut down to a can/small bottle of diet coke a day. I had blood tests done which my doctor said were 'fine'. It wasn't until a few years later that another doctor told me I had a fatty liver, and it had showed up in the original 'fine' tests, but I hadn't been told.

I researched fatty liver and insulin resistance and found that the two were connected, and also connected to diet drinks. ( I have read a post on the forum from someone who said they had tested their BG after a diet drink and it had exactly the same effect on their readings as a sugary drink, because it still acts like a carb.) I didn't want to keep putting on weight, or become diabetic, so I decided to stop drinking diet drinks altogether. This proved to be extremely difficult to do. It took years of trying, but I have now managed a few years without any at all....until I had a polyp removed from my bowel recently. The laxative they give you as a preparation for the bowel contains aspartame. Now I crave diet coke again and am sorry to say I have had around 7 or 8 cans of it in the six weeks since the procedure. I am trying hard to give up altogether again.

To the OP I would say Yes, an occasional coke zero is fine as a treat, but I would not advise drinking high volumes of it. I have read somewhere that the dark coloured fizzy drinks are the worst for our health. I am not sure if this is simply because of the caffeine content or something else. We are all different, and it seems that djphoto can manage to drink diet drink with no ill effects and that's great. It wasn't like this for me though.

 

[Dazza1984]

Our tap water is delicious, fortunately

Does caffeine affect bg levels?

Caffeine can cause a rise in BG but in an indirect way. Caffeine can stimulate the adrenal glands and this increases the level of a steroid-based hormone in the blood. Steroids cause an increase in BG. If you think about it this makes sense as when you are stressed/nervous etc you require more energy to deal with things. Problem we have is that we have little-no insulin to allow the cells to use the glucose. Hence BG rises and we can't deal with it. Again, all down to quantity; a couple of cups a day prob does nothing (depending on content) but if you have a cup every other hour then be careful.

 

[Chri55y]

I read online that diet drinks are not advised because of the side effects it can cause but how about coke zero?? My friend tells me that's the best non sugar drink you'll find??

i read an article the other day which said that diet coke in particular,ie diet and zero were the worst diet drink to have because of the effects of the mix of sweetener (Aspartame) and caffeine, which combine to act like a poison in the body. This was for everyone not just diabetics. I personally have never touched the stuff - if it's a good toilet cleaner, it, it's not going in my body!

 

[Opalshards]

Don't wish to be negative but.

 

[Chri55y]

Don't wish to be negative but.
View attachment 3740

I don't think you are being negative Opalshards - just truthful and positive. Aspartame is not a nice product and need to be banned, but as I've said above it 's the mix of it and caffeine which is even more deadly, and your picture show the range of drinks it's in.

 

[Dial999]

Just google aspartame kills, get yourself a water filter, chill the water and add a squirt of fresh lemon or orange. I'd be careful if you have parkinsons in the family, otherwise you might be ok drinking it. Michael J Fox still does.

 

[sld77]

I Love coke Zero, Because I am always concerned about my sugar intake I think it is ok to have it occasionally. increase exercise and eat healthy to balance the once in a while treats I say.

 

[Gillie Ruth]

I have irritable bowel syndrome, and there's nothing like artificial sweeteners and carbonated drinks to sent me crawling into bed in pain! Love coffee, but drink decaf mostly, and different teas, that took a while to get used to! Decaf with one teaspoon df drinking chocolate makes a nice drink, add cream, and, well, yum. We have beautiful tap water, but during droughts, or on holiday, filter the water, simple and cheaper than bottled water. Cleaned our driveway with diet coke....not doing that to my innards, ever! My compromise is a small lemon, lime amd bitters, with food, when I'm out. I have a small port or red wine on occasion, with dark chocolate. I've made it a challenge to,find things I like and are diabetic friendly that seems like a luxury eg; cream, dark chocolate( small amounts), different cheeses, minimum carb dry biscuits, best flavored tinned fish, eggs with cream, Greek yoghurt and so on. Lots of veggies , not much fruit, amd when i can't stand it any more, grab a teaspoon of what ever naughty stuff gaily might be eating! There, I'm never deprived, but, can say no because a taste of something's better than nothing at all, amd heaps better than complications. Type 2, family history, PCOS, overactive thyroid, asthma, excema, scoliosis, so short sighted, cataracts, all over the place getting over major surgery, but doing very well. If I eat wrong ever, I go for a walk straight away...around the house amd up and down our stairs if wet outside, or at the shops! Something will get me in my old age, but diabetes won't be one of them!

 

[David 42]

To everyone reading this about diet drinks. Do yourselves a favour and Google ' Side effects of Aspartame and artificial sweeteners' then come and report on what you think that rubbish does to your body. I could not get my sugars down and found that artificial sweeteners can actually cause blood sugar to peak because your body tastes 'sweet' stuff and reacts to it. Do not be fooled by drinks manufacturers and corn syrup is also not good for you. Do the research, spend time on Google and it will shock you what is in your food and drink. Monsanto produce Aspartame and also owns drug companies that produce anti diabetic drugs. Makes sense to keep us sick doesn't it? They also produce GM food products that will make you sick and keep you taking drugs.

 

[adrian210571]

Our tap water is delicious, fortunately

Does caffeine affect bg levels?

Yes, studies have shown that caffeine can cause raised blood glucose levels. It is thought thatcaffeine desensitises the body to insulin, therefore making it less effective.

 

[Joe Sweatthang]

Contains Aspartame - Look up "History of Aspartame". The FDA resisted the approval of Aspartame for years and then came along Donald Rumsfeld who managed to convince the FDA to approve it. You remember Donald Rumsfeld.... The Bush administration propaganda machine that convinced Americans that war was a good thing.....Yeee Haaa. Do some research.

 

[Dzialo]

If it's so dangerous so why don't they disapprove it??

 

[sarah]

Diet drinks have no effect on my blood sugars whatsoever. That's not to say they won't to yours, of course, but the only way you can find out is to test.

I personally don't overthink the sweeteners thing. I have read all the theories behind it but I still drink diet drinks, my choice, you have to make yours.

 

[whiterabbit]

Diet drinks are no good because of the harmful effects from the artificial sweeteners as already discussed but further more the fact that it also contains phosphoric acid (as do most soft drinks). Phosphoric acid leaches calcium from your bones and has also been known to cause migraines and calcium deficiency.

Diet soft drinks offer zero nutrition and trigger the ghrelin hormone, also known as the hunger hormone. That's why there are reports out suggesting people who consume diet drinks often gain weight because they basically make you feel hungry.

I just see these soft drinks as nothing but chemicals devoid of any nutrition and for that reason I don't touch them.

 

[Joe Sweatthang]

If it's so dangerous so why don't they disapprove it??

There were no adequate test done and no adequate monitoring. It's very much an unknown. There is a belief that Aspartame has serious side effects. We now know for sure, that high fructose corn syrup is extremely bad and has contributed greatly in causing diabetes yet it has taken decades for this to come out in the wash. You should now know that all processed foods are bad - a lot contain high fructose corn syrup. So, do you really want to risk your health and support the b'stards making mega bucks and don't give a **** if your brain turns into a sponge ?

 

[Joe Sweatthang]

If it's so dangerous so why don't they disapprove it??

For the same reason that alcohol and cigarettes have not been disapproved..... M O N E Y.

 

[Dzialo]

Haha guess you're right

 

[Giverny]

It's nice to see drinks like 7Up (it was either that or sprite - either way, it says in large writing on the bottle) are now using Stevia as an alternative to aspartame.

 

[Caroline777]

Any artificial sweetener = especially ASPARTAME = can be dangerous to your health. The only sweetener I will use is Stevia which is now in the U.K. Stevia is made purely from a plant so no dangerous side effects.

When the professionals tell you to take artificial sweeteners they do so in ignorance following guidelines by departments of food health etc that follow guidelines from others without going fully into the history and background of them. I researched Aspartame for many many months and was able to trace the history and background of this most dangerous and toxic sweetener. I can only suggest you do the same before it makes you very ill. For some people it can take years for others just a few months before they come down will all different side effects - each person is different. But the most deadly ones are cancer, diabetes - yes diabetes! - heart trouble, blindness and a host of other serious diseases and complications not to mention weight gain.

Some health professionals do know about this but the most are left in the dark because they go by what they are told. Once you research it enough you find the truth about it.

I have highlighted Aspartame the most because it is the No.1 dangerous sweetener but Splenda and others also have some serious probs as well.