I've been testing many combinations of various compounds for 10 years and I can recommend this particular set:
L-Phenylalanine or L-Tyrosine 1000 mg
Vitamine C 1000 mg
Vitamine B6 200 mg
Gingko Biloba 60 mg
Guarana 200 - 600 mg

take this in empty stomach. if you want an extra boost, add: Vinpocetine 5 mg

these are all available at many vitamine stores in the US (no prescription needed).

- technoshaman

Sorry, but I like nutrasweet and I'm not giving it up. I dont think I use tons of it and I dont bake with it, so for now, I think I'll stay securely in denial. Anyone care to join me?

8-)

I knew it is in sugerless gums that I chew when I don't have time to brush my teeth after lunch. I've been wondering what to choose instead but I still chew them.

I think the above set of compound is far better in effect to get over addiction of dietsoda kind. but for chewing gums I still haven't found alternatives.

I did a PubMed search on aspartame, and found two relevant articles--"Aspartame: review of safety", and Cytotoxic effects of methanol, formaldehyde, and formate on dissociated rat thymocytes: a possibility of aspartame toxicity." Both indicate that your Diet Coke habit is perfectly safe. (Which is a good thing for me, since I drink plenty of it, myself.)

Hi ell. Thanks for the links. I'm feeling a bit better now. I think the great thing about blogs is that someone like you can quickly post something to my blog that helps bring what was making its rounds on the mailing lists into perspective. I had no idea that PubMed even existed until I saw your post. Thanks! I said, "If what this page says is true," hoping that it would spark a debate... I think it is healthy to question authority at every turn, but to be able to track down the facts and make our own decisions. I don't think that the "fear-mongering" sites will go away and I think that open discussion is the best way to resolve these issues...

Anyway, I will read the PubMed articles and let you know if I stop drinking Diet Coke. ;-)

Those links that ell provided should not be looked at as a panacea, in my view, to nutrasweet users. The first link gives next to nothing other than a rehash of the issues. Several other products have went through extensive research only to be recalled later. Drug products especially, I don't need to cite them here because they have been widely documented by the media. The studies were tampered with to get the required results for the patent. That point was not refuted but it is also hard to prove. One thing is true though, money talks and people walk to it. I will put nothing past people when money is involved. One woman embezzled 2 million dollars from her workplace to a Nigerian e-mail scammer hoping to get a return on it. This is documented especially when companies put money into finding cures for diseases. They only research items that they can patent and profit off of. I want to see impartial independent studies, without lobby money backing, that can prove that it is a farce. Then after that I want them to find the actual cause for these people's conditions disappearing over night after they stopped use. You can use flow cytometry studies until you are blue in the face, but theoretical examples cannot simulate real life situations and other factors that come into play in a human being's body. That is impossible to simulate and isolate in any lab test. People's diets here need to be compared to others in other nations as well to find simularities and disparities. Then all this info needs to be combined into one and a final case should be made before the FDA. I am not a user of nutrasweet but I think we need a final solution to this soon. This panic-induced flooding of information into e-mail is getting nowhere.

Reasonable points. However, doing a larger search on "aspartame and safety" in pubmed brings up quite a few studies done over the past 15 years, including this one, which was a human subjects study.

As to the "actual cause of these people's symptoms disappearing overnight," first I'd want independent verification that said symptoms did exist, and did "disappear." And I'd want randomized trials that showed that it was more than a placebo effect, which is what I suspect.

Of course, I'll freely admit that as a hard-core user of Diet Coke, I personally have a vested interest in believing that it's safe. :-)

I think we're in agreement, though, about the "panic-induced flooding of information into e-mail," and not just in the context of aspartame.

That link was a good one, although the sample was small, it gives a promising end. I agree on all points in your post.

All I gotta ask is why do people eat that crap ? why not just eat regular sugar ? is it to lose weight (rather I should say fat) ? cause that shit don't work. You can easily lose fat all while eating regular sugar. I've been as low as 4 % body fat and still ate sugar and sugar products. I think the discussion here should be about regular coke too..cause everyone knows that stuff is EVIL :)

Well, I have no problem. I just drink ordinary Coke, because Diet Coke tastes of shit anyway.
Normal Coke rules the world! Lol.

Bobby, you seem to have missed the point here, we are not discussing the nutritional benifits of aspartame for the purposes of weight loss. Rather, we are evaluationg the potential health hazzards of a chemical in a much consumed beverage. Tha "shit" may don't work, or maybe it do work - last time I checked there was no final word on what the 'one true diet' should be. The Japanese eat more saturated fats and the French drink more red wine, and still America has the fattest people in the world. Things aren't that simple, and discussion should never be waved away by those who don't see the point of it. Spare us your supreme wisdom, and cut the potty mouth.

Well, the aspertame is fine but what about the caffeine? I drink A LOT of Diet Coke too and I worry about the caffeine. And to the guy who says why not drink regular Coke. Well, I drink about 10 cans of Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper a day. If you figure a can of 'regular' Coke has about 120 calories, it is beneficial to me to drink 0 calories versus 1200. Also, after you drink diet soda for about 6 months and get used to it, regular soda tastes WAY TO SWEET!! I will continue to drink a lot of diet soda simply because I can not stop.

I use to drink at least 3 cans of diet coke a day. I had lots of mild headaches. I quit drinking it about 20 months ago and I have only had one short headache in all that time.

I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT, NO MORE DIET COKE FOR ME I WANT TO SAVE MY BRAIN.

The japanese consume more saturated fats (ie. animal products) than americans? how can this be true? for one thing they simply do not eat as much as americans and for another thing they have assimilated soy, and its various products, into their diets much more readily than americans have. i do remember though the author of one of my vegan cookbooks recounting how difficult it was to be vegan in japan, which suprised me.

I drink Diet Coke far too much, it has practically replaced water to me. To some extent I know that cant be good but its too hard to give up. The official Coke website refuted the dangers of Aspartame and said that the levels of caffeine are well within the acceptable limits. To pose a danger, you would have to drink about 15 cans a day. Still... which is right? Some say Aspartame is bad, some say its not? So confusing. I am also worried about the phosporous which is supposed to cause osteophorosis

"The official Coke website refuted the dangers of Aspartame and said that the levels of caffeine are well within the acceptable limits."

Are you kidding me? Are you really going to even think of believing the Megacorporation that makes BILLIONS selling this stuff!? They would NEVER admit that they have been selling you a neuro-toxin all these years......

If you are still using Diet coke or anything with Aspartame in it after reading the info-------you're a FOOL------I got hooked on diet coke about five years ago----recently I started having weird things happening to me such as muscle spasms all day----different areas of my body-----aches down my whole arm----back aches --tired all the time---memory loss----huge cravings for sweets which I had only gotten this last year-----I kept saying to myself it has to be something in my diet.
I had always thought to myself, "Im drinking way too much Diet Coke " Like I said I got addicted to it but never thought it caused major problems---I never really knew what exactly Aspartame was-----I just figured it has to be safe the FDA had to have tested and approved it----but now I SEE THE LIGHT !!!!!!!!!
I had said for the hell of it let me stop Diet Coke and see what happens-----within three days my muscle spasms stopped the aches in my arms went away--cravings went away----no more back ache----and got alot of energy back. I then said let me see for the hell of it if anyone else has had any problems. I got online and punched in DIET COKE PROBLEMS and an unbelieveable amount of sights came up---and what I read shocked the hell out of me.
It all makes sense now-----our goverment let this poisen be passed by the FDA ( ALL for $$$$$$$$$$$ ) even though it was never tested like it should have been-----with all the companies involved in this and all the $$$$$$$$$$$ money they have to keep it hush hush-----makes complete sense why I know so many people who all have problems----and all different----but they all are taking some kind of Aspartame on a daily basis------This is what everyone has been wondering what's causing all the illness these days.
They're testing everything where I live On Long Island from the water to the telephone lines to try and figure out why all the Cancer rate is so high ----IT"S RIGHT ON THE SUPERMARKET SHELVES !!!
In over 5,000 products which alot of people are taking thinking it's healthy to have instead of suger-----so so so wrong !! If anyone is reading this and figures that you have been taking it and have no problems----just wait----it all effects people different ways and takes longer in some than others----but you will have them eventually and then probably get mis-diagnosed by a doctor ---put on some medication but continue to consume Aspartame---the real problem---the poisen !!! With all the money involved in this I can see why it's not all over the airways---these companys control the papers---the TV everything-----this should be on the top of the news every night------Please ,Please get off it while you're not ill and spread the word about it to all friends and family---especailly those who are sick and may not realize it's Aspartame----like one sight said that I read---THIS IS THE REAL CRIME OF THE CENTURY !!!!!!!!!!

I too drank way too much diet coke and even started using equal.i knew that it wasn't good for me- because i was drinking it way too much. I have stopped drinking it all together after soem five years of drinking it non stop. i am now sleeping better, and not having headaches anymore. Its so scary that the governments are allowing this stuff to be available with all the chemicals in it. I have now stopped drinking it and feel so much better.

I too drank way too much diet coke and even started using equal.i knew that it wasn't good for me- because i was drinking it way too much. I have stopped drinking it all together after soem five years of drinking it non stop. i am now sleeping better, and not having headaches anymore. Its so scary that the governments are allowing this stuff to be available with all the chemicals in it. I have now stopped drinking it and feel so much better.

Folks, sweetners like this are CHEMICALS. Th eless chemicals you pu tin your bodies, the better. We are poisoning ourselves enough already, do we *really* need "diet-coke" and others to add to the pile?

Real fruit juice! Tea! Coffee even! Water... Much better alternatives.

Cheers!

I may be totally wrong, but I found that eliminating diet coke from my life has been a godsend. I did it before I read this site. All I knew was that it caused neurological damage (was hearing that all over the place) and that I was becoming extremely addicted to it (3 or more 20 oz bottles a day).

I drank it since I was sixteen and since that point I had problems. I suffered from anxiety, I had headaches, and I had OCD. I've tried everything for years to stop all that--anti-depressants, migraine meds, etc. Finally just gave up on trying to treat myself, because nothing was really working.

This year I went back to college and was really chugging the diet cokes so I could stay up and study. I gained a lot of weight. When I finished school and started dieting, I noticed that I'd be a lot hungrier after drinking a diet coke.

I switched to decaf Diet Coke...it was the same thing. Plus, decaf also made me HYPER like diet coke. Couldn't ever drink it before bed.

It's been over two weeks now and I've finally gotten them out of my system. As a substitute, I've been drinking flavored seltzer water--which is GREAT because it has 0 calories, is tasty (but has NO sweetners) and it hydrates me (something diet coke never did since it's a diuretic (sp?).

My skin looks smooth and younger (I used to have really bad acne problems). I've started to lose weight, partially because I'm hungry all the time.

What really blew my mind, though, is that all my migraine headaches, anxiety and OCD has totally disappeared. I will NEVER drink that crap again. I found this site and a lot of others like this and I'm not surprised.

In fact, I'm a bit concerned...Mental illness has been steadily rising in the US. I wonder if much of it could be linked to diet coke or other things we put in our bodies.

My best friend drinks up to 5 Diet Cokes a day. She has heart problems to begin with, and she kinda wheezes sometimes, like she has trouble breathing, like shes trying to catch her breath. I keep telling her to maybe stop drinking the Diet Coke because it seemed to help her mom when she had similar problems. Does anyone have any sugestions about how i can tell her or help her to stop, or at least cut back, on the Diet Coke?

My best friend drinks up to 5 Diet Cokes a day. She has heart problems to begin with, and she kinda wheezes sometimes, like she has trouble breathing, like shes trying to catch her breath. I keep telling her to maybe stop drinking the Diet Coke because it seemed to help her mom when she had similar problems. Does anyone have any sugestions about how i can tell her or help her to stop, or at least cut back, on the Diet Coke?

Is Diet Coke Addictive?

Every Diet Coke drinker I know can't stop at just one. They all know the bad effects, but can't stop. I gave caffeine, and diet coke up for 3 months, but as soon as I had one I was hooked again.

I LOVE DIET COKE!!!!!!!!!

I've been tired alot and having a lot of hot flashes. Does anyone know if hot flashes can be caused by me drinking too much diet coke.

Diet Coke is very bad for anyone! I used to smoke about a pack a day and drink a little more than a liter a day of Diet Coke. I had a lot of anxiety problems, suffered from headaches and insomnia. I figured the majority of these problems were caused by the Stimulative Nicotine and other Chemicals in the cigarets. Consequetly I stopped smoking over a year ago but to satisfy my oral fixation from the cigarets I stared drinking more Diet Coke. The Headaches did decrease slightly however, my anxiety and insomnia have only gotten worse and on some occasions I have even had breif spells of blurred vision lasting 1 to 2 days. I have a masters degree in psychology and I'm positve my anxiety is not a natural dissorder. Rather my anxiety only occurs when I drink Diet Coke and the same for the insomnia I have experienced as well as the blurred vison and slight loss of memory which I forgot to mention earlier. I stopped drinking Diet Coke about 2 months ago and have experienced none of these problems since. The Coke Company's statement that Asparteme or the Isolated Amino Acid Phenylalanine is safe is only justified because of the lack of research for which the product has been subject to. I`m 25 years old and healty 25 yr olds such as myself dont just get the symptoms I have described above. All I know is that maybe Diet Coke didnt cause any problems in lab rats but lab rats are not human. In 20 years Coke will be in court for the same reason the tobacco companies were 4 years ago. As far as I am concerned Coke Co. and Phillip Morris should both be boycotted by the American People untill they are both Bankrupt.

I drink far too much diet coke/other diet drinks. i have never EVER had any of the problems mentioned. I drink tons of the stuff... I am addicted to it. but i have had no spasms, or headaches, or pains, or aches... I do stay up late into the night though, but thats only because i dont like sleeping, and if I needed the sleep - it wasnt hard for me to lay down and go to sleep. This is a bunch of crap- all these "symptoms" I bet none of these people even realized they had "Symptoms" until they read about it- it's the power of suggestion, if a lab reports that too much aspartame dissolves your skin- you automatically believe it? Nah- continue your drinking folks. I know I will.

Holy crap. Diet Coke- I am amazed. Me and my friend drink so much Diet Coke everyday. Lately, he's been getting headaches and ive been seeming to lose my memory and getting stomach aches more. Everytime one of us does something stupid, we joke around- "Oh, its the Diet Coke...". Well, things have gotten worse and i was actually beggining to wonder...is it really the Diet Coke? I've always heard about the dangers of drinking too much of it, but the thought sounded completely absurd to me that Diet Coke was actually making me dumber. So i decided to search it and found that there are tons of people with the same side effects as us. Well, you now have me convinced that it's the Diet Coke, but quiting Diet Coke?..I think that just might be impossible...

Holy crap. Diet Coke- I am amazed. Me and my friend drink so much Diet Coke everyday. Lately, he's been getting headaches and ive been seeming to lose my memory and getting stomach aches more. Everytime one of us does something stupid, we joke around- "Oh, its the Diet Coke...". Well, things have gotten worse and i was actually beggining to wonder...is it really the Diet Coke? I've always heard about the dangers of drinking too much of it, but the thought sounded completely absurd to me that Diet Coke was actually making me dumber. So i decided to search it and found that there are tons of people with the same side effects as us. Well, you now have me convinced that it's the Diet Coke, but quiting Diet Coke?..I think that just might be impossible...

Holy crap. Diet Coke- I am amazed. Me and my friend drink so much Diet Coke everyday. Lately, he's been getting headaches and ive been seeming to lose my memory and getting stomach aches more. Everytime one of us does something stupid, we joke around- "Oh, its the Diet Coke...". Well, things have gotten worse and i was actually beggining to wonder...is it really the Diet Coke? I've always heard about the dangers of drinking too much of it, but the thought sounded completely absurd to me that Diet Coke was actually making me dumber. So i decided to search it and found that there are tons of people with the same side effects as us. Well, you now have me convinced that it's the Diet Coke, but quiting Diet Coke?..I think that just might be impossible...

I stopped drinking cola sodas over 10 years ago, because I found that whenever I consumed them, I would get this tenderness and intense pain in the lower region of my belly, and the soda would burn all the way down my throat! I couldn't tolerate them. Then, I picked up a new habit, I started chewing Extra, Winter Fresh and the new Wrigley's Doublemint gums, I immediately started having the worst dizzy spells! For a While, I didn't associate the dizzy spells with the gum chewing, and I was chewing at least 5-6 packs, which is approximately 25-30 sticks of gum a day! I am a college student and I started chewing the gum because I was told it would help me concentrate as I studied, or (so I thought).
I would get these heart palpitaitons, slight headaches and just feel all "out of sorts", I also felt nervous and anxious, but still it never occured to me to check out the gum.
The final straw came one day while driving home, I experienced a severe dizzy spell that left me totally disoriented and unable to even walk straight once I left my vehicle. I nearly lost consciousness, as the whole area was spinning around me. I thought it was because I hadn't taken my vitamins, but I noticed that even when I started taking my vitamins, the moment I started chewing the gum, I'd get these same symptoms! Then one day, just because I noticed a different "taste" to my doublemint chewing gum, I decided to read the lable, and there it was-- a warning lable that stated: "This product contains Phenalanine", in bold letters!
I was stunned and immediately went on the internet to check out this ingrediant, and at the same time, I also discovered that the other gums I had chewed, contained Aspartame in them! As of this writing, I have stopped chewing these gums and I now drink plenty of WATER and "Not from Concentrate" Orange Juice. I believe the Lord blessed me to find out about this poison and I know that He will bless me to find another chewing gum that won't harm me. Thank you for this forum

I really think aspartame is bad for the human body!! It makes me mad to know that many people are dying from this product!! They should actually do something about it or I will!! I will prove and testify agaisnt them and prove it is killing many children out there!!!!!! You never know it could be myself because I am a diet coke drinker.

I really think aspartame is bad for the human body!! It makes me mad to know that many people are dying from this product!! They should actually do something about it or I will!! I will prove and testify agaisnt them and prove it is killing many children out there!!!!!! You never know it could be myself because I am a diet coke drinker.

I really think aspartame is bad for the human body!! It makes me mad to know that many people are dying from this product!! They should actually do something about it or I will!! I will prove and testify agaisnt them and prove it is killing many children out there!!!!!! You never know it could be myself because I am a diet coke drinker.

I am a 23 yr. old college graduate. I have my Ba. in psychology and my former physiological psych. professor warned women not to drink DIET soda. He claimed that it can cause a calcium deficient in bones leading to osteoperosis and instructed us to research the chemical phenylaline.

However, that was not enough motivation for me to quit drinking DIET COKE. I never realize that people, such as myself , could actually began to crave the drink!

I am glad this article is posted because the thought of getting cancer is enough motivation for me to make a cut back and eventually eliminate my intake of Diet Coke and other Aspartame products.

The irony is that most people use these products with the hopes of losing weight yet many of the users remain overweight.

I think it would be NAIVE of us consumers to expect a Billion dollar industry such as COKE to admit there product is unsafe. There is so much deceit involve in consumer sales because the love of money is the root of all evil. Billion dollar corporations do not have a conscious. Wake up America, save your health!

It all makes sense!!! I have been drinking Diet Coke since I was 5 and I'm 15 now! I am the only fat person in my whole family and I eat the same amount than most people, but drink a lot of Diet Coke. I don't ever get headaches from it, but I do have cravings after I drink it, I also have sever breathing problems after running but I don't ahve asthma, and I have memory loss and sometimes I have small muscle spasms. Although, I do think I am addicted, having been drinking it for 10 years straight. I have however found one benefit of drinking Diet Coke; I have yet to get a single cavity, and I think that's because I drink Diet sodas that are sugar free. Also, after drinking sugar free drinks, any drink with sugar is unbearably SWEET!! It's just gross, but after reading this info. I won't drink it so religiously. Maybe 1 or 2 a week for a while, then maybe i'll be able to stop for good. If you have any comments for me, please tell me.

hi

hi

i drink a ton of diet pop every day. i also drink a minimum of 4litres of water every day. i have no health concerns what so ever and have lost 35lbs in the last 3 months. ther thing is most americans who diet, order a diet coke with the supersized big mac and fries. gimme a break. WATER WATER WATER then coke, diet or not

What about the diabetic people who crave the sweet taste and have no other alternative. A friend of mine who is diabetic is doing just fine because he weightlifts and does cardio three times a week. I think the immediate signs of headaches is associated mainly to outside factors such as school and health to begin with.

I really don't get why people would drink regular soda unless they have a legitimate health concern about the artificial sweeteners. There are literally no benefits to drinking regular soda - meaning that there are only negatives! Why drink all that sugar? I can drink as much diet soda as I want and it never hurts my diet. Before I realized regular soda was fattening, I used to get it when I was hungry at work - and it did help with the hunger! But there was no nutritional benefit to it. I just don't understand why people would knowingly put that much empty calories into their body if they didn't have to.

Hmmm... it's hard to believe all these people have had problems with Diet Coke... i drink diet soda and i haven't noticed anything unusual. It's not any more addictive then regular soda... post should show IPs because i get the feeling some people are reposting under fake names to try to make DIET COKE look bad.

Yes taking in empty calories are bad, I do not know why people would do that either. However I do not know why people would intentionally take in a neuro-toxin either. Yes your health may be fine right now however 85 percent of the time the first symptom of a heart attack is death! So do not wait on those health problems to show up before you start to worry.
Not only is Diet Coke addicting, it seems that it also causes loss of intelligence, because some of the defensive comments put forward by some of the posters here,can not be put forth by able minded people.

Fountain Diet Cokes are sweetened with saccarine, not aspartame. The aspartame doesn't hold up as well in the syrup!

Ok, so is this general point that aspartame is bad or "Diet Coke" is bad. I have somewhat recently become a Diet A&W junkie. When I say junkie I mean it. I drink about a case a day when I can afford it. It seemed like a near harmless addiction considering the lack of carbs (Im a diabetic) and of course no fat. There is about 100g of sodium per can tho. Not sure what that can do.
So ok, Im drinking a LOT of it, but it's caffeine free, sugar free, fat free. IS there an addictive property here literally? I am ALWAYS thirsty due to poor sugar control yet, so it COULD be attributed to regular thirst for a drink I really like maybe?

Snopes.com, the urban legend site, has a detailed page on the aspartame-causes-every-disease-in-the-book urban legend: http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartame.asp

Like many, I've been told for years now that Diet Coke is eventually going to eat a hole thru my stomach (or my brain!).....It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, when a constant stomach pain forced me to start to seriously reconsider my diet......I always knew I drank an excessive amount of Diet Coke.....Visit 7-eleven on my way to work for a Super Big Gulp (44oz.) & all thru the day at work, where we have a free fountain coke machine in the cafeteria....Basically, I kept my 44oz cup filled up all day long....

Many folks commented about two...three....four 20oz bottles a day....some even a six pack or more of cans.....I think I consumed on average, four to six 44oz cups a day....roughly 18 cans a day, for probably 15 years now...

After doing about an hour of research on the Internet, I was frightened enough to at least give it a try (stop cold turkey)......I can tell you I haven't had a history of headaches or sleeping problems, but I do have muscle spasms, and as of late, serious stomach pains.....My body knows it's the Diet Coke because as of very recently, just a sip will heighten the pain!

I've been off for about 60 hours now (2.5 days)......

I have a headache, but my stomach pain is at idol currently...

This SUX, but we'll see how it plays out!

I drink a moderate amount of diet coke (or "Coke light" as it's called here), primarily because it contains next to no calories at all while regular coke contains massive amounts.

In response to the original question on this site, people are now listing all sorts of diseases that they supposedly had and that vanished immediately when they dropped the diet coke habit. I find most of this very hard to believe and I'm beginning to think at least half the posters are "trolls" (coming up with nonsense stories just to provoke or inspire debate) or are simply imagining things. That latter point is not a criticism -- we can all do this from time to time and the human mind is powerful and has been shown to sometimes affect the rest of the body. That's the placebo effect and it's taken into account in medical studies, by ensuring that subjects do not know whether or not the drug they are given is effective or not.

Claudia said she wanted to testify that aspartame kills children. No offense intended but I wonder who she is to make such a determination. What evidence does she have other than the rumours frequenting various sites? Did anyone actually read the links provided by ell? They, and related scientific articles conclude that there does not appear to be any danger with aspartame in humans even with abuse-level doses.

I am not claiming that aspartame is completely safe. By all means, if you believe you are drinking too much diet coke (or drinking or eating too much or too little of anything), by all means, make an adjustment. It will probably be beneficial. However, we should be careful when drawing any conclusions with certainty and right now there seems to be more evidence suggesting it is safe than that it has all these doomsday effects some people on this thread (not all) make hysteric comments about.

Regards,

Robert
Sweden

Hi.

I am also a big fan of diet coke.

However, I think the idea of being addicted to it is inaccurate. I believe the fact that one can consume as much of it as one likes without any calorific intake may be the real reason it is so popular.

I also drink litres of it each day. But depending on my training session (i.e. the season of the year) i have to drink litres of SOMETHING. This can be water, orange juice, lemonade, and when I'm dietting (to tone up for competitions) diet coke. I have no problem coming off it, as long as I drink lots and lots of other liquids.

People concerned with weight loss experience negative emotions when drinking fatning soft drinks, and it is the lack of negative emotions that leads to so much diet soft drink "abuse."

I.e. there is a psychological reason, rather than a physical addiction.

My 2 cents worth... :)

Um, I was just wondering if your positive all this stuff on diet sodas are true. Especially the part about it being a brain drug that makes you think it's sweet.

Are you positive all this is true? Especially the part where you said it's a brain drug and that it makes you think it's sweet. I really need to know. I think i might have just screwed up my science project...

Most of the people who have commented here sound like complete morons. Anyone who drinks 10 cans of soda per day has other problems besides what's in the can. And insomnia?! Hello, Coke contains caffeine... caffeine keeps you up. Maybe if you got to sleep you wouldn't have headaches in the first place, idiot. And another guy who started chewing gum instead - what's wrong with you? Do you HAVE to be a consumer or something? Why? What do you need it for?

Idiots, all of ya.

Many of the psychological complaints listed here occur with or without diet Coke. Just because you had decreased symptoms off the sauce doesn't mean it was the diet Coke. It's convenient to nail it all to the nice little 12 oz. can--but there are many other factors in our lives which can contribute to mental illness--particularly major life changes.

I Elina think diet coke has a bad after taste. Do you know why? my antie loves any thing that is a diet baverlage soft drinks.
But im not use to the taste yet.
Is it because im not use to it or is it suppose to taste that way?
From; Elina

Missy says she is smarter than all of you and her diet coke doesn't hurt anything
I beilive she's in denial just like an alchoholic on their first apointment.

Missy says she is smarter than all of you and her diet coke doesn't hurt anything
I beilive she's in denial just like an alchoholic on their first apointment.

To my husband that thinks I'm
a alchoholic to diet coke and to all the other people that say bad things about diet coke.
I have been drinking diet coke for years now and not one!!!!
bad thing has happen to me. I evan quit diet coke because I was told it was bad but I did not have any bad things to me. well I felt like why It taste great and I love it so I started
drinking it again. well first I weigh 103 lbs and before I started drinking diet coke I was 125 lbs I never had any bad problems with diet coke I can still remember things since I was 5 and I am old now. I would like to know if it is doing these
bad things to you all why arn't you sending your info to the goverment?????? Is it because we have no real PROOF???? well any way I believe it is ok for you and I drink 6 cans a day. My husband drinks 24 cups of coffee in a day and 3 pks of cigs a day you tell me if that is safe? or better than drinking diet coke :) still living and happy:) and drinking diet coke :) enjoy life while you are here we all only have one life to live thn we meet our Father in heaven God bless you all!!! :o)

I have recently joined a weightloss programme, and was told that I could not drink my favorite drink "Coke", and was forced (told) to drink "Diet Coke" - This really scare, irritates, and makes my want to drink plain water - although this give me no where near the pleasure that "Coke" or "Diet Coke" gives me.... HELP!!!

I have recently joined a weightloss programme, and was told that I could not drink my favorite drink "Coke", and was forced (told) to drink "Diet Coke" - This really scare, irritates, and makes my want to drink plain water - although this give me no where near the pleasure that "Coke" or "Diet Coke" gives me.... HELP!!!

You want help, fatboy?

Why don't you get off your fat ass and get some exercise. You don't need to be in a weight loss 'programme' and you don't need to be drinking Coke or any variation thereof.

FUCK!

Quitting anything addictive can be really hard, both psychologically & physically. Here are some of the things you can expect when you stop an addictive habit: headaches, joint aches, fatigue, short temper, acne, bad breath, possible diarrhea, forgetfullness. These symptoms will go away about a week after stopping the behavior. They happen because the body is actually cleaning out all the toxins which have been stored in the system for the time of the addiction. These symptoms are GOOD! It means the body is healing itself. Once you have acclimated to your new life without addiction, the psychological effects (i.e. bad moods) will lift and you will find a new freedom. I have gone through these symptoms a number of times---I quit coffee, diet coke, cigarettes -- and the first time is the worst, so don't give up. Know those horrible headaches or the hole in your life where your addiction used to be will be gone soon. I recommend getting exercise during this period of change -- even if it's just a walk through your neighborhood. Exercise is proven to increase production of serotonin which elevates mood. It also boosts your immune system, gets the blood flowing and can help you lose weight (which is why I assume most people use Diet Coke). Other things to do while you're withdrawing: long baths, naps, home-cooked meals that are light on animal products, phone calls with friends, large glasses of water, going to the movies, doing something creative even if you don't consider yourself to be "creative:" drawing pictures with your kid's crayons, arranging flowers, cutting up magazines and making a collage, gardening, writing the story of your life.

Finally, here is an idea of what to drink now that you're off the coke. Get some sparkling water and some not-from-concentrate organic juice. I like gratefruit. Get a wine glass (not necessary, but fun!) and fill it 1/4 - 1/2 with the juice, then top it off with the sparkling water. Now you have a delicious, refreshing and healthy carbonated beverage. If you are frugal with the amount of juice you use, you will be low on calories. You will also save money on the juice since you're only drinking a little at a time. (Be sure you get NOT-FROM-CONCENTRATE. Concentrates use only a small percentage of juice and the rest is sweeteners such as aspartame and corn syrup. Ocean Spray is a prime example of what NOT to buy. Try Knudsen's instead. It's worth any extra cost). My best to all of you. I quit a Diet Coke habit that was overwhelming. For one full year all I did was drink Diet Coke, Slimfast and smoke cigarettes. Yeah, I was skinny, but I was also a psychological mess. I looked good, felt awful. Fortunately, I was able to pull myself out of this situation and slowly took the road to recovery, through friends, reading books on health, and exercise. I am still thin, but now I am healthy, too.
Best to you all.
Elizabeth

I agree so much I will not drink diet coke....at least later on.

WHATEVER !!!

Where are the results of any studies made on diet coke? I would like to read them, and analyze all of the negative claims. Is there a website?

I drink plenty of diet coke!!! I am a loyal fan. How ever that tumour fact scares the hell out of me!! but then again scientists are always coming up with new foods we should stay away from!!!!!!! What will it be tomorrow? I just balence out my diet coke in water to remove some of the nasty stuff, oh well i will die happy!

Ey! I think this is a very interesting information! I definetely will stop drinking diet coke or any diet product! Thanks!

I think you all are a little too paranoid. Also I would like someone to produce evidence that someone has died because of thier habit of drinking diet coke. I mean directly related. I would also like to see a long term study with a good size test group about the negative effects of drinking diet coke. If not then I say "take a chance and don't be so paranoid".

Aspartame: I'm no expert, but if you eat sugar a chemical is released into the brain much like Aspartame to make you think the food is sweet. Does this mean drinking normal coke which has sugar will release chemicals in the brain to inidicate it is sweet, and is therefore much like drinking diet coke, though your body may be expecting sugar??? People usually get headaches from dehydration of the brain, so it follows why poeople might stop getting headaches when they they drink more water and less coke. Aspartame bothers me because it is a big money spinner and it was released onto the market when it was shown in trials not to be safe. Later it was shown to be safe. Does safe include studies on the effects it has on the brain? If someone has a science based URL to the affects on the brain, that may of interest.

Diet coke isnt bad for you because of aspartame, or caffeine (unless you drink ungodly amounts of it) but because it does leech your bones from the phosphorous. Bah its not aspartame i drink more than a kid my age should drink and i have no trouble sleeping, rarley if ever get headaches cept during weather changes, and muscle spasms? only have like one of those a month cause im still a growin kid here. As long as i drink milk i should be fine.

(All natural does not mean better folks. Pot, tobacco, cocaine, cyanide and many other poisons are natural).

I am a Diet Coke addict and I am going to quit tonight and see what happens. I have noticed I keep losing my train of thought during conversations and I have definatley noticed memory loss. I am not paranoid and have thought lately maybe my diet has something to do with it. Every year for the last 10 I have noticed I drink more and more Diet Coke. I will be interested to see if quitting makes a difference. I use to laugh about getting cancer until I saw my sister die of a brain tumor and my mother from lung cancer.

I have been drinking diet coke for years, and would have one a day around noon time. I did notice that for a time, I was starting to want it earlier in the day, and if I had one closer to 10, I would want more later in the afternoon. I already had my doubts about how healthy this was, so I made a conscious effort to cut back to the one. I absolutely agree, for all you nay-sayers, that it does give you a variety of symptoms. I came searching for a site like this because I have had thoughts that it might be true that my memory things, stomach pain, sluggishness, and I even get underarm sweats now at times when I have one...I never sweat---ever, at any other time, even during exercise this particular way...I have isolated it to the Diet Coke. I do find myself forgetting what I am saying in the middle of sentences, too, and have had some tests, and there is nothing wrong with me. This is with only one 12 oz. can a day. I know it doesn't make me feel good, but it's a habit, and I still drink one every day. I was also told years ago by my best friend who is a physician that diet soda definately impeedes weight loss. It actually triggers something in your body that makes your body hold onto the fat (lay explanation), sorry, but it is true, and has been proven. I am not overweight, but when I want to shed a little, I know it makes it harder when drinking diet soda. It might not affect everyone, or even everyone the same way, but there is a basis for the concern. I am going to renew my effort to eliminate it for good. There are enough other things to drink out there. I don't need cancer, or to feel sluggish. I want to be around to see my kids grow up, and no love of diet coke is worth missing out on that!

I really dislike diet drinks and I have always been a thin person, but now I'm in my mid 40's and I've gained 10 pounds. I don't like it, so I thought I'd try eating a little less and cutting back on sugar. That's why a couple months ago I started sweetening my morning coffee (large cup!) with Equal instead of sugar. For about a month now, I have felt bad every day. Many days my stomach hurts a little. I don't have my normal energy. I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Last night I realized it might be the nutrasweet, so I got on-line and searched for "nutrasweet" and "stomach". I found all this bad news about nutrasweet. No more nutrasweet for me! (By the way, it did not help me shed those 10 pounds.)