Which is Better for Me: Coke or Diet Coke?
Posted on October 18, 2010 by Hemi Weingarten
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
- The human body body gets confused by artificial sweeteners to the point of impeding weight loss plans
- Diet drinks “Infantilize” the taste sense to the point where naturally sweet foods like apples don’t seem seem sweet enough
- 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)
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.
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