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Diet Sodas – Good or Bad for You?
While Dr. Lee focused most of his research on the reproductive hormones, he had a wealth of knowledge about nearly every biochemical process in humans. So when a woman asked him if her diet sodas were harming her health, he gave her a thorough answer. Here it is!
That’s a Good Question
From the August 2000 Issue of the John R. Lee M.D. Medical Letter
“Q. I have stopped drinking soda pop with sugar in it, but I love my diet soda. My friend says she heard a tape where you said that diet sodas are just as bad. Is that true?”
“A. I’m afraid that your friend is right, and one of the reasons that you love your diet sodas so much may be that they’re loaded with the stimulant caffeine and the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is both a stimulant and an ‘excitotoxin.’ An excitotoxin excites or overstimulates brain cells to the point where it kills them. Aspartame can cause dozens of possible side effects, including seizures.
“To add insult to injury (literally), diet sodas have never been proven to help with weight loss. The reason for this is that the sweet taste of the diet soda sends a signal to the brain that sugar is coming, and the brain sends a signal to the pancreas to make insulin, the hormone that will usher the sugar out of the bloodstream and into your cells. This will stimulate your appetite, so you’ll eat more, and insulin also sends signals to convert sugar to fat. It’s a no-win situation.
“Stay away from those awful sugar-laden so-called fruit drinks such as Snapple – fructose is just as much a sugar as any other! Try some sparkling mineral water with a slice of lemon or lime in it – maybe that will quench your thirst.”
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