Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Is That Diet Drink Really Good For You?

Popped open the top of a nice cold 12 ounce diet soft drink today. Yes, the word diet has snuck into my vocabulary. Too many pounds, and family history of health concerns has prompted me to think twice about what I eat or drink.

As I tipped back the drink and savored the 'not as good of a taste as the regular drink' flavor, I became curious as to exactly what I was drinking. I already knew of some concerns of any soda drink but just so everyone else is aware, here is a breakdown of the current soda I have and exactly what it contains:

12 ounce diet soda
0 calories
0 fat
0 sodium
0 total carbs
0 protein

Ok, so what am I drinking then? Let's look at the ingredients:

Caramel Coloring, Phosphoric acid, Aspartame, Potassium Benzoate, Potassium Citrate, acesulfame potassium and caffeine.

A little research brought out this tidbit of information on each ingredient.

Caramel coloring can be linked to causing cancer.

Phosphoric acid is commonly used for rust removal and reduces bone density.

Aspartame has 92 different health side effects including blindness.

Potassium Benzoate is a carcinogen and is a cancer causing agent.

Potassium Citrate can cause numbness, tingling in the hands and feet and an uneven heartbeat.

Acesulfame potassium hampers the metabolism of the body, causes headaches and was also used as a paint stripper and degreaser at one time in the past.

And of course, caffeine, which may cause dizziness, nervousness, difficulty breathing, hives and vomiting.


Still thirsty? I am thinking water might be my best bet.