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Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

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Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#91

Post by shadowofneptune »

rr888 wrote: post #76
themitigating wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone knows that "diet" in a product name means it's healthier than the non-diet product. It also does help with your health if you were going to consume the non-diet version of that product in similar quantities.

> I think everyone knows that "diet" in a product name means it's healthier than the non-diet product. Disagree with this. Its marketing BS to focus on one diet optimization usually at the expense of something else.

What would be the something else? There are occasional studies that may indicate health risks associated with diet soda, but as best as I can tell they are not really conclusive. The health issues with consuming large amounts of refined sugar on the other hand are concrete and very well documented. Dental caries, increased likelihood of developing diabetes mellitus, etc.

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#92

Post by saiya-jin »

themitigating wrote: post #71
dougdonohoe wrote: post #63

Back in the dot-com days, thanks to employer-subsidized soda fridges, I was drinking easily 6+ cans of diet soda a day (in my case, Diet Dr. Pepper). Along with other startup related behaviors like eating fast food (Carl's Jr, what's up?) and not exercising, my weight increased to around 220 lbs on a 6'1" frame. I stopped drinking diet soda around the time I joined a weight-loss startup in 2011, and started eating he…

I think everyone knows that "diet" in a product name means it's healthier than the non-diet product. It also does help with your health if you were going to consume the non-diet version of that product in similar quantities.

Aspartame which is often used for 'diet' drinks is rather crappy chemical stuff you really shouldn't be putting in your body in the first place.

People feel they are doing something for their health when its really not the case since they still remain well within the junkfood category (something akin to using denser filter in cigarettes - less big particles may well mean finer stuff is kept in lungs for longer, and travels deeper)

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#93

Post by jamal-kumar »

amelius wrote: post #57

I found out that when I stop drinking Diet Coke, I get depression symptoms. (Reproduced three times now). It must have something to do with the aspartame in it. When I take DLPA pills (a breakdown product of aspartame), the depression goes away quite fast. Drinking a can or two of Diet Coke also does the trick.

I'd talk to your doctor about this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine_dependence

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#94

Post by Raphael »

x3iv130f wrote: post #72
dougdonohoe wrote: post #63

Back in the dot-com days, thanks to employer-subsidized soda fridges, I was drinking easily 6+ cans of diet soda a day (in my case, Diet Dr. Pepper). Along with other startup related behaviors like eating fast food (Carl's Jr, what's up?) and not exercising, my weight increased to around 220 lbs on a 6'1" frame. I stopped drinking diet soda around the time I joined a weight-loss startup in 2011, and started eating he…

The trick is to do an 4:1 dilution of sparkling water and diet soda. You will end up with 1-2 cans of diet soda heavily diluted by water. After you get used to it, ordinary canned soda will start tasting like the carbonated syrup it actually is.

Sparkling water on its own is fine.

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#95

Post by jamal-kumar »

dougdonohoe wrote: post #63

Back in the dot-com days, thanks to employer-subsidized soda fridges, I was drinking easily 6+ cans of diet soda a day (in my case, Diet Dr. Pepper). Along with other startup related behaviors like eating fast food (Carl's Jr, what's up?) and not exercising, my weight increased to around 220 lbs on a 6'1" frame. I stopped drinking diet soda around the time I joined a weight-loss startup in 2011, and started eating he…

The fact may be that artificial sweeteners may alter your microbiome and cause you to crave more calories as a result [1]

Not to mention the most carcinogenic ingredient? It's the dark caramel coloring, which is why you get in Denmark 'clear cola' from their local brands (North Americans can enjoy some Zevia in this way). I guess that's just burnt sugar off the bottom of a vat or something. [2] Not to mention the phosphoric acid in there for the 'taste', which is a pretty sweet ingredient for stripping rust off of chrome! [3]

I don't know why I still drink this stuff on occasion hahaha. They even take that acid out of stuff like hardware store rust strippers these days.

[1] https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-can-...

[2] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289687

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7OdX42NjWQ

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#96

Post by daniel_reetz »

symlinkk wrote: post #69
dougdonohoe wrote: post #63

Back in the dot-com days, thanks to employer-subsidized soda fridges, I was drinking easily 6+ cans of diet soda a day (in my case, Diet Dr. Pepper). Along with other startup related behaviors like eating fast food (Carl's Jr, what's up?) and not exercising, my weight increased to around 220 lbs on a 6'1" frame. I stopped drinking diet soda around the time I joined a weight-loss startup in 2011, and started eating he…

It sounds like you’re confusing the effects of eating unhealthy food with the effects of drinking soda

There's some clinical evidence that artificual sweeteners are associated with weight gain. It's interesting stuff and worth a look.

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#97

Post by stordoff »

dougdonohoe wrote: post #63

Back in the dot-com days, thanks to employer-subsidized soda fridges, I was drinking easily 6+ cans of diet soda a day (in my case, Diet Dr. Pepper). Along with other startup related behaviors like eating fast food (Carl's Jr, what's up?) and not exercising, my weight increased to around 220 lbs on a 6'1" frame. I stopped drinking diet soda around the time I joined a weight-loss startup in 2011, and started eating he…

> around the time I joined a weight-loss startup in 2011, and started eating healthier

I'm not sure how you can distinguish between the effect of the change to the drinks and the effect of the other changes.

Personally, I've gone from drinking 6+ cans of Diet Coke a day to 1-2 plus water with no other changes and noticed no effect from it.

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#98

Post by culi »

tppiotrowski wrote: post #38
dwaite wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is to try to quantitatively match the stimulant effect of caffiene plus sugar/HFCS in the sweetened alternatives.

Am I the only one that experiences sugar as a depressant? Eating high glycemic index foods makes me lethargic and sleepy. I've never experienced a "sugar high". I also don't have diabetes as my blood sugar level is within norm during routine physicals.

Yeah same here. I feel like crap almost right away when I eat most anything with a decent amount of added sugars

Re: Diet Coke probably isn't a cognitive performance enhancer

#99

Post by cdaven »

tppiotrowski wrote: post #38
dwaite wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is to try to quantitatively match the stimulant effect of caffiene plus sugar/HFCS in the sweetened alternatives.

Am I the only one that experiences sugar as a depressant? Eating high glycemic index foods makes me lethargic and sleepy. I've never experienced a "sugar high". I also don't have diabetes as my blood sugar level is within norm during routine physicals.

Yep, me too! There is actually a link between high GI and sleepyness; orexin. It's a chemical messenger in the brain, and if you have very little of it, you have narcolepsy. If you have been injected or sprayed with a lot of it, you stay alert without sleep. Oh, and glucose inhibits orexin production!

My personal theory is that I have inherited a low base level of orexin, which makes me react with sleepyness to carbohydrates. I have no idea if this is accurate, though.

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