Which is Better for Me: Coke or Diet Coke?

Which is Better for Me: Coke or Diet Coke?

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Hemi Weingarten   

http://blog.fooducate.com/2010/10/18/which-is-better-for-me-coke-or-diet-coke/

The obvious answer is: neither. Drink water. Drink tea. Yadda yadda…

For most people that answer is not good enough. They aren’t going to make the switch to water, at least not completely. They need their fizzy sweetness. Yes, they know better. And yet…

They want to choose the lesser of 2 evils.

So what shall it be?

A soft drink loaded with sugars (high fructose corn syrup) OR the chemicals in a diet drink?

What you need to know:

To answer the question, let’s start with the basics. Here’s the ingredient list for Coke:

Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors, Caffeine.

One serving – an 8 ounce cup – has 100 calories, all from the 26 grams of sugar  (6.5 teaspoons). Liquid candy.

Here’s Diet Coke’s ingredient list (we’ve underlined ingredients shared with regular Coke):

Carbonated Water, Caramel Color, Aspartame, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (to Protect Taste), Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Caffeine.

Diet Coke has zero calories thanks to the magic of aspartame, an artificial sweetener that has been linked in some (but not the majority of) studies to various cancers and neurological problems.

An additional ingredient of questionable benefit is potassium benzoate, closely related to sodium benzoate which Coke had been using until 2 years ago.

Both sodas contain phosphoric acid, that may contribute to the leaching of calcium from bones and osteoporosis.

Both sodas contain caramel color, which is a natural food coloring, and caffeine, which is a natural upper. The natural flavors they both contain include Coke’s secret formula, responsible for the Coke taste.

OK, we’ve gone through the nutrition panel. Now, which is better for me?

Had artificial sweeteners been found 100% safe, without any side effects, the answer would be Diet Coke, which saves us 100 calories per cup.

However, as we recently wrote, research by Harvard researcher David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD suggests that

1. The human body body gets confused by artificial sweeteners to the point of impeding weight loss plans
2. Diet drinks “Infantilize” the taste sense to the point where naturally sweet foods like apples don’t seem seem sweet enough
3. Long term health effects unclear.

Self professed Diet Coke junkie and nutrition expert Elisa Zied, MS, RD writes:

Emerging research … suggests links between increased diet soda intake and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of symptoms that increase the risk for heart disease), kidney problems, preterm delivery, weaker bones, and other adverse health effects. read more..

So, there is no 100% guarantee that sweet tasting diet drinks are safe and can be part of a healthy diet.

What to do at the supermarket:

OK, you’ve been patient and read through all this post. Here’s the bottom line (at least ours):

If you are a healthy adult but trying to keep the pounds off, 2 to 3 cups of regular soda per week, counted as a treat, won’t put a huge dent in your calorie balance. If you drink substantially more soft drinks, try to cut down. If you can’t reduce the amount consumed, consider diet soda.

If you are a healthy adult but actively on a diet – really, do yourself a favor and hydrate with water only. Having said that, diet soda can fill a void for your sweet cravings, without affecting your calorie count. Remember that diet drinks may actually be counterproductive due to the infantalized taste buds explained above. And the cancer stuff too.

If you are a parent to a growing child – keep them away from artificially sweetened drinks. The younger they are, the easier it will be to move them to a mostly water routine. For example – at home water is the only beverage.

If you are diabetic, pre-diabetic, or have another medical conditions - soft drinks are one of the first things you should eliminate from your diet. But you have much more on your “plate” than just this matter. Your best bet is to consult with a registered dietitian.

Lastly, we reiterate our usual advice – skip the soft drink aisle and eliminate soda pop of any kind from your hydration routine. It’s the healthiest choice for your body, the planet, and your pocketbook. We admit, this advice is beginning to sound like a broken record…

Hope this makes some sense. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

Coke

Howard G. Buffett is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and Warren E. Buffett’s son.

Note: Warren E. Buffett is Howard G. Buffett’s father, an adviser for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and was a director at the Coca-Cola Company.  

Sam Nunn is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and a co-chairman & CEO for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).  

Margaret A. Hamburg is the VP for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), and the commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank). 

Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank), was the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Ed Griffin’s interview with Norman Dodd in 1982

(The investigation into the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population control by involving the United States in war)

http://www.illuminati-news.com/110106a.htm

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Donald Kennedy was a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   

Mark B. McClellan was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   

Michael R. Taylor is the deputy commissioner for foods for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and was the VP for public policy at the Monsanto Company.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for Monsanto Company.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Valerie B. Jarrett is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration, her great uncle is Vernon E. Jordan Jr, and was Mayor Richard M. Daley’s deputy chief of staff.

Richard M. Daley’s deputy chief of staff was Valerie B. Jarrett, was the Chicago (IL) mayor, Michelle Obama was his staffer, is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a director at the Coca-Cola Company.

Howard G. Buffett is a director at the Coca-Cola Company, and Warren E. Buffett’s son.