Yeah, people have been kvetching about Aspartame (the only artificial sweetener that I can stand) since it was first introduced, but I've always thought, "It's better than the calories. It's better than the calories. It's better than the …"
Turns out, just from a weight loss/gain perspective … it's not. Various trials continue to show that Aspartame in diets, vs. sugar, does't reduce weight. And scientists are beginning to understand why.
'Dr Hodin and his team found that the artificial sweetener inhibits intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), which is a gut enzyme that researchers believe prevents obesity. So even though there's no sugar in your diet beverage, it might not aid you in your weight loss journey.'
And, in more detail:
'At the end of the study period, while there was little difference between the weights of the two groups fed a normal diet, mice on a high-fat diet that received aspartame gained more weight than did those on the same diet that received plain water. Aspartame-receiving mice in both diet groups had higher blood sugar levels than did those fed the same diets without aspartame, which indicates glucose intolerance, and both aspartame-receiving groups had higher levels of the inflammatory protein TNF-alpha in their blood, which suggests the kind of systemic inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome.'
I used to joke that my body is a temple, so I only consume pure sugar. I got away from that in an attempt to still drink sodas and yet not be guzzling hundreds of calories in glucose and fructose.
This still doesn't mean that those high calorie sugary drinks are good for you (esp. if they are made with high fructose corn syrup), just that thinking you're avoiding weight gain by drinking Aspartame diet sodas isn't true, either. So time for me to re-evaluate, maybe.
More here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161122193100.htm
Scientists Discover Why Diet Coke Is Probably Undermining You
Aspartame — the artificial sweetener found in drinks like Diet Coke — is probably not good for you. If you believe otherwise, I admire your commitment…
Coke has a green label that's sweetened with Stevia and cane sugar.
+Craig Hatler I've noted that. I haven't done any research into Stevia.
It's a non-artifical plant – based sweetener. It tends to be very sweet and have its own particular flavor. I use monk fruit.
You could drink water? That's an alternative.
You could get used to it.
+Paula Moore I actually do tend to drink a lot of water. In conjunction with food, or as a caffeine delivery device, I like something a bit more.
+Dave Hill caffeine without the sugar? That's tea. Or coffee.
+Paula Moore Iced Tea is a possibility — that's often a lunch drink of choice (if it's any good). I do drink coffee, but I like sugar in it.