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Diet Beverages & Artificial Sweeteners

Diet Beverages & Artificial Sweeteners – The Scientific Truth (It May Surprise You)

There’s a hot debate whether diet beverages or soda and artificial sweeteners are healthy or dangerous.

It’s no wonder that so many people are confused (including myself) with some authorities recommending their intake over the high sugar versions, while a lot of other gurus state they are extremely unhealthy and a chemical storm that will wreck your health and cause disease.

As always, there isn’t one clear-cut answer and the issue is often debated based on ‘opinions’ or the latest meme that goes viral on FB rather than hard, honest well-designed research studies or controlled science.

In this article, I’ll dive into the honest research regarding diet soda and artificial sweeteners and whether or not they play a role (both positive and negative) in obesity and even health.

I guarantee some of the answers may surprise you. Here’s the bittersweet truth…

Diet Soda & Artificial Sweeteners – Good, Bad or the Devil?

Artificial sweeteners come in many different forms but the most popular typically include aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda) and saccharin (Sweet’N Low).

The use of these sweeteners actually dates all the way back to the 1800s when saccharin was accidentally synthesized (1).

These artificial sweeteners have become a staple in our diets due to the attempt to reduce excess sugar intake and the fact they are far sweeter than actual sugar, while contributing very few or even no calories.

Despite the fact they can reduce sugar intake and lower total calorie intake, aiding in weight loss, many people still see them as unhealthy.

This is partly due to the belief that consuming them induces similar hormonal and brain responses to that of sugar, in addition to potentially being associated with increased risk of disease states such as cancer. But, what does the actual science say?

‘Negative’ Research on Diet Soda & Artificial Sweeteners

Anything is dangerous in the right dose, even water. Yep, that’s right … Here are two examples:

• Firstly, a 28 year old woman in the USA died after drinking six liters of water in a 3 hour period for a contest, dying later that day from water intoxication.
• In 2005 a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that around 16% of marathon runners developed some level of dangerous hyponatremia, or dilution of the blood caused by drinking too much water.

So, before we continue, my question to you is, just because water can kill you in high doses, does that mean that a normal intake, i.e. 2-4 liters per day is also unhealthy?

Clearly the answer is no, it’s basic logic. However, this EXACT principle applies to diet soda and sweeteners (see the example below), although most people (especially the ones who dislike it) tend to ignore this fact.

When it comes to the limited research regarding human subjects and artificial sweeteners, there is some correlative data (i.e. weak data that draws conclusions over years) indicating that consuming artificial sweeteners may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndromes, leading to increased risk of diabetes and obesity (2, 3).

Unfortunately as with any research, the devil is in the details. Along with artificial sweeteners, the study also found associations with typical western diet staples such as meat (which we know is healthy) and fried foods.

To conclude that artificial sweeteners are a reason for obesity based on this study is speculative at best, since there are so many other factors that may be contributing.

In essence, there is in fact research associating artificial sweeteners with an increased risk of obesity, but it’s not a direct relationship. It’s a relationship confounded by many other factors that certainly contribute to obesity and negative health, rather than simply consuming artificial sweeteners.

In the world of research and science, these types of studies are often ignored and not classed as ‘real, controlled research’.

Additionally, there is some negative research regarding artificially sweetened beverages and cancer. Although there is one catch. The studies are done using rats (but again, all the people who hate diet soda or sweeteners tend to ignore this fact).

Of course, the big issue with these studies is that they simply point us in the right direction from a biological standpoint, but not direct cause and effect; more often than not, what happens in a rat does not translate to humans.

Often the effects of substances vary widely when given to humans compared to rats. Artificial sweeteners are one of these cases.

Despite the fact that some research has indicated that artificial sweeteners like aspartame are linked to cancer in mice, the doses which would be required to do so in humans would be astronomical.

For instance, the FDA has set safe daily consumption of substances like aspartame to 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (4, 5).

For a 90 kg (200 lb) individual that would be the equivalent of consuming 25 cans of artificially sweetened soda per day and would still be considered within a safe range.

Diet Soda & Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain – False Science?

At its most fundamental level, it’s impossible for artificial sweeteners to directly contribute to weight gain; it’s basic science and the laws of thermodynamics.

In fact, artificial sweeteners are often used in order to reduce calorie intake and thus help reduce body weight. However, many people still insist that artificial sweeteners induce an insulin response, similar to what happens when you consume sugar in one form or another.

As a result of this insulin spike, it is theorized this leads to a metabolic disorder called insulin resistance, which means that insulin isn’t able to do its job of removing glucose from the blood and storing it in various tissues of the body.

In theory, when this occurs, it can lead to further disease states such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Unfortunately for proponents of this incorrect theory, research has determined that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame don’t induce an insulin spike, despite claims.

Even if they did, a small insulin spike would not match that of an insulin spike from regular sugar, soda, ice cream, pizza etc. It’s these foods consumed over years which cause weight gain and insulin resistance, not sweetener or diet soda (6, 7, 8, 9).

Additionally, in a groundbreaking study on evaluating the use of artificial sweeteners versus just water when attempting to lose weight, the researchers revealed that consumption of artificial sweeteners was actually associated with greater weight loss and a greater ability to keep the weight off after the diet (10).

It’s very likely that consuming artificially sweetened beverages such as diet soda may satisfy sweet cravings without providing the additional calories, leading to weight loss.

Does this mean that diet soda is better than water? No, but it doesn’t appear to be worse in sensible moderation (just like water). Because it has no calories, it simply can’t cause weight gain, it’s physically and biologically impossible.

So What’s The Conclusion About Diet Soda & Artificial Sweeteners?

As it turns out, there probably isn’t any issue with consuming artificially sweetened beverages such as diet soda on a regular basis in moderation.

Research that has shown negative effects is fairly weak, most of it being done in rats not humans and even that has many other factors affecting the outcome, making it impossible to blame artificial sweeteners (2).

Furthermore, other research showing associations with artificial sweeteners and cancer is carried out on rats and still very early. Next, these findings are done at crazy doses that equate to say 200 cans of diet soda per day, so they are far from realistic or unbiased (4).

Lastly, research on artificial sweeteners for weight loss actually indicates a beneficial effect overall, such as reduced body weight, rather than the commonly held misbelief that they lead to weight gain. If you know even the basics of fat loss and metabolism you will clearly understand how it’s physically impossible for a zero calorie product to cause weight gain.

Despite outlandish claims from people with unbiased agendas or the ‘clean eating gurus’, artificially sweetened diet sodas are safe for you to consume and even advised if your goal is to reduce calories and body weight.

Take Home Key Points on Diet Soda & Artificial Sweeteners

Firstly, the key point is to understand that there’s not any real, strong research in a controlled setting to show ill health from a sensible dose of artificial sweeteners in humans.

Sadly, like many aspects of nutrition, it’s very easy for people with hidden agendas to twist the research or churn out random ‘facts’ that have no real evidence at all. Of course, any new meme or video always goes viral, but it doesn’t mean it’s true.

Now, am I advising you to consume artificial sweeteners or diet soda? No, but equally, should you not consume it and avoid it, if you do enjoy it? No, absolutely not.

Like everything, it depends on you. If you love it, then go ahead, it probably will help you consume fewer calories, it may reduce cravings and may actually aid in hydration (remember it’s around 98% water).

If you think that diet soda or artificial sweeteners are bad or unhealthy because they’re not natural, then you should maybe spend some time reading the science to become less biased. Of course, I will be the first to say we should focus on natural whole foods 80% of the time, but drinking the odd diet soda or using a normal intake of artificial sweeteners is also perfectly fine.

In summary, diet soda or artificial sweeteners are perfectly ok in a moderate dose, just like water. If you still want to say it’s unhealthy because rats got ill from taking in the equivalent of 200 servings per day, well you should probably not drink water either because 200 servings of water would have killed the rats far quicker than the artificial sweetener.

As with everything, remember to actually check the research and don’t trust the internet fitness/health gurus who don’t understand or even know how to read a research study…

References

1. The Pursuit of Sweet. (2017, March 06). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from https://www.chemheritage.org/distillations/magazine/the-pursuit-of-sweet
2. Lutsey, P. L., Steffen, L. M., & Stevens, J. (2008). Dietary intake and the development of the metabolic syndrome. Circulation, 117(6), 754-761.
3. Nettleton, J. A., Lutsey, P. L., Wang, Y., Lima, J. A., Michos, E. D., & Jacobs, D. R. (2009). Diet soda intake and risk of incident metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Diabetes care, 32(4), 688-694.
4. National Toxicology Program. (2005). NTP report on the toxicology studies of aspartame (CAS No. 22839-47-0) in genetically modified (FVB Tg. AC hemizygous) and B6. 129-Cdkn2atm1Rdp (N2) deficient mice and carcinogenicity studies of aspartame in genetically modified [B6. 129-Trp53tm1Brd (N5) haploinsufficient] mice (feed studies). National Toxicology Program genetically modified model report, (1), 1.
5. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (n.d.). Food Additives & Ingredients – Additional Information about High-Intensity Sweeteners Permitted for use in Food in the United States. Retrieved June 14, 2017, from https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm397725.htm
6. Møller, S. E. (1991). Effect of Aspartame and Protein, Administered in Phenylalanine‐Equivalent Doses, on Plasma Neutral Amino Acids, Aspartate, Insulin and Glucose in Man. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 68(5), 408-412.
7. Wolf-Novak, L. C., Stagink, L. D., Brummel, M. C., Persoon, T. J., Filer, L. J., Bell, E. F., … & Krause, W. L. (1990). Aspartame ingestion with and without carbohydrate in phenylketonuric and normal subjects: effect on plasma concentrations of amino acids, glucose, and insulin. Metabolism, 39(4), 391-396.
8. Horwitz, D. L., McLane, M., & Kobe, P. (1988). Response to single dose of aspartame or saccharin by NIDDM patients. Diabetes care, 11(3), 230-234.
9. Teff, K. L., Devine, J., & Engelman, K. (1995). Sweet taste: effect on cephalic phase insulin release in men. Physiology & Behavior, 57(6), 1089-1095.
10. Peters, J. C., Beck, J., Cardel, M., Wyatt, H. R., Foster, G. D., Pan, Z., … Hill, J. O. (2016). The effects of water and non-nutritive sweetened beverages on weight loss and weight maintenance: A randomized clinical trial. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 24(2), 297–304. http://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21327

https://www.rudymawer.com/blog/diet-beverages-scientific-truth-may-surprise/

5 Healthy Snacks That Kill Sugar Cravings -- With Thomas DeLauer, CEO & ...

YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT CUCUMBERS AND TOMATOES IN THE SAME SALAD!

The only criteria people have for a salad is mixing together some tasty ingredients, but despite the flavor, there are also other things to consider. Some ingredients don’t go together in a salad, such as a combination of tomatoes and cucumber. Each of these vegetables has different digestion time, and according to Ayurveda, we must know the exact digestion time of each food we eat before mixing ingredients together.

Combining ingredients that have a fast and slow digestion is not a good idea as the lighter ingredient will end up passing in the intestine just as the first one is completely digested. This will result in fermentation of the food in your stomach that may poison your whole body. It will lead to slow digestion and fermentation of sugars and starches, and won’t allow you to enjoy your meal as you should. Besides this, the process of fermentation can also cause gasses, swelling and pain in the stomach as well as intestinal problems.

Cucumbers and tomatoes are not compatible with each other and should never be consumed together. When they reach the stomach and the process of fermentation starts, the acid released in the abdominal cavity for digestion can cause numerous digestive problems. Here are some other food combinations you should never try:

1. Eating fruit after meals is not a good idea – fruits need a lot of time to be digested and should never stay long in the stomach. Eating them after a meal will result in “wine” in your stomach that can lead to acid reflux and other digestive problems.

2. Mac and cheese is a popular meal in the USA, but one that should be avoided nonetheless. Macaroni are rich in starch, which has a different digestion time than protein, so the delay will lead to inevitable fermentation and further digestive problems. The same goes for macaroni and meat.

3. Meat and cheese omelet is a favorite meal of millions, but you should avoid putting too much protein on the same dish. Choose only one type of protein per meal.

4. You should never mix bread or noodles with orange juice as the acid content required to digest the juice can destroy the enzyme responsible for starch digestion.

5. Vegetables and cheese is another no-no combination – eating it will only result in bloating.

6. You should never eat melon and watermelon together, as these fruits are meant to be consumed alone, not in combination with any other fruit.

7. Many people love eating bananas and milk, but this combination will significantly slow down your digestion.

8. People usually add fruit to their bowl of yogurt for breakfast, but this combination will slow down your digestion and harm your intestinal flora. This especially goes for adding pineapple to your yogurt, which boosts the active ingredients that cause food poisoning.

http://www.healthylifeidea.com/probably-didnt-know-never-eat-cucumbers-tomatoes-salad/

The 10-Day Sugar Detox Diet (To Reset Your Body and Brain)

If sweet is sweet then what is sugar? Diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression, acne, infertility, heart disease. Doesn’t sound too sweet.

According to some researches, the average American consumes about 152 pounds of sugar a day.The average American man weighs 195.5 pounds, the average American woman weighs 167lbs. In the 1960s the average American man weighed in at 167lbs and the average American woman at 141lbs.

The Big 10

It is very interesting that, more than 600 people tried out Mark Hyman M.D’s diet, and they lost 4000 pounds in 10 days. The question that everyone should ask themselves is, when was the last time you lost 7 pounds in less than two weeks? And how hard did you work? This diet promises no cravings, no bland foods or boring diet, no deprivation-simply rewire the way you think about food. The diet was created by Dr. Hyman to be full of sugar addiction-reversing foods that will reset your body and brain and let cut sugar from your diet and regain your life.

10-Day Detox Diet

Here are the top 10 big ideas for detoxing from sugar and refined carbs that will work for you in just 10 days.

Decide To Detox

Cold Turkey

An alcoholic cannot have “just one drink”, the same is for you. You just have to stop. Stop eating all forms of sugar, all flour products, and all artificial sweeteners because they slow metabolism, spike cravings and store fat. For 10 days you will avoid any foods that come in a box, package, or can that have a label. Instead stik to real, whole, fresh foods.

Don’t Drink Your Calories

Liquid sugar calories are worse than solid food with sugar or flour, according to Doctor Hyman. It is proven that, one can of soda a day increases a kid’s chance of being obese by 60 percent and a woman’s chance of type 2 diabetes by 80 percent.

Protein Power

Protein helps balance blood sugar and insulin levels by being a “carb-free” source of energy. Start the day with whole farm eggs or a protein shake. Use nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, chicken, or grass-fed meat for protein at every meal. Protein helps you stay fuller longer because it breaks down more slowly while delivering the energy we need. 4-6 ounces – about the size of your palm – is the average serving size.

Unlimited (Good) Carbs

You can eat all of veggies-just not the starchy ones like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash or beets. But feel free you eat as many greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, asparagus, peppers, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, and artichokes you like for 10 days.

Fight Sugar With Fat

Fat makes you feel and look full. It also balances blood sugar and is a necessary part of your cellular structure.

Prepare For Emergencies

A maze of fast food joints and vending machines will have anyone’s head spinning, especially when blood sugar levels are dropping. Dr. Hyman weighs in:

“You need an Emergency Life Pak. I have one with me all the time, filled with protein, good fats, and good snacks so I never have to make a bad choice. Here’s what’s in mine: Packets of Artisana nut butters and coconut butter, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, salmon jerky or turkey jerky, a can of wild salmon or sardines and unsweetened wild blueberries.”

Distress or De-Stress?

The stress hormone, cortisol, makes you feel hungry, and it causes belly fat storage, and can lead to type 2 diabetes, taking deep breaths activates the vagus nerve which shifts metabolism from fat storage to fat burning, and quickly moves you out of your stress state. Just follow Dr. Hyman’s Five Deep Breaths exercise:

“Simply take five slow deep breaths – in to the count of five, out to the count of five. Five times. That’s it. Do this before every meal. Watch what happens!”

Douse Inflammation

The two hidden food sensitivities that most people have, are gluten and dairy. Most people crave these allergens. They may be tough to quit, even for just 10 days, but give it a shot and you’ll see you have renewed energy and relief from cravings.

Sound Sleep

College students were deprived of just 2 of the recommended 8 hours of sleep. This led to a rise in hunger hormones, a decrease in appetite-suppressing hormones and huge cravings for refined sugar and carbs. When you don’t sleep you look for energy, and reach for high-sugar products that give you a boost, and a crash. Sleep is the best way to ensure cravings are kept at bay.

http://gofitstayfit.com/10-day-sugar-detox-diet-reset-body-brain/

Reasons Why You're Bloated