Diet drinks

#9

I’m confused how a substance with zero glucose could possibly trigger blood sugar spikes. If anything I would think it trigger blood sugar lows as the cephalic response (body tastes sugar and thinks it’s about to get some so triggers insulin before digestion of glucose can begin) in the absence of glucose.

(Scott) #10

thanks, I have no way of reading my blood glucose. Didn’t want to derail my progress and happy with the way it is going. Started using the strips and I think I am in the one under the best but hard to tell as the colours are similar on the strip from the 3rd and the second so I think my keto is one above moderate.

Really appreciate all the help, it helps us newbies avoid pitfalls that others might have had

(Christopher Smith) #11

I think that is the cause of my blood sugar spike. :slight_smile:

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #12

It seems people have different reactions to artificial sweeteners, and people act to different sweeteners in different ways. You can test or experiment and see if you do better with or without diet soda.

I don’t like it myself. But if you can drink it without problems, then great. I like soda water. Sometimes with lemon juice or squished raspberries.

(Scott) #13

I think without it is always better, but will try but I know I can’t 100% quit all right now

(Carl Keller) #14

In his book, _The Obesity Code,_Jason Fung says:

Despite reducing sugar, diet sodas do not reduce the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, strokes or heart attacks. But why? Because it is insulin, not calories, that ultimately drives obesity and metabolic syndrome

Moreover, he points to studies that show sucralose raises insulin by 20%. Even Stevia and aspartame raises insulin levels higher than table sugar, despite having minimal effect on blood glucose.

Yes, blood glucose is a very important variable in the fight against obesity, but Fung says the real enemy is insulin gone amok.

Fung also says:

Artificial sweeteners may also cause harm by increasing cravings. The brain may perceive an incomplete sense of reward by sensing sweetness without calories, which may then cause overcompensation and increased appetite and cravings.

Fat in the Freezer
(Scott) #15

:frowning:

#16

Apparently aspartame changes gut bacteria composition and allegedly in such a way as to resemble diabetes? Hopefully someone not at work can source that claim.

Also the blood sugar spikes could be a result of the dextrose used in sweeteners like sucralose to give them volume as such a small amount is necessary for similar sweetness

(Carl Keller) #17

@jscott1967, that doesn’t mean you can’t have them. It’s just important to understand what artificial sweeteners might be doing to you. You can still be successful eating ketogenically with your diet drinks, it’s just not recommended to include great amounts in your diet.

If you are having good results, keep doing what you are doing. If you find it difficult to lose weight, consider cutting back further or eliminating them from your diet. You are still way better off than you were before.

(Robert C) #18

Another big concern for diet soda is the caffeine content.

Having caffeine throughout the day (given it’s 6+ hour half-life in the body) can build up to pretty high levels.

For me, coffee doesn’t have that problem because I think of it as a pre-10 AM drink only.

When I was overdoing Diet Coke, some all day and into the evening, I thought I was a “night owl”. But, when I switched to morning-only coffee, became (easily) a morning person.

So, from this perspective (that bad sleep definitely interferes with weight loss), if your goal is weight loss on keto, soda throughout the day as a crutch is not the best bet.

(mole person) #19

I think this is excellent advice. I do think artificial sweeteners can limit weight loss, but I also think it’s far worse to have too much trouble sticking to keto early on. If you are losing weight then don’t over worry about a hit or two of sweetener through the day, however if your fat loss stalls out, consider ditching them as they may be a part of the problem.

#20

I still drink Coke Zero but I try to ensure I’m only having it at meal times. I know I’m addicted to sodas, and since this has kept me from regressing back to regular soda I consider it a net positive

(Carl Keller) #21

I did find a study, using mice, that said:

the artificial sweetener saccharin could alter gut microbiota and induce glucose intolerance, raising questions about the contribution of artificial sweeteners to the global epidemic of obesity and diabetes.

It also gave reference to another study:

A previous study found that consumption of Splenda, a nonnutritive sweetener containing 1% sucralose, impaired the growth of gut bacteria in rats [18].

Aspartame and sucralose are sold under the brand name Splenda.

But I will also re-emphasize that they are comparing rodents to humans, for what it’s worth.

#22

Thanks for looking that up!

(Carl Keller) #23

You’re welcome. I opened up so many related cans of (ugly) worms trying to find that! I could easily go back and spend the rest of the day examining them. :stuck_out_tongue:

#24

This is my problem too

#25

Another problem with these studies is they pump the equivalent of about 100+ cans of Diet Coke’s worth of sweeteners into these mice, and a human would drown before they ever reach those amounts. And after learning about how often the Sugar Association is usually the one to let it float about how “dangerous” artificial sweeteners are, I just prefer to take my chances.

#26

I drink an average of 1 diet soda per week and have not seen any BG spikes. Haven’t really tested specifically for them either. Maybe I should.

However, I do have noticeable fluid retention after drinking diet sodas.

I have also noticed a mild BG spike after adding HWC and even a small amount of Splenda to my morning coffee. Now going black during my fasts.

(Carl Keller) #27

Artificial sweeteners can affect insulin without affecting BG.

#28

Good points