Diet Soda IS NOT Bad For You

[@alexnagel614]

Wasn’t there a large longitudinal study just released confirming that aspartame does increase risk of cancer?

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Not exactly. It was a correlational study, that also illustrated two things: 1.) Aspartame consumers had reliably less healthy other habits. 2.) When co-varied for those DETECTABLE habits, only a small correlation to cancer risk remained. Thus, it's very possible that if ALL poor habits were co-varied out (very difficult to do), aspartame might cause no cancer at all. Unless multiple other large CAUSAL studies can show a link (animal studies so far have not), we need to be very skeptical of such research. - Dr. Mike

[@alexnagel614]

Thank you for the quick response! Always appreciate the enlightenment this channel provides. Cheers!

[@Hedgeflexlfz]

@@RenaissancePeriodization Plus, the study just released showed no cancer risk with other sweeteners such as sucralose (splenda), and it showed that low consumers had higher risk of cancer than high intake users of artificial sweeteners. This just doesn't make any logic sense. It's like saying smokers who smoke 2 cigarettes a day have a higher cancer risk than those who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. It doesn't add up at all......

[@danielkanewske8473]

@@RenaissancePeriodization Is it possible to show a causal relationship between just about anything and cancer?

[@Dominik.S.]

@@alexnagel614 If you are talking about the study I think you are, Layne Norton made a video on it this week in regards to the findings on artificial sweeters

[@forrestl5982]

I like when I watch Dr Mike videos and I pause them to go do something, then I come back and he's in the middle of some story about breaking people's legs with crutches and I've completely forgot what point he was making

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Hahahah and you know what, that's point enough! - Dr. Mike

[@luizeduardo248]

As a former morbidly obese who have lost about 88Ibs while drinking diet soda almost every single day, just can't put in words how it has helped me not only to stick to a diet but also to realize that it was possible to have some "joy" while doing it ,specially in the beginning of this process, when I had almost no clue about how dieting was or could be. Nowadays definitely dieting has become a habit and way easier, but gotta say that in a first moment, diet soda ended up to be a thing that really helped me to stay on track and to control some of my sugar cravings.

[@Prodigious1One]

That's excellent! Good job on the weight loss! You're right that it's important to find the diet that will work for each person in order to achieve happily the weight that you want.

[@jojack1273]

Enjoy your brain tumor

[@jeremybutler1087]

I’ve lost 120 pounds in 6 years and am diabetic. Coke Zero is a big help

[@isaiahfarris3539]

@@jeremybutler1087Coke Zero is AMAZING.

[@datakrasher]

@@jeremybutler1087 Used to weigh 400 LBS, I'm around 250 now and I thank whatever holy deity is out there that coke zero and pepsi zero taste as good as they do. I can't quantify how much it's helping me that I can drink those and still lose weight.

[@Rh92887]

Down 90lbs since quarantine doing a full transformation. I drink 2-3 diet sodas a day to stay full when eating a low-calorie diet (in addition to 1 gallon of water daily). My blood pressure and blood lipid levels are now pristine. Diet soda is a fantastic tool if you need it.

[@Reyeston007]

King

[@justinpaul8905]

The beginning of my nutritional transformation started with switching from regular soda to diet. As an experiment, I switched over to see what effects it would have. 3 weeks later I was down 21lbs. I literally changed nothing else about my eating or exercise routine. Just figured I'd share my anecdotal evidence. Thanks for awesome content as always.

[@justinpaul8905]

@Julez I was drinking about a liter a day on average. Pepsi. Not good.

[@BassGoThump]

I concur. Took out sugary drinks, dropped 15-20 lbs in 3 weeks.

[@bobtwista]

Shoulda switched to water lol

[@bubbythebrow153]

Damn wish my body would do this shit lol

[@chriswaterman3823]

I KNOW what you mean , except that I never needed to lose weight , but if I continued the full sugar soda, I would probably be paunchy at the least . Thanks for your anecdote .

[@porvi8112]

I just started drinking diet sodas about 3 months ago and I have roughly 8-12oz a day on my most depressing meal but man it's a killer drink I love 'em I've stuck to my food diet way more consistent because of it, they made these drinks taste like their normal ones it's insane, led to me dropping 20lbs

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

I love it! - Dr. Mike

[@Smc-gm2nx]

Do you find there's alot if added water retention though

[@vanyel_etc8695]

@@Smc-gm2nx what? Why would there be? Water retention usually comes from not consuming enough water, which is a very real possibility if you're chugging down your 1.5L as soda I guess. Diet drinks simply just replace sugar with tiny amounts of sweetener (I'm talking like 1g sweetener for every 100g of sugar). It's a similar, oftentimes identical drink

[@Smc-gm2nx]

@@vanyel_etc8695 I feel like after half a litre of coke zero etc it bloats out my face a bit, and definitely stomach

[@vanyel_etc8695]

@@Smc-gm2nx the carbonisation will definitely bloat your stomach for a short time, but the face bloating is probably placebo. Remember, our self image is tied highly to our mood, if you feel like garbage, you're very rarely gonna think you look decent.

[@nachoslemonheadsmydadsboat8207]

I was 280 when I decided to change my lifestyle and get healthy but I wanted to do it slowly to maintain it rather than crash diet. Swapping from regular soda to diet I was able to lose almost 20 lbs in a couple months with no other changes and felt so much better. I completely agree with what he is saying here.

[@anythingbutnews156]

Maybe give up diet soda just to see what happens.

[@tankhurl4312]

That’s great, that’s because you went from a can of soda that was 200+ calories to a can that was 0 calories

[@Give_Me_Rent]

@@anythingbutnews156 You're uneducated af

[@JosephArata]

@@anythingbutnews156 Ikr? People don't get what Phosphoric acid does to your body, let alone that aspartame is an inflammatory depressant that will make you retain water and feel like crap.

[@clamdigger1602]

@@JosephArataYou’re just posting nonsense. The only negative effect of phosphoric acid is on your teeth which can largely be mitigated with good dental hygiene. There is no data to suggest that aspartame is unhealthy, or an “inflammatory depressant”, whatever that means. I swear some people just exist to lecture other people. Any negative effects associated with drinking diet soda is heavily outweighed by the fact that it’s a delicious drink with zero calories that legitimately helps people maintain their weight loss.

[@JoeBudd-D]

Many of the same people who claim diet soda is worse than soda also claim that sugar is the worst thing you can ever have. But then they drink soda and their justification is that it’s not diet soda so it’s okay. Weird logic.

[@melindaroop1346]

People are weird and think theyre an expert on everything lol

[@sebastianhuertasmvd]

That's me lol. I used to have this weird anti-diet soda thing before this video, well knowing that sugar absolutely sucks.

[@langfortunato8463]

"It's fun to drink"- Dr. Mike, very true.. everything is unhealthy beyond moderation but especially 'fun' habits, or at least dopamine stimulating ones

[@OrganicStrychnine]

It’s not the carbonation that causes enamel erosion. It’s the phosphoric acid, which is added to adjust pH 2.5.

[@JK-wg2ud]

Carbonation also reduces pH by creating carbonic acid when CO2 is dissolved in water. Pure water has a pH of 7. Adding CO2 and nothing else reduces the pH to around 4-4.5.

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@JK-wg2ud but phosphoric acid is way stronger of an acid than Carbonic acid.

[@johnpap6533]

So is diet coke bad for teeth?

[@JK-wg2ud]

@@johnpap6533 In my opinion, the negative effects on teeth would be negligible. However, just like everything else, some people are unusually sensitive to things. The best simple advice I've ever heard regarding taking care of teeth, is don't let any foods/drinks stay on the teeth for extended periods. In other words, when finished eating any food or non-water drink, drink some water to rinse the mouth and teeth. Brushing is better, but it's not realistic to brush your teeth after consuming anything.

[@TrueSpikey]

@@JK-wg2ud Just to add to the otherwise good advice - do not brush immediatelly after consuming foods, especially acidic foods, as it leads to enamel deterioration. Most dentists would recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before brushing. Just rinsing (water, alcohol-free mouthwash) is fine.

[@brodofraggins]

Zero sugar soda has really helped me. It tastes a lot better than diet soda, tastes more similar to regular soda. I have been a soda addict for a long time, and cutting out soda helped me lose 50 pounds 2 years ago. (along with exercise)

[@CraneOPBR]

Has 40 mlg of caffeine but other than that shit slaps

[@brodofraggins]

@Recklez generally comparable to regular soda. In some cases, more than regular soda. Like the zero sugar mountain dews are at 68mg, compared to 55 for regular. Which is kind of a lot, lol. But yeah.

[@Valhal1776]

That's still diet soda. It just has the addition of acesulfame potassium, an additional artificial sweeteners, along with aspartame.

[@brodofraggins]

@@Valhal1776 Yes, I am aware. But the combination of acesulfame potassium and aspartame makes it taste much more similar to regular soda. Diet soda is gross.

[@Valhal1776]

@brodofraggins oh, I agree. Coke zero was my go to. Diet coke just tasted like aluminum with coke essence added.

[@ZealotChemist]

I’ve actually had the exact opposite experience with feeling full. Diet sodas help me feel full much faster and for longer due to the carbonation. The carbonation in sodas has always made me feel full, so I bought more diet sodas during my cut knowing this. When I’m hungry I can drink one and full pretty full/satisfied for a good hour or so. That said, this video is still rock solid in terms of what diet soda is, and how it’s a great tool for a fat loss diet!

[@Ilovesharks17]

Exactly! It’s super helpful

[@Arkhs]

I use squash and sparkling water. The carbonation is just a general must have imo. I can't stand drinks without it.

[@selfimpovingprophecy5970]

Carbonation is a no-no for me. I have GERD and it makes it worse.

[@4FrogsStacked]

I've had a similar experience, but I think that has more to do with cravings than actually "feeling full". Regardless, it def helps me with feeling satiated

[@wow1371]

A new study even found that users of diet soda in the said study end up feeling more satisfied after their meal and unlikely to crave

[@iamfulber]

This video has changed my life. You've made my nights out much simpler and guilty-free. Thanks man!

[@michaczechowicz5862]

Dr. Mike is a pure gold. Great job.

[@CharlieRogers50]

Thanks for this video. I've suspected these things for some time, but have never been entirely certain. This is a good example of a topic you can't easily look up on the internet and find a definitive answer because there are SO many sources out there that provide opinions based on conventional wisdom rather than scientific research or evidence. It's hard to wade through the bullshit, but you do it very eloquently and succinctly as you do with so many health-related topics. I appreciate your videos a great deal.

[@zaybx]

Man this video hit the algorithm where it hurts. Glad to see RP getting so much traction!

[@GaryLiseo]

This was very interesting. For years I had thought diet soda was much worse for people than regular soda (and both were bad for people in general). I lost about 70 pounds at one time in my life cleaning up my diet and increasing activity levels. I've since put on about 40 from my lightest, but also added on a good amount of muscle (not only muscle gained, if I'm being honest) One of my friends has been known to drink an entire case/box of diet coke in a single day before. Yes, he is in poor shape, but that is likely because of how little activity he has and the bare minimum of whole foods he eats.

[@AndyPresto75]

For 30 years I've been drinking loads of PepsiMax, Coke Zero and various artificial sweetners in my coffee as well as for baking and have never had any problems or negative outcomes. 5 years ago I was overweight but lost 40kgs by completely cutting out added sugar, implementing a calorie deficit and religiously exercising (weights and cardio) everyday, and I've managed to slowly keep losing fat and increase muscle mass ever since. I'm nearly 50 and in the best shape of my life with recent blood work and even a colonoscopy confirming my excellent health. It's great to hear Dr Mike confirm what I've always known after researching artificial sweetners numerous times over the years and never finding anything significantly negative, and especially when compared to sugar which causes a litany of serious health problems.

[@JK-pp2xl]

Pretty much the same here. Been drinking diet soda for well over 20 years. Can't stand sugar drinks, and I don't have any sugar cravings(another myth I have heard).

[@N8Andy]

Hey congrats to you!! Your post has really encouraged me as I am on a similar journey but have only been on this diet for about a year now. No added/refined sugar and eating whole grains instead of refined grains as much as possible. I have lost over 40 lbs so far, and as a middle aged person it's awesome to hear from someone with the experiential knowledge and wisdom that I'm on the right track. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@gabzsy4924]

I know this is an old video, but I leared in my science nutrition class that these 0 calories sodas, although do infact have 0 kcal, still do spike your insuline levels, but instead of having an insuline spike with an insuline load (aka CHO or blood sugar in the blood), the body is just left with the free insuline wihtout the load to actually absorb, thus potentially increasing the risk for insuline resistance. If that were to be the case then I'd say these diet sodas are far for being as inert to the body as water.

[@brandonkick]

And if this was any sort of real issue, I'd certainly not have lost 110lbs in the last year. I've been drinking at least 30, if not upwards of 60 cans of diet soda a month. I drink plenty of water, almond milk... etc. But the diet soda 100% does allow me to "something" to go for when I want to eat but I need to keep the deficit. At 1300-1400 calories a day, it's hard to not need something on some days. Can I do it? Sure. But most days, I drink the damn pepsi zero and be done with it. That all is to say. If these drinks were horrible for your insulin sensitivity and were actually inhibitive / harmful to weight loss... I wouldn't have lost the weight I did. I'm not magic. I ate a lot less. I used the diet soda to help me do that. It didn't wreck my metabolism. It didn't cause me insulin resistance / screw with my hormones (at least not in any negative way).

[@gabzsy4924]

@@brandonkick first of all, congratilation on your weight loss, I really respect that. Having said that, you are an anecdote and although I appreciate you talking about your experience, taking conclusions out of it is not how science works. Also, could you point to where I said these sodas would not benefit a calorie deficit diet and weight loss? Because I never said that. I also never said that drinking this sodas will result in insuline sensitivity or diabetes, but they do have a correlation and are potentially harmful but a lot of factor should be taken into consideration which also dosn't mean they don't have a time and a place. These sodas also have a correlation with poor gut health in general and other issues in our body but correlation never mean causation and dosn't mean it will happen to everyone every time in every situation.

[@TheHaiku2]

Two amazing drinks for those that enjoy diet sodas: Coke Zero and Diet A&W root beer. Nectar of the gods!

[@MrObasiah]

Fresca and diet sunkiss is good too

[@jordanlewis4308]

Y’all need to try that squirt zero sugar

[@ZealotChemist]

Diet A&W, heck ya!!

[@cloudwarrior1921]

@@MrObasiah diet Sunkist is awful I don’t understand the hype 😂

[@MrObasiah]

@@cloudwarrior1921 different taste buds. Fresca is good, grapefruit soda

[@tiervexx]

For me the real killer with artificial sweeteners is they seem to have negative satiation. As you pointed out, the stimulation from them can make some people (ME) want more junk food. With that said, I definitely agree with everything you said. They don't magically make you fat with calories they don't have.

[@origamiknife7556]

It's kinda cute that Dr. Mike thinks a large coke is 200 calories.

[@xX_dash_Xx]

Well he is 4'3" so a large for him is like a medium for us

[@morelipstickmorecheapchick7472]

@@xX_dash_Xx impossible, that must be with trekking shoes and a hat on. I once met him and he was eye level with me, so 3'11"

[@BBBerti]

More like 500

[@roebuckmckinney]

240 kcal/20 oz

[@cynicalclockworks9857]

I don't even know if 200 calories take care of all the foam on top of a large coke at McDonald's.

[@JemyM]

I lost about 20 pounds first year I switched to zero-calorie sodas and that was 2 decades ago. It also removed my sugar addiction. Since I no longer consumed sugar on regular basis, my need for it vanished, and with that a desire for candy. Unlike sugar, a sweetener is not a stimulant and give no kick beyond the caffeine. I also no longer liked to drink sugary drinks since it felt they coated my tongue and teeth in an icky way. 2 decades later and I very rarely drink any kind of beverage with sugar on a regular basis, but I do prefer a sweetened soda to water.

[@rafaelespinoza596]

…I’ve been waiting over 20 years for someone to make a “13th Warrior”reference. Thanks Mike 👍

[@flyingbadger1759]

Completely agree on the zero sugar option on soda. Absolutely can't stand diet versions but I drink zero sugar versions 95% of the time now. Had a normal mt dew recently for the first time in a while, tasted way to sweet for my liking.

[@jaroslavsvaha6065]

I'd add as a caveat, avoid any soda if you have a hard time controlling your urges. Especially if you're on a low carb diet, it can easily snowball into more sweets and junk.

[@XxxXxx-br7eq]

Yup. I was drinking cans of Pepsi and Coke and it made me start eating gummy candies and stupid crap like that

[@donsilverson9927]

There’s no carbs in diet soda. You’re dumb.

[@RG001100]

Definitely agree on the importance of avoiding regular soda. Avoiding that alone is a huge improvement to excess calories (with the caveats mentioned). Will have to read more about this.

[@Matthew-wz8ig]

I'm a 3 a dayer myself. Glad to know its Dr approved! 😁

[@danielk8987]

Dude. How do you make talking lectures so entertaining. Why can’t teachers and professors be this good

[@Vandicoup]

RIGHT?! Now THIS I'd pay 20 grand a semester for. Holy shit 🤣🤣💸💸💸

[@wetbadger2]

It’s because he’s talking about something you’re interested in. You probably have no interest in learning thins your school expects you should know

[@johnpairitz]

Really enjoying these frequent uploads!

[@MimicAura93]

I always feel like this is a lunch time talk. Dude is so chill and his body language just reads calm and funny. Love this shit

[@michaellee8815]

I used to work at a sub shop, and this GIGANTIC (fat) dude came in and got a large belly buster, double meat, extra mayo on both sides, then goes to the drink cooler and grabs a diet iced tea and says “guess I better get a diet, huh?! Haaahhaaahhaaa”… ya pal, that’s the only thing keeping you fat, lol

[@MartianAmbassador69]

Only thing I'm counting with my hampster is the seconds before he pops through my back door

[@conjugatemethod]

7-Up Zero deserves honorable mention

[@mobilierclasic2707]

I just discovered it. For sure the best diet soda

[@justinmckean]

When I was a junior in high school (late '80s) I drank a ton of regular Coke. Just before Thanksgiving I switched to Diet Coke. No other changes to my diet or lifestyle. By New Year's I'd lost 20 pounds. I've never gone back. Still drinking the DC and still hearing the myths. Thanks for your work. I subscribed and I'm looking forward to seeing your other vids.

[@narenmenon4430]

Currently WHO has said aspartame is a carcinogen...any thoughts?

[@ravenstarver1360]

He's got a video on that. Doesnt seem to. Too many confounding factors. The American cancer society also did a meta analysis of like a billion people and found no relation to cancer.

[@PrototypeBMX]

5:57 i drink coke for calories before skwaats i can never eat before squatting and if i feel like i need some extra carbs i drink a can of coke

[@greenmedic88]

You actually convinced me. I only drink soda once every once in a blue moon, and always drink regular soda "if I'm gonna have a soda anyway", because over the long run, it averages out to less than a 12oz can per month, year over year. Worst case scenario: the diet soda reminds me of why I don't drink diet soda because 99% of them taste like chemical swill to me, and I start drinking zero sodas per year.

[@zellafae]

I can’t understand how they taste good to other people, to me they taste horrible

[@CarlosFlores-pl3lb]

@@zellafae I feel the same, but sometimes my brain just WANTS IT. A few sips into it I'm kinda disgusted by the taste.

[@AlternateKek]

​@@zellafaebecause its diet coke that is one that taste good. All other diet sodas are shit. Also Diet soda from the can is best, the shit from soda fountains at a fast food joint doesnt taste as good. gotta drink the diet coke straight from the can. I drink many of them a day and it helps me eat far less.

[@N8Andy]

I am in the same exact situation as you and was also convinced by this video to switch as well. Doubt it will make much impact with how little I drink but any positive impact is worthwhile, especially when it's as easy to do as this.

[@zenvariety9383]

​@@zellafaediet soda tastes horrible. Yet ever since I moved to my apartment I removed carbonated drinks from my diet. I only drink soda when I go out to eat which is rarely.

[@ConnieDunnangels2789]

My muscles cramp with diet soda. I drink close to half my body weight in ounces of water and take magnesium. When I thought maybe it could be a lack of either of those items, the cramping continued. Cramping stopped immediately when I stopped the diet soda.

[@lamppostinnarnia]

potassium

[@ConnieDunnangels2789]

@@lamppostinnarnia I had plenty of potassium. It was the magnesium and even upping calcium, helped. If one of those three are out of balance they work in synergy. Goes like this: when cramping, take salt. If the cramp remains, add magnesium. If it persists, then you’re low on potassium. Either way I still cannot drink diet soda.

[@KingOfAllDragoons]

Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Zero are my go to diet drinks , always will be. I don’t get why people still have such knock against them .

[@Goriaas]

Because they all taste like shit? Even plain water tastes much better to me. Maybe I've got a really sensitive palate, but all artificial sweeteners taste like ass to me. I'd rather have water than any diet drink. And also in non-calorie counting diets(which is what most do, maybe not in this channel though) they seem to do no better for weight loss in studies than sugar sweetened beverages, they don't seem to aid at all. They don't seem cause weight gain either though to be fair

[@KingOfAllDragoons]

@@Goriaas water is good but i just need somthing with taste, propel or gatorade zero is another good option for me

[@mgg9416]

Pepsi Max Cherry is s-tier diet soda.

[@IrritatedOnion]

@@StraitjacketFitness ive never heard one person in my entire life say they got diarrhea from a diet soda.

[@KingOfAllDragoons]

@@mgg9416 love it !!!!!

[@Seriousgreeen]

this video is fantastic!! thank you for making this. I think the issue about diet soda is that you are getting something ( sweet) for nothing ( zero calories) so there MUST be a consequence ( cancer).

[@mandy7674]

Well this was great timing! I recently gave up diet soda pepsi max/coke zero), mainly to save my teeth. I was a heavy soda drinker in the past then I switched to diet when I got into fitness and lost about a 1/3 of my bodyweight through diet/exercise. I was so surprised how much I struggled the first week giving up diet soda, I was walking around like a zombie. I feel so naïve to admit it but I just assumed there was no caffeine in diet drinks! I've always been sensitive to caffeine and can't even handle a coffee. It's been an interesting process and long term I'm hoping I won't be so up and down with my moods. Also so funny you said...I've been drinking fizzy water and cranberry/blueberry juice instead..otherwise I'll just have tap water. I'd be interested to know anyone else's experience...did you end up craving sweet things? ^.^

[@kaydinlear]

If you're already eating Junk, diet soda isn't going to hurt you. If you are trying to loose weight it definitely can. The body is a full suite of sensors that trigger different hormonal reactions in the body. You taste sweet, and your body responds as though you had consumed sweet. If there's sugar there already for it to work with, it's not a big deal, but if you are eating more along keto lines then you've just extended the amount of time before you can start processing due to the insulin spike from sweet being detected. Don't get me wrong, things do eventually get worked out in the body and nutrients get distributed, but it's kind of like doing a burn out with your tires. Sweet and insulin tells the body, go go go, energy detected, but if there's no energy to be had you end up just blocking fat energy from getting in due to insulin blocking the process in favor of the more efficient sweet one. So if you're going to do it, do it sparingly and preferrably before a meal so the insulin spike will overlap with the already consumed food.

[@dilbydj]

This!

[@jordanfan8222]

Great point about the sweetness of diet soda potentially increasing cravings for other bullshit. I made some great progress by incorporating Greg Doucette anabolic cookbook type artificial sweet foods, but I learned the hard way that an excess of highly palatable low calorie alternatives makes me crave the real junk food even harder

[@MrCrunch808]

Huh, I’ve haven’t had that issue. Probably because I drink diet/zero sugar soda with my lunch with makes me feel too full.

[@_.soymilk]

I can see this. I never cared much for soda so diet soda probably not, but for other alternative sweets or baked goods made with sweetener I’d definitely want to eat more or crave it after

[@kchambo2015]

Dead park humor is one of my favorites. And so is learning. So glad I stumbled upon your channel!

[@theanabolicitalian2285]

Dude Big Sugar has a FAT bounty on your head rn Dr. Mike 😂 And yea that salt/sweet pairing sends you into a vicious cycle of overconsumption of food. Fat me used to not be able to eat pizza without a coke to pair it with😂

[@gaatjenietsaan9612]

Dr Mike is wrong here. There was a very significant paper published in Cell (study of the effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human metabolism) and there conclusion was: Diet Soda can (and problably will) make u fat. Chris Van Tulleken did a talk about the subject on the The Royal Institution channel.

[@BorisK296]

I'm mainlining sucralose, it gave me superpowers

[@VanillaCoke]

Concentrate it, dry it, crush it. Sucralose rails

[@THRUTHESEEYES]

Aspartame can cause increased headaches and migraines. I know this firsthand. I stopped drinking diet soda and the frequency of headaches was reduced and the migraines were gone. Clearly not a coincidence. Obviously not everyone will have that reaction. I'm just saying that it’s a possibility based upon my real world experience.

[@markuskokko51]

Hey Mike! I have a bit of an unusual question: I’m Finnish and in Finland it is mandatory for young men to serve in the army for a year. It’s not like we’re being deployed or anything but we are trained in case of a military conflict. There is a chance to go to the gym but it varies a lot since some days are so long and there are weeks spent in the woods with no chance to do anything. In addition the food is absolutely horrendous. So my question is this: how do keep my muscle gains during my service, is it even possible? And if so how do I make it optimal? It would help me a lot!

[@athomenotavailable]

Bcaa powders and protein bars

[@Blue-fy5hd]

Protein bars are cool. Fuck BCAAs though.

[@johnallday]

Man your personality and articulation of content is so Entertaining and Informative!!! Great job 👏

[@yasuh4550]

Any chance of a followup video since the WHO aspartame update?

[@mattyelle1]

Googled: Asperthame study, first result dated Sept 20,2023: "Aspartame could cause memory and learning deficits in future generations: new study"

[@chriscleary2364]

Congratulations you read the title of a study on Google

[@DarkHorseWorkshop]

Coke Zero is pretty on point for sure.

[@mr_wright_official_]

Try Pepsi light, shit is unreal (not Pepsi Max)

[@Raduldo]

Personal experience: Drinking zero sugar/aspartame and acesulfame k soda caused me great acid reflux pain. Even one small bottle, and I am done. Now if I want to drink it, just go for regular sugary one and I am good.

[@melindaroop1346]

Not everyone can drink it. Some people have adverse side affects to artificial sweeteners while others dont. I can consume it everyday and be fine.

[@Raduldo]

@@melindaroop1346 lucky you! But to be honest best drink I found is just a combination of minimal sparkling soda water with few slices of squeezed lemon/lime, and added 2-3 ice cubes. When you are off sugar and sweets for about 21-24 days, brain sets a new normal, and everything starts tasting good.

[@jj4829]

Mike could you do a vid on the best ways to maintain muscle on lets say a vacation for a few weeks without lifting? Through diet or other means?

[@Dylan-ko2gj]

I do push ups and other movements just to keep some sort of activity and my muscles under some kind of tension

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Already done! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mofCYYSHm9Jqetk - Dr. Mike

[@MagneticDwarfReptile]

@@RenaissancePeriodization do one on alcohol? we all know it's bad and the list of potential bad effects is endless. but are they all empty calories. beer has a lot of carbs and must do something for your glycogen stores. hard spirits were sugar, now they're alcohol and probably does almost nothing for your glycogen stores?

[@Laerun]

I've heard you still get an insulin response, though. I say this as a diet coke drinker of about a decade and a half who is thinking of ditching soda altogether.

[@RedfishCarolina]

I started drinking diet coke 3 weeks ago. So far so good, although I now am 100 pounds overweight, with diabetes, my cat died, and my aunt came back from the dead as a zombie.

[@RollinShultz]

I read studies back in 2009-10 showing bad effects. At the time I was getting sinus headaches a few times a week and taking decongestants and pain relievers for them. I stopped drinking diet soda and also using splenda in my coffee. Within two weeks I completely stopped getting headaches and sinus trouble. I haven't been getting headaches all these years. I do get a tension headache once in a while if I over do my Traps and Shoulders workout, but it doesn't last long or feel that bad. Many studies are not well managed, and/or incomplete for example not conducted on people who have the problems associated with the chemicals in question and examining the habits of people affected negatively by said chemicals. In my opinion after years of eliminating as many non-natural chemicals as possible from my diet I have a much better quality of life than I once did. I'm sure you would agree injesting healthy naturally grown and unprocessed foods is much better than injesting processed foods with who knows what chemicals added either as ingredients or during processing. My motto: "If God made it eat it, if man made it toss it".

[@garouthetiktokinfluencerhu9731]

Jack La lanne said something along those lines. “If man makes it don’t eat it. If it tastes good spit it out”. I agree with the first part 😂 RIP The guy was awesome.

[@RollinShultz]

@@garouthetiktokinfluencerhu9731Jack Lalane was THE MAN. He did some wild stunts in his twilight years and gave a lot of good advice for every day man.

[@maxw2431]

So my gallon of Diet Pepsi a day is nothing to worry about? Awesome!

[@Moshealthtips]

thats alot. 14 cans a day is the lower limit

[@leightonmoncada4934]

11:27 from their website Regular Coke: 16oz-210C; 20oz-270C; 29oz-390C; 38oz-510C Diet Coke: All sizes-0C

[@DJ_Force]

I was initially put off by this channel, but Mike's data driven presentations are winning me over. It's becoming my favorite fitness channel. It doesn't hurt that Mike and I share the same sense of humor.

[@DOKTORPUSZ]

What initially put you off?

[@DJ_Force]

@@DOKTORPUSZ The depiction of steroids users as "enhanced".

[@DOKTORPUSZ]

@@DJ_Force what about that bothered you? Steroids are in a category of "performance enhancing drugs". It doesn't seem inappropriate to me to describe people who use these drugs as "enhanced" lifters. I'm not telling you your opinion is wrong or anything btw, just curious about your thoughts.

[@DJ_Force]

@@DOKTORPUSZ While I greatly appreciate his honesty (much better than to say he got that way naturally), it further normalizes the use of dangerous chemicals that can appeal to people who don't fully understand the dangers. Also, it furthers the corruption of the bodybuilding sport. A sport that once started out as "who can build the best body" and has devolved into "who can take the most drugs and not die...immediately". Lots of body builders still die early.

[@xt-cj7jg]

never have i ever been tempted to take steroids maybe because i never considered it EVER when watching his channel, and ive been a long time watcher. ​@@DJ_Force

[@paulv7454]

Wouldn't the sweet flavor trigger your body to produce more insulin, reducing blood sugar and making you more hungry?

[@tom6069]

Brother... I am very sorry for you, you dont realise coca cola company does this,, free sugar thing'' to make the superstitious people still buy their product, also big youtube chanels can have partenership with big companies to make you trust their product I tell you one thing, if you work out regulary you will still lose weight, and still gain muscle But from personal experience, if i drink ANY TYPE OF SODA, fanta zero sprite zero mountain dew cola zero diet soda etc... I feel dizzy, sick, no energy, for 2 hours, i also counted my heart rate after, from 50 bpm heart rate, to 90 heart rate after drinking soda My advice is, buy 3 fkin oranges or lemons and make your own juice, you feel better, the price is the same, and it tastes better call me crazy or + but that is the truth

[@RenoMay]

I’ve been drinking like 4 diet sodas a day while cutting lol 😂

[@RenoMay]

It satisfies my desire to have a sweet/snack

[@alimalek559]

@@RenoMay does it satisfy your desire to have a sweet/snack?

[@sabertoothwallaby2937]

That's gross

[@ManusPeperzak]

@@sabertoothwallaby2937 you're gross

[@Nerdybdirty]

I'd rather have Celsius or low carb monsters

[@cefreddie8701]

I wish I could like this vid more times, but just subscribed instead, thanks a ton for keeping it real! This topic has been bothering me for quite a bit :) Diet surely saved me a lot of the problems that come with sugar consumption such as teeth decay, weight gain, and so on, so I'm glad to hear for once that the cancerous claims aren't so horrible as the word goes. I will say though, that I often get medium cravings for the sweet and salty (chips & candy) as it just fits right in. But hell, a carrot or an apple might just as well replace the feeling of an empty stomach.

[@Firm-Tofu-King]

Coke no sugar no caffeine has 4 calories per litre and I love it

[@frankf684]

Coke Zero without caffeine has no calories

[@Sweet9964]

5:05 is something every person afraid to give up soda NEEDS to hear. Your diet sodas will still scratch that itch, but it'll taste "off" at first, because it IS. But as a former daily soda drinker who's now an occasional diet soda enjoyer, you won't notice the difference after a few days of drinking them.

[@fitprotunes]

They've been awful for my teeth, I can tell you that

[@MXHunterD]

You should wash them regularly...

[@danielgrant9213]

Sample size of one and this is purely anecdotal, but as a young adult, I drank a TON of regular soda, like at least 2 liters per day. I was about 230lbs at 5'7" at 20. By the time I was 27, I was 260lbs. I started counting calories (including from soda and soft drinks) at 27 and by 28 I was down to about 170 lbs. I'm 41 now and while my diet habits have varied I've been nearly religious about never drinking anything that contains sugar. I weigh 185 lbs and wear the same waist size in pants that I did in jr high, though a big part of the reason why I've been able to consistently avoid sugary drinks is because I typically drink a ton of diet soda now. I went from being the fat guy with " the slow metabolism" to the " guy who just never seems to gain weight", and while I don't necesarily tell anyone "you should drink diet soda", any time anyone asks "how did you lose that weight?" Or " how come you never seem to gain weight?", the first thing I always respond with is, "you would not believe how many calories you probably drink". Diet soda is definitely the key to me staying at a healthy weight, especially since I have slways disliked plain water for some reason.

[@snackpup]

dude that's me ive drank nothing but regular soda for 2 years straight. just switched to diet and it's incredible. i feel stupid asking for it but i totally see why people buy it and drink it

[@Dan-sw8tg]

never bought into that shit anyway., the same friend of mine who thinks Aspartam is literally meth is also a flat earther, I swear

[@MagneticDwarfReptile]

I'm in a country where there are groups which will push anything even slightly bad to be labeled and taxed (a pack of cigarettes costs $17 and is a disgustingly coloured brown box with a large text saying "smoking kills". the benefit of this is when they try to push for legislation onto something like diet soda but can't because the evidence just doesn't exist. it's even made cheaper very recently, as it was previously under the same sugar tax as regular soda.

[@BigDaddyBlais]

A Sparta Me is going to be my new driving mantra! Thanks Dr.Mike!!

[@andreassyvertsson2667]

Switching soda for diet soda helped me lose 20kg (in combination with exercise and proper diet) over a 3y period. That extra work for the hearth removed will probably increase my life quality a lot over the next 50-60 years of my life

[@blorgajork2088]

The acid in soft drinks: am I a joke to you?

[@PosteriorPounder]

I'd just like to say the inconsistent titling for this series throws you off a bit. Usually you've been titling with the myth itself, but this one is titling with the counterargument

[@casthedemon]

Which isn't even much of a counterargument.

[@joelcurtis562]

I quit drinking Diet Coke a month or two ago. I do miss it sometimes because it is fun to drink, but I find it very hard not to down three or four a day and that shit gets expensive. Whereas after a few days without it, I just stopped missing it. It's amazing how adaptable your taste is to changes in what you drink. Basically drink anything for a week or two and it will become your preference. Unfortunately many people don't realize this and insist that they "just can't" do diet soda. You have to try it once to see how your taste adapts.

[@Iwillreply]

Cost is the only reason I'm considering cutting down as I was having it with lunch and dinner, and using it as a snack during the day to avoid eating any food. I will say it helped me stay on track with my weight loss (70lbs down) as I had something besides water to drink, and I wasn't drinking my calories anymore. I don't drink milk or juice anymore.

[@robinbennison9225]

I'm watching this video immediately after reading that the WHO are adding aspartame to a list of substances which *may* cause cancer. (July 2023) As with all things, moderation is key. I'd imagine drinking anything (coffee, alcohol, energy drinks etc) to excess could cause a multitude of health conditions. I would be interested to know Dr. Mike's thoughts on the news reports coming from the WHO rhis week though.

[@maeschder]

Anything that *may* cause cancer is still leagues away from *will* cause cancer. Remember, a lot of WHO stuff is large-scale recommendations for policy. Not individual advice. Anything that may cause cancer is worth keeping in the back of ones mind when designing public health policy for millions of people, but its not the same as making everyday choices as a single person.

[@robinbennison9225]

@@maeschder yep, quite right. For comparison, the WHO state that sunlight is also a carcinogen, a higher "risk" one than aspartate.

[@terryhurtado8852]

​@@robinbennison9225that's crazy, it's almost like skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.

[@sniper60605]

I’m drinking a Diet Coke and eating peanut butter pretzel bites while I’m watching this video. Fantastic!

[@steveloge8119]

I love how Mike gives props to ONLY the Moderna vaccine when listing scientific accomplishments. Pfizer: The Pepsi of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

[@fierypandaofdoom]

Canadian here, Pepsi > Coke. Sorry.

[@wigletron2846]

Imagine giving props to big pharma's current cash cow

[@andrewwoode]

The gut biome is the main concern i have about diet soda, and the bad bacteria it feeds. I will say that aspartame I have not too much about, and that is good to point out the sketchy study. I find that apple cider vinegar, salt, cinnamon, and even lemon really hits the spot, though I have worked to get myself off all soda and enjoy water. Water for thirst, juice for taste. Often, I never get past thirst phase since that is more than enough

[@ProgShell]

You gotta love when the fattest person you’ve ever seen in your life calls you unhealthy for drinking a diet soda.

[@sebastianparrish1673]

Zero sugar sodas do the opposite for me, they curb my cravings for something sweet. They made dieting much easier.

[@Powerofriend]

The thing that gets your teeth is enamel erosion. That white stuff that coats your healthy teeth. Super hard stuff that doesn't grow back once its gone. When you have a snack of just about anything (some things more so than others like sugar, acidic substances too like carbonated beverages in general) the "microfilm of bacteria" ( unavoidable effect of living in the real world with all kinds of microscopic critters crawling around and on every kind of surface and, well, food.) feeds on some of those sugars/ carbohydrates that you munched upon/drank. The little buggers get really active after this and cause after some micro chemistry the surface of the tooth, the enamel, to loose some of it's hardness. In this state things like even brushing your teeth can abrade the enamel ever so slightly. Though it chafes off gradually nowhere near as good at putting up with the physical stress of grinding against food or the other teeth nor staving off the microbes living in your mouth, leading to some rather revolting google image search material. Luckily the Enamel stays in it's weakened state for a relatively short time. About 30 minutes or so. During which time your Saliva works on neutralizing the acids in your mouth. Turns out that preserving your enamel is as simple as limiting your daily ingestion events to a reasonable number of 3-6. Drinking a soda, one after the other for hours on end resets that 30 min period and will leave your enamel in a vulnerable state indefinitely if you are diligently popping those cans. So save a buck at the dentists office and drink responsibly!

[@kumikohirasawa8126]

Regular coke has always been my favorite and I tried to like Diet Coke but couldn’t get used to it. Then I tried the Coke Zero and it was so much better but, the one that tastes the most like regular coke is the Coke Zero cherry. I don’t know what it is but I think the cherry flavor pushes the zero so much closer to regular coke. I don’t drink it everyday but when I get a fizzy drink craving I know I can grab a cherry Coke Zero to satisfy that craving without all the sugar I was drinking before with regular coke.

[@petercoxable]

Doc, you’ve missed the main point. Don’t know why. These are the words from a Diabetic Specialist: “Diet soda’s artificial sweetener mimics sugar, thus causing the pancreas to release insulin when not needed”. “Sugar does make you fat, but it’s also an energy source (calories/kilojoules are a measurement of energy)”;you know this. “If you burn the sugar (obviously in moderation), with a healthy pancreas, you’re actually living a healthy life”. “Drinking diet soda to lose weight is like playing with fire, because you currently have a weight problem and the pancreas is working overtime. If you develop diabetes due to your weight problem and or yo-yo dieting, YOU’RE SCREWED!!!. Your pancreas now has no idea what sugar is, and your diabetes will be so severe, you’ll become subject to comas at either end. From a simple sip of something with sugar in it or something with no sugar; the pancreas has no idea. It is a nightmare!!! Point being: If you’re a healthy weight, with a healthy diet and exercise regime, and start drinking diet soda, you will slowly ruin the function of your pancreas. If you have developed diabetes from weight not only applicable to sugar, then drinking diet soda like water, it will make no difference because the pancreas won’t be releasing insulin when the sweetener is in the system. The pancreas is broken but can be managed. If you drink diet soda like you’re saying and so many others: to lose weight. And end up developing diabetes from fatty foods etc (weight gain), they may as well remove the pancreas. Diet soda for diabetics, real soda for non. And simply don’t put so much sugar in your body. Non diabetic drinking diet soda like water WILL harm the pancreas. If your healthy and develop diabetes, and have been drinking diet soda like water; life will become extremely unpleasant. Sorry buddy, love your content, but you are wrong on this one.

[@TheGuider]

Such a huge comment just to be wrong. Blood sugar doesn't rise from a zero calorie drink. If blood sugar doesn't rise, the pancreas doesn't release insulin.

[@Damaris972.]

You are funny as hell. Best trainer/Physician i've ever watched !

[@phillippastine4479]

Love that coke zero shit...

[@billybadass7718]

The best!

[@wg8561]

I've been drinking tons of diet soda every day since the 80's. It definitely hasn't caused me to gain weight. I've literally been single digit body fat, slamming them all day long. I've also never had a cavity. People always tell me it's bad for me and regular would be better lol

[@NightLetterLondon]

unless you're naturally stick-thin, i would doubt you are single digit body fat percentage. anyone who trains knows that single digit body fat is maybe (if lucky) what you could achieve at the peak of a cut, but otherwise it's simply not achievable or sustainable.

[@davidesparza1390]

Those artifical sweeteners reek havoc on your gut.

[@IrritatedOnion]

layne norton had a post about this recently and showed there was no correlation based on the research. he linked the studies but i cant be bothered to go find it now.

[@slee2695]

@@IrritatedOnion ah yes..my go to scientist..lmao

[@adayexpired6370]

Yup. Love Diet Coke. 51 and been drinking aspartame drinks since 18. Who declaring Diet Coke dangerous for causing cancer is about as myopic as how they used to teach kids to eat 4 servings of carbs every day. I ithiur Diet Coke, I would 100% drink regular coke or beer and be dead already. Instead at 51, I can do 20 pull ups, 50 push-ups, 30-50 dips, one leg squats, and then jog 5-10miles. Diet Coke didn’t do that for me, but it sure helped. Getting Diet Coke with McDonald’s is same as not getting cheese and keeping mayo off - a few hundred calories def helps. This is by far one of the best no BS fitness gust I’ve ever seen on KZbin, not just this vid but all the vids I’ve seen so far. Super sound advice on everything. Subbed.

[@Dtaysh]

Dude. I discovered Diet Root Beer this week. Holy fuck. I miss root beer incredibly. Now it's guilt free. So fucking amazing.

[@jattaya]

Yeah diet root beer, diet orange soda & if ya can find it, diet cream soda are awesome

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

I had so much of it a few years back I burned out! But yes, it's very good! - Dr. Mike

[@ironfrogpress1526]

Old Fit type1 diabetic here. I almost always order diet drink with big meals. AND Sugetfullb sodas are for medical emergencies ONLY IMO, diet sodas are a godsend and make my world more bearable. Thank-you for this contenrlt❤

[@SiriusXification]

FYI you can replace chips with sunflower seeds. There's still a fuckton of calories in those but they: 1. Are nutritious, have actual protein & fiber vs empty calories from frying oils. ( though they have chip variants that are also pretty good ) 2. Take a zillion hours to eat cause you need to shell them. 3. Give you that salt/ artificial flavouring fix at the cost of like ... 200 ... maybe 300 calories. 4. Are fun to shell with your teeth. Drawbacks are that you make a mess so it's a a desk/table food. Other than that though, it replicates the soda/chips experience somewhat faithfully without letting you casually blow 1000 calories on a snack. ( with potato chips, the chips suck, the flavouring is why you eat it anyway)

[@SuperduperBradley]

I was one of the "water boys" before but my wife recently convinced me to try coke zero and mountain dew zero sugar; Now, I keep having this repeated thought: "Is this magic or something? There's no way it's 0 calories" I'm cutting right now and diet soda actually does help with hunger some because of the carbonation. The carbonation fills my stomach enough to mask my hunger for a while.

[@macbruce7562]

The new diet sodas are like witchcraft lol

[@SuperduperBradley]

@@macbruce7562 dude seriously it's insane, and when cutting, I'll take any calorie free goodies I can get

[@macbruce7562]

@@SuperduperBradley For real! Very few people ever talk about diet soda, I didn’t start drinking it until 6 weeks ago and now I’m down 12 lbs. I wasn’t a soda drinker before but if I want something ultra sweet I’ll have like 6 strawberries and a Sprite Zero. I highly suggest this as a snack: 2 apple cinnamon rice crackers, 4 tbsp PB Fit peanut butter, 1 cup of strawberry’s and a diet Dr Pepper. 300 cals 15g protein, might not be the most anabolic snack possible but it’s super easy to throw together.

[@franciscot1903]

my personnal experience is that Diet soda helped me a lot in weight lost years ago, i completely stopped drinking sweet drinks and drink those and it really helped reducing calories intake. No health issues as far as i know, and for cancer studies the latest seem to say you need to drink a lot everyday in order to get that

[@alchemiaofficial1464]

You should do a video on artificial sweeteners! My mom swears that artificial sweeteners are worse than real sugar and I can’t change her mind no matter how hard I try lol

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Already on it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJCrZqdtfdighM0 - Dr. Mike

[@alchemiaofficial1464]

@@RenaissancePeriodization Thank you!

[@Akillez7]

Aspartame definitely adds hunger for me. Makes me want more food or crave bad foods. If I can, I'll go carbonated water because I realized I prefer the carbonation stimulus over the flavor of the soda. I'll keep my calories to meals. Snacking on fatty/salty carbs is a bad habit and diet coke definitely gets me peckish.

[@RockTumblingContent]

This didn't age well. Perhaps it's time for an update to this video.

[@Adammorrow779]

The WHO cited limited evidence and reaffirmed their recommended maximum daily intake of 40mg/kg of body weight. I don't think that would require a retraction.

[@acbigshot01]

@@Adammorrow779it kills off gut bacteria therefore wrecking your metabolism, hormones, & DNA damage

[@CosmicDuskWolf]

Honestly my main reason for not drinking diet soda is it is disguising. Also I had a teacher who only drank diet soda, 2 liters at a time and weighed over 300 pounds. That was his main drink. I am sure what he ate didn't help as well. Once in a great while, like maybe 4 times a year I might have a soda. I prefer water, tea, coffee and sugar free drinks. I have heard a few studies that diet soda makes you more hungry so most people end up eating more because the stuff in diet soda gives false signals by the way of empty calories that you are hungry. Honestly I noticed cutting out soda makes soda taste gross after a while.

[@ThorgalsWalhalla]

Me on my knees shaking from cancer of the 13th gallon of diet soda: "Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them, In the halls of Valhalla, Where the brave may live forever!"

[@JoshuaM.Waldrep]

Drinking my first diet Dr. Pepper after watching your recent collab with Jeff Nippard. After spending over half of my 21 years drinking pretty much multiple cans a day I'm excited to try this out