Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda • Hacker News Board

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#71

Post by itsybitsycoder » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 4:19 PM UTC

AlexDanger wrote: post #63

lfowles wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some thoughts on why drinking water isn't more common: * No water cooler at the office * Tap water tastes funny * "Mocked" for drinking bottled water

>Tap water tastes funny In Australia the tap water has very strict monitoring and is tested often. The water here tastes fine. What is absolutely staggering is that bottled water is not monitored as strictly as tap water, yet costs about 1000x more . All those pictures of pristine waterfalls and bubbling springs are absolute bullshit. You are far more likely to get a hefty dose of chlorine or other containment from b…

Really, in ALL of Australia? Even if you live on a farm or in a rural area? I live in Canada, not Australia, but when I was growing up, most people I knew weren't on some big city water system, but on well water or smaller (neighborhood) water systems. Nobody drank tap water, and it was a regular occurrence to get water quality warnings from the testers. Now that I live in a city I drink tap water nearly every day, and it does taste fine. Australia is a big place so I find it hard to believe that Australia's water quality is really that consistent across the board.

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#72

Post by itsybitsycoder » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 4:29 PM UTC

dbbolton wrote: post #25

scott_karana wrote: post #16

Why don't they just use xylitol/isomalt or any of the other natural, calorie-free, nice tasting sugars? Presumably because they're expensive, but if sold in bulk I'm sure they could bring prices down acceptably...

High consumption of sugar alcohols causes GI upset in a lot of people, which is why you usually only see them used in small quantities (gum, mints, or non-edibles like toothpaste and mouthwash). Russel-Stover makes sugar-free chocolates, peanut butter cups, and other confections that rely on sugar alcohols and sucralose to replace the missing sugar. They carry a warning on the bag that eating more than 3 pieces may c…

Yup, I have a huge sweet tooth but I try to stick to a keto diet because it has helped me keep my weight down without having to be hungry. I have personally experienced the intense regret of eating an entire package of maltitol chocolates/gummy bears on multiple occasions. It's a good way to train yourself not to each so much freaking candy in one sitting.

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#73

Post by itsybitsycoder » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 4:32 PM UTC

joshuapants wrote: post #4

VLM wrote: post #2

Could try not making it sickly sweet. Might even boost sales.

The reason Diet Coke is so sweet is that it is an entirely different formula from Coca Cola Classic. It is more similar to the ill-fated New Coke, a product that was designed to be much sweeter because market research and focus groups determined that people tended to prefer sweeter colas (New Coke, of course, failed because it alienated Coke's market base, since people who preferred sweeter sodas would have already s…

Diet Coke is sweeter? To me it tastes like overly-carbonated ashtray. One of the few diet drinks I don't like, because I find it not sweet enough. ;) I knew that Diet Coke was its own formula and Coke Zero was meant to taste like Coke, but to me Coke Zero/Coke taste sweeter than Diet Coke.

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#74

Post by itsybitsycoder » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 4:40 PM UTC

therealdrag0 wrote: post #19

I wonder why there's such an obsession with ZERO calories. Why not a middle ground? Maybe you could achieve a better flavor and attract health conscious people with like 50 calories.

My guess is that those health-conscious people either just drink normal soda in smaller amounts, or don't drink it at all. The people who are drinking lots of diet soda aren't exactly health-conscious; we're people who have a bad sweet tooth and have found a "cheat" to satisfy it without getting fat (or fatter than we already are). Everyone I know who drinks diet soda drinks a ton of it, and it's not that we're very stupid health nuts who just don't realize that diet soda is still not as healthy as water. We're unhealthy nuts just making small compromises to limit the fallout from our bad diet decisions. :)

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#75

Post by itsybitsycoder » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 4:42 PM UTC

iLoch wrote: post #65

primroot wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Easy. Just privatize all drinkable water so that people have to buy it. That way drinking water will provide the same economic benefits of drinking soda.

Not easy but I'm sure it's being worked on.

Absolutely:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-privatisation-of-water-nest...

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#76

Post by loco5niner » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 8:45 PM UTC

psychometry wrote: post #49

libraryatnight wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The substitutes are to help sell more soda. To sell the notion that you can drink sweet syrupy drinks without being unhealthy. I think the parent understands. I don't think the comment is directed at soda companies or researchers, but the consumers leery of artificial sweeteners.

You, too, have ignored my point about sugar being unhealthy. It's not the fact that soda tastes "sweet" or "syrupy"; it's the fact that it's loaded with calories from sugar.

Yes, sugar is unhealthy. Yes, drinking less of it is probably the best option. Oh Hey! that's what iLoch said originally. For me, I drink mostly water and very rarely actually drink soda. When I do, it's the real thing.

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#77

Post by loco5niner » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 8:45 PM UTC

therealdrag0 wrote: post #13

iLoch wrote: post #6

This is probably a crazy idea: drink less soda. When it comes to pop, I usually stick to cola - and when it's cola I'll never buy it unless it is made with real cane sugar. Boom, potential side effects of artificial sweeteners are gone, and the drink tastes way better. And just drink more water. Why is this so hard for people?

It could be argued that the harms of real sugar are more well established than the harms of artificial sweeteners.

That's the idea behind drinking less of it.

Re: Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda

#78

Post by loco5niner » Fri, Mar 20, 2015, 8:48 PM UTC

skywhopper wrote: post #46

iLoch wrote: post #6

This is probably a crazy idea: drink less soda. When it comes to pop, I usually stick to cola - and when it's cola I'll never buy it unless it is made with real cane sugar. Boom, potential side effects of artificial sweeteners are gone, and the drink tastes way better. And just drink more water. Why is this so hard for people?

Most people don't have your iron willpower or particular sweetener preferences.

Do people actually prefer the flavor of artificial sweeteners??? huh...