Posted: 13 November 2020
What this article only mentions once is Diet Coke contains aspartame which is a severe metabolic poison, The free methyl alcohol is unaccompanied by ethanol like in oranges which is rhe antidote to methanol poisoning. It converts to formaldehyde and embalms living tissue and damages DNA. (Trocho Study http://www.mpwhi.com/formaldehyde_from_aspartame.pdf ). Pilots are not suppose to drink alcohol but drink Diet Coke. As my aunt said on a flight from California - "The pilot was drunk, the plane kept going up and down and he was slurring his words." Here is the Aspartame Pilot Alert: https://rense.com/general96/aspartame-pilot-alert.php
The article tries to debunk the fact its addictive which it is. It has a methyl ester which immediately becomes free methyl alcohol which is classified as a narcotic. This affects the dopamine system of the brain and causes the addiction.
Here is what happens when you drink a diet soda within 60 minutes: https://rense.com/general96/what-happens-to-your-body-within-just-one-hour-of-drinking-diet-sodas.php
Furthermore aspartame was listed with the pentagon in an inventory of prospective biochemical warfare weapons submitted to Congress: http://www.mpwhi.com/ecologist_september_2005.pdf
Here is the article by Dr. Woodrow Monte: "Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Health: http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/pdf/1.pdf Besides being a poison aspartame makes you crave carbohydrates so you gain weight. If you want to get fat NutraSweet is where its at. It has many names: Equal, AminoSweet, Advantame, Neotame, E-951, Canderel, Benevia, etc.
Here is the movie that tells how this poison now called Rumsfeld's Pandemic was marketed through the political chicanery of Don Rumsfeld and not science. In fact, Jana Marie, the woman who shredded the studies for G. D. Searle and faxed one copy to France, said aspartame killed everything it touched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toKyRlpmG7A
The 1000 page medical text is "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic" by the late world expert, H. J. Roberts, M.D. The medical text on the methanol in aspartame is "While Science Sleeps: A Sweetener Kills" by Dr. Woodrow Monte. Diet Coke was not an instant success. There were so many complaints that Senator Howard Metzenbaum asked for congressional hearings but couldn't get them started until 1985 because Senator Orrin Hatch kept delaying them. The complaints were so high the FDA couldn't take care of them and started forwarding them to the AIDS Hotline as discussed in the Senate. FDA Dr. Adrian Gross explained it was on the market illegally because it violated the Delaney Amendment because it caused brain cancer, and therefore you couldn't set an allowable daily intake. People still mourn over the graves of those who weren't warned in time and you can't forget Dr. Gross' last words "And if the FDA violates its own laws who is left to protect the public?" Mission Possible World Health Intl was created 30 years ago because the FDA under Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes became an extension of Big Pharma and Big Chem and there was no one to protect the public.
Wendy McFelia called a couple of days ago saying her husband had a heart attack from Diet Coke and died. She used it during pregnancy and her son is autistic. https://rense.com/general96/asparautism.html Why was he born autistic? Because G. D. Searle made a deal with the FDA to seal the teratology studies that showed horrible birth defects as discussed in the last chapter of "While Science Sleeps: A Sweetener Kills" on aspartame and autism. Even I who have researched aspartame for three decades to warn the public had a heart attack from aspartame as the hospital gave me a drug that had aspartame in it unlabeled which is against the law. It requires a PKU warning. The FDA tells me they don't have to answer my letters or emails. They did call me in 2009 and when I said people are sick and dying all over the world from this poison Michael Delaney said, "So what, we have to depopulate". Don't be fooled there is no success story behind Diet Coke when it comes to the lives of the people. The cases I get are a list of the disabled, those addicted and sick and from relatives of those who have perished. When I think of those responsible for mass poisoning I think of the scripture in Jeremiah about the wicked - 'they will sleep a perpetual sleep and never awaken'.
It is interesting that Wendy, now Mission Possible Ft. Myers, Florida is from this area. In traveling someone told me: "I know all about aspartame. I live in Ft. Myers, Florida and they passed a law against leaving packets of artificial sweeteners outside on tables. The birds were losing legs and getting the quickest case of cancer." She is sending me the case report but I spoke with her today and she said "there are so many children with autism here!"
In 1993, Dr. David Aaron Kessler, commissioner of the FDA from 1990 to 1997, told the Journal of the American Medical Association that only 1% of serious adverse events are reported. This means that the true number of deaths from FDA-approved drugs and devices is 100 times higher than reported. " https://doctorschierling.com/blog/drug-reactions-and-under-reporting In 1995 the FDA had 10,000 complaints from aspartame http://www.mpwhi.com/92_aspartame_symptoms.pdf They said if the complaints went down in 1996 they would grant aspartame approval for everything. Yet originally they said they would only grant approval for dry products because it breaks down at 86 degrees - methanol converts to formaldehyde, etc. I knew they would not accept the complaints coming in and didn't. People would call and say, "I have an aspartame complaint and the FDA would say "we aren't taking cases anymore." Yet, how do you make the complaint amount go down without just throwing them away? That's exactly what they did. Dr. H. J. Roberts called me and said he was enraged. In his words: "I got a letter from FDA and they said they had to change their bookkeeping system requiring them to throw away aspartame complaints."
The cover-up could be published by the Twilight Zone. The corruption in aspartame approval is beyond belief. The aspartame molecule breaks down to diketopiperazine, a brain tumor agent. You remember two Senators died from glioblastomas. Terry Riggs use to work for the Searle's on a ranch. He said when they had a party they always served Diet Coke and whiskey. G. D. Searle was the original manufacturer. He remarked people would complain and say "that's bad stuff" and they would answer they used it. Terry said Fred, brother to Bill Searle, Jr. died of an aspartame brain tumor. Dan Searle did too. He went on to inform Dan and his sister had seizures, Sue Dixon West. Her husband as well. During the conversation with Terry he mentioned they really tried to coverup these deaths but they were hard. It reminds me of Hosea 8:7: "For it's wind that they keep sowing, and a storm wind is what they will reap." ....
I'm going to list the politicians and the Presidents using this toxin and those who perished from it. This has nothing to do with politics, just a statement of fact so the public will know what is going on in this aspartame world. In original studies it caused brain cancer. The molecule breaks down to diketopiperazine, a brain tumor agent. Every President since Reagan has used aspartame and many of the politicians. Arizona Sen. John McCain died of an aggressive form of brain cancer, nine years to the day after the same cancer killed his friend and fellow lawmaker, former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy. There were many astrocytomas in original studies and a grade IV is a malignant glioblastoma which is what killed them.
Here is where Senator Edward Kennedy questions the issue and yet Searle said they didn't market it when first approved: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/05/archives/fda-bars-sales-of-a-sweetener-acts-after-audit-of-tests-on-safety.html I know for a fact they did market it in the 1970's because the builder of the plant here in Georgia lived across the street from me. He remarked: "They were marketing it even though the FDA said not to and gave me some. It's a poison and made me seriously ill."
Keep in mind former Vice President Joe Biden uses aspartame and no doubt why his memory is so bad and sometimes he can't finish his sentence or remember people's name. An informant uttered the National Soft Drink Assn , now American Beverage, said they did a ten year study showing Alzheimers, birth defects and blindness. Memory loss is # 7 its so prevalent:
Here are the 92 symptoms on the FDA's report including death.
Headache
Dizziness or Problems with Balance
Change in Mood Quality or Level
Vomiting and Nausea
Abdominal Pain and Cramps
Change in Vision
Diarrhea Seizures and Convulsions
Memory Loss
Fatigue, weakness
Other neurological
Rash
Sleep problems
Hives
Change in Heart Rate
Itching
Change in Sensation (Numbness, Tingling)
Grand Mal
Local Swelling
Change in Activity Level
Difficulty Breathing
Oral Sensory Changes
Change in Menstrual Pattern
Other Skin
Other Localized Pain and Tenderness
Other Urogenital Change in Body Temperature
Difficulty Swallowing
Other Metabolic Joint and Bone Pain
Speech Impairment
Other Gastrointestinal
Chest Pain
Other Musculo-Skeletal
Fainting
Sore Throat
Other Cardiovascular
Change in Taste
Difficulty with Urination
Other Respiratory
Edema
Change in Hearing
Abdominal Swelling
Change in Saliva Output
Change in Urine Volume
Change in Perspiration Pattern
Eye Irritation
Unspecified
Muscle Tremors
Petit Mal
Change in Appetite
Change in Body Weight
Nocturnal
Change in Thirst or Water Intake
Unconsciousness and Coma
Wheezing
Constipation
Other Extremity
Pain
Problems with Bleeding
Unsteady Gait
Coughing Blood
Glucose Disorders
Blood Pressure Changes
Changes in Skin and Nail Coloration
Change in hair or nails
Excessive phlegm Production
Sinus Problems Simple
Partial Seizures
Hallucinations
Any Lumps Present
Shortness of Breath on Exertion
Evidence of Blood in Stool or Vomit
Dysmenorrhea
Dental Problems
Change in smell
DEATH
Other Blood and Lymphatic
Eczema
Complex Partial Seizures
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Hematuria
Shortness of Breath Due to Position
Difficulties with Pregnancy
(Children Only) Developmental Retardation
Change in Breast Size or Tenderness
Anemia
Change in Sexual Function
Shock
Conjunctivitis
Dilating Eyes
Febrile
_________
Beau Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, died of a glioblastoma in 2015 at the age of 42. The founder of the Glioblastoma Foundation said: " I am also concerned that the incidence of glioblastoma is highest in people over the age of 65 years. Thus the absolute number of glioblastoma patients will increase substantially in the next few years as more baby boomers reach this age." Diet Coke is Hillary Clinton's favorite drink from her book. I don't know whether she still uses it since when she was running for President and talking about children I faxed her our "Report For Schools": http://www.mpwhi.com/report_on_aspartame_and_children.htm Later my husband said he heard her say on TV she use to drink Diet Coke but now only water. I had sent the report to all six of her offices. Her medical problems are listed in the medical text. Obama was also seen drinking a Diet Coke and his wife was talking about children. Dr. H. J. Roberts wrote her and I had his 1000 page medical text, "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic" delivered by hand to Michelle at the White House. She never even sent Dr. Roberts a thank you note. Whether Obama got off of it I don't know.
Dr. Ken Stoller and I addressed the Senate in New Mexico asking for aspartame to be banned there. Most all the Senators were sipping Diet Coke in front of us. Dr. Ken Stoller proclaimed "I don't think we are going to get any place but PLEASE have mercy on the children." They didn't. One diabetic Senator agreed to get off aspartame after I showed her aspartame can precipitate diabetes and simulates and aggravates diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, destroys the optic nerve, causes diabetics to go into convulsions and interacts with insulin. Yet she wouldn't sign the bill to save other New Mexicans. The Calorie Control front group was there as well as attorneys and lobbyists.
Stephen Fox, Mission Possible New Mexico and now founder of United Nations Santa Fe asked me to speak to the Attorney General Gary King which I did for about an hour. He said "If you can show me that autism has escalated since aspartame approval I will help the children." Pediatrician Dr. Ken Stoller had already done the research and the scale went straight up after approval of NutraSweet. With all the proof in his hand he reneged on his promise. Today St. Jude Hospital is full of babies born to women who used aspartame during pregnancy because there was no warning and the teratology studies had been sealed so the public would not find out. Took me 8 years to find them. What a horror story.
Dr. H. J. Roberts, the late world expert on aspartame, had written President Trump before his death many years ago. He left me all his records for the past 30 years and I found one of his letters. So I wrote President Trump and warned him while he was running for the Presidency and hoped he would discontinue the habit. When he became President I even sent info to his friends so it would get back to him. Here is what President Trump said in 2012:
Trump tweets I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke
It is interesting the President will not drink alcohol because a brother died of it. He has no idea he is drinking FREE methyl alcohol. When I say free it means the methanol is not accompanied by ethanol like in oranges and other fruits and vegetables which is the antidote to methanol poisoning. People are dying of methanol poisoning and the FDA admits methanol can cause blindness and death. They blame it on methanol in hand sanitizer which has a smidgen of it while covering up the methanol in diet pop and thousands of food products and drugs with aspartame. If somebody wanted to get high I seriously doubt they would drink their hand sanitizer. This is not prohibition, they can go to a bar. In the documentary above you see Diane Fleming in prison. Her husband drank diet pop and died of methanol poisoning. It took 15 years to get this Sunday School teacher released. Even the police told me she was innocent. She was actually the one who called the police and took 3 lie detector tests. She should be exonerated. President Trump could do it and save his life at the same time if he's still on it. He's doing such an incredible job I was hoping he had given it up.
When a study was done in England on aspartame and brain tumors Monsanto said it couldn't get in the blood stream. Here is where I answered it: http://www.mpwhi.com/answering_monsantos_denial.htm Furthermore, the Trocho Study has show the formaldehyde converted from the free methyl alcohol embalms living tissue and damages DNA,. Just think of all that formaldehyde getting into the cells and directly into the blood stream. The aspartame industry tried to assassinate his character for doing it. Dr. Morando Soffritti of the famous Ramazzini Institute did three studies showing aspartame is a multipotential carcinogen. Even Harvard did one. It's inarguable, especially since it was confessed by the FDA during congressional hearings. The task force exposed the G. D. Searle studies to such a degree that they filed suit to get it removed from the record so the public wouldn't know about the fraud. The FDA did try to get the company indicted but both US prosecutors hired on with the defense team and the statute of limitations expired.
The brain tumor study in England was done by Dr. Peter Nunn. As it progressed I was able to get this information: "Interestingly, when we exposed human brain tumour cells to nitrosated DKP the cells became more motile and their rate of proliferation was significantly elevated. While it is somewhat early to speculate, it is possible that the aspartame breakdown product may be capable of enhancing the rate of malignant progression of pre-existing (and possibly clinically silent, undiagnosed) tumours in the brain." This was exactly what the famed neuroscientist Dr. John Olney said when he made world news in l996 over the aspartame/brain tumor association. This is one of the reasons the FDA revoked the petition for approval, and the fact they said it couldn't be proven safe. Then Don Rumsfeld hired by G. D. Searle to get aspartame on the market, said he would call in his markers and he did. President Reagan owed him a favor and fired the FDA Commissioner, Dr. Jeri Goyan, who was about to sign the revoked petition into law, the day after he was elected. His wife said they were called at 3:00 AM, someone from the transition team. She stated Dr. Goyan would have never allowed it on the market. And what did President Reagan die of? Alzheimers!!!
Interestingly, President Reagan was interviewed by the Atlanta Journal Constitution who asked him years ago if he still used it and he said "now we know more about it". I happened to run into someone who worked for the NSDA. I said, "You people knew it was poison from the studies you did and still marketed it." She replied, "You couldn't possibly have those studies." Here is their protest to the FDA from the congressional record. https://rense.com/general96/pepsi.htm
So many who have worked in hospices have called to say "Why are young people getting Alzheimers? Remember Michael Fox when he got Parkinson's said, "Why would I get an old man's disease at age 30?" He was addicted and a Diet Pepsi spokesman. Dr. Russell Blaylock, neurosurgeon, has written extensively on aspartame and Parkinson's Disease and lost his parents from it. He wrote "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills", and other excellent books.
Think of Mitt Romney and his wife with MS: https://rense.com/general95/saveann.html
You are looking at an aspartame world. Even after exposing aspartame as a poison for three decades I couldn't avoid it because FDA is allowing it in drugs unlabeled and it was given to me in the hospital. Because of the chemical hypersensitization I immediately had a heart attack. Then I couldn't walk because it affects the pons in the brain stem. This has to do with walking, loss of balance, talking and swallowing. I almost choked to death and came home in a wheelchair on oxygen.
Here is information on Aspartame Pontine Toxicity:
Aspartame decays metabolically to methanol and formaldehyde and generates free radical hydroperoxyl and nitroperoxyl radicals and depletion of brain pontine Magnesium and antioxidants. This results in neurotransmitter depletion, mitochondrial injury and death in glial and pontine neurons. Motor control, balance and proprioception and balance are affected, with even minor pontine toxicity increasing danger of falls and development of Dementia, with connections from the Broca Motor Speech centers passing via the Pons.
Dr Bill Deagle MD AAEM ACAM A4M FNMB CCFP ABFP ABIMEÂ ACOEM...
I checked the medication and found aspartame in it unlabeled. Got off of it and walked out of my wheelchair like millions of others could do if a federal judge could get FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to remove it by administrative order. That would be the Honorable James Kelleher Bredar, 101 West Lombard Street, Suite 5A, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, phone 410 962 0950.
Not wanting the public to go through what I did I added the chapter on aspartame and drug interaction from Dr. Roberts medical text to the Aspartame Hospital Form: http://www.mpwhi.com/aspartame_hospital_form.htm Don't go to the hospital without it. It's in thousands of drugs, especially generics and the doctors don't know it. Give a copy to your physician.
You're seeing riots in the street and people doing crazy things. Aspartame can deplete serotonin up to 74% and causes psychiatric and behavioral problems including suicidal tendencies. https://yournews.com/2018/12/18/792006/bombshell-study-shows-aspartame-depletes-neurotransmitters-in-the-brain I wrote an article about it for the National Health Federation but I see its been hacked. This article explains it is contributing to the end of humanity, As Dr. James Bowen told the FDA over 30 years ago aspartame is mass poisoning of the US and 70 countries of the world. It's probably today closer to 200. Here is Dr. Ralph Walton's paper on aspartame and psychiatric problems: http://www.mpwhi.com/aspartame_and_psychiatric_disorders.htm He has also done studies: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8373935/
Very important is the fact aspartame can inflame the corona virus released on the public: https://rense.com/general96/aspartame-inflames-coronavirus.ph Remember you can't patent anything natural. This was made in a lab.
Even the National Enquirer says its Russian Roulette to fly these days as pilots commit suicide. Read their article and Dr. Russell Blaylock's Aspartame Pilot Alert also mentioned above. https://rense.com/general96/aspartame-pilot-alert.php
September is Aspartame Awareness Month. Stephen Fox has written the International Court of Justice at the Hague over Rumsfeld's Pandemic/ Aspartame Disease, and its been referred to the prosecutor of the criminal court with particular emphasis on crimes against humanity and genocide. Dr. James Bowen wrote the FDA over 30 years ago and said everyone involved should be prosecuted.
Bill Gates has just admitted he uses Diet Coke and has a brain deficit. https://www.geekwire.com/2020/playful-bill-gates-sips-diet-coke-talks-michael-jordan-tech-tv-popular-podcast When President Bush fainted, it wasn't from a pretzel in my opinion. It was his diet soda since blackouts are common with aspartame. I wrote to him when he was Governor and asked him to get off of it and he wrote back saying he disagreed. One pilot on aspartame testified to Congress he blacked out and woke up just before hitting the water.
Now you know the truth about Diet Coke. Read on for a recent article with this knowledge. Here is a lecture I gave on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cuAvEIkJto
Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum, Founder
Mission Possible World Health Intl
(For the web site use the initial for the above organization and dot com, otherwise it will be censored,
Also http://www.wnho.net and http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame
Aug 25, 2020 05:07:25 GMT.
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The untold truth of Diet Coke
George Frey/Getty Images
By Brent Furdyk/June 18, 2020 1:40 pm EDT
Diet Coke has been a consumer favorite since its introduction in 1982, launched after a lengthy period of product development. Since then, the sugar-fee soda has earned legions of fans, including such celebrities fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who revealed to Harper's Bazaar that he drank Diet Coke "from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed." President Donald Trump has also been identified as a heavy Diet Coke drinker, with The Washington Post reporting that he averages a dozen cans per day more than a gallon of the stuff!
The product was an instant success, a testament to Coca-Cola's attention to detail when developing both the product itself and the marketing campaign that unleashed it. And while the popularity of Diet Coke has seen its peaks and valleys over the years, Brand Finance reported that a 2018 redesign and relaunch proved to be successful enough to generate an "uplift in sales" that propelled Coca-Cola to a 19 percent increase in brand value compared to the previous year.
Despite its ubiquity in the marketplace, how much do those who drink it really know about the diet soda? Read on to discover the untold truth of Diet Coke.
The invention of Diet Coke was a "cloak and dagger" mission
Diet Coke cloak and dagger mission Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Coca-Cola took its sweet time entering the diet soda market, with a company history of the product revealing the idea for a sugar-free version of Coke had been "percolating" for two decades. During the 1970s, health-conscious consumers began eschewing sugar. While this hurt sales of traditional soda, it was simultaneously creating a whole new market for sodas that could offer all the flavor and none of the sugar. "We needed a big idea to come out of one of the toughest decades we'd ever seen," explained Coca-Cola planning manager Jack Carew, who was tapped to develop a sugar-free version of Coke.
While the development of Diet Coke was a key priority for Coca-Cola, very few people within the company actually knew about the top-secret endeavor. "It was an entrepreneurial, cloak-and-dagger operation in the purest sense," said Carew's colleague Jerry Bell, who worked with him on the Diet Coke project.
Market forces drove the development of Diet Coke as the company attempted to reach a "core demographic" identified as baby boomers who, as they became older and heavier, were ready to try a Coke alternative that wouldn't contribute as much to their expanding waistlines.
The only difference between Diet Coke and Coke Zero Sugar is a chemical you've never heard of Diet Coke and Coke Zero difference YouTube
Diet Coke had been a fixture in the marketplace for more than 20 years when, in 2005, Coca-Cola launched a new and very similar product: Coke Zero, which would go on to co-exist with Diet Coke until it was ultimately rebranded as Coke Zero Sugar in 2016. While the two products are similar, anyone who's ever done a taste test of the two can attest that Diet Coke and Coke Zero Sugar do exhibit markedly different tastes.
According to an article in The Sun, Diet Coke has its own distinctive flavor that is quite different from Coca-Cola. Coke Zero Sugar, on the other hand, is meant to mimic the taste of the original Coca-Cola, just without all that pesky sugar. Yet when it comes to the actual ingredients, what goes into making the two sodas is pretty much identical, save for one key difference: Coke Zero Sugar contains a chemical called sodium citrate, while Diet Coke contains citric acid.
The reason why a can of regular Coke sinks in water while Diet Coke floats reason why diet coke floats in water YouTube
Anyone who's ever stashed cans of Coke and Diet Coke in a cooler full of ice may have noticed an interesting phenomenon as the ice melts: a can of Diet Coke will float up to the surface of the water, while regular Coke will sink to the bottom.As it turns out, there's a very simple scientific explanation for this. According to Business Insider, a can of Diet Coke weighs less than a can of Coke. But given that each can contains the same volume of liquid, 12 fluid ounces, what gives?
The difference is in the density of the liquid. A 12-ounce can of regular Coke contains 39 grams of sugar, while the same-sized can of Diet Coke instead uses the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is significantly sweeter than sugar and requires far less to achieve the same level of sweetness. This affects the density of each soda; because so little aspartame is used to sweeten Diet Coke, the resulting liquid is actually less dense than water, allowing the can to float. The additional weight of the sugar, however, makes regular Coke denser than water, causing it to sink.
There are no plans to tinker with the formula for Diet Coke formula for diet coke Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
When changing market forces led Coca-Cola to rejig the packaging of Diet Coke and launch some new Diet Coke flavors, one thing that the company never placed under consideration was adjusting the recipe or changing the flavor. As Business Insider pointed out, even though Diet Coke had been losing market share, the product has remained a favorite of its devoted customers.
"I don't think we're likely to change Diet Coke," CEO James Quincey said in a 2017 call with reporters. "It has a large following." Fans of the soda, he insisted, should have no fear that the formula and distinctive taste would be altered anytime soon. "Diet Coke will be Diet Coke for a good while longer," he assured.
While that following is indeed dedicated, it had also been shrinking. According to another Business Insider report, the successful launch of Coke Zero Sugar (which replaced Coke Zero) appeared to come at the expense of Diet Coke. During 2016, sales of Coke Zero increased by 3.5 percent, while Diet Coke sales dropped by 1.9 percent during the same time frame.
The surprising reason "Diet Coke" was originally "diet Coke"
diet Coke vs Diet Coke YouTube
Longtime aficionados of Diet Coke may recall that when the product first launched, it had a different logo and a slightly different name. That's because Diet Coke was originally diet Coke, with a lower-case "d" and there was actually an interesting legal justification behind that.
According to a behind-the-scenes history of Diet Coke on the Coca-Cola corporate website, when the market plan was initially being developed there were words other that "diet" under consideration, such as "sugar-free" and "light." However, executives were wary of "sugar-free" as they feared it reflected poorly on sugar-laden original Coke; meanwhile, "light" was already being used by a competitor and the company wanted to avoid comparisons with other sugar-free sodas. The word "diet," however, seemed to be the most fitting descriptive, but Coca-Cola's lawyers were insistent that the word remain lower-cased.
The way the attorneys interpreted it, uppercase "Diet" was a noun, which would have necessitated changing the trademark. Keeping "diet" lower-cased meant it was being used as an adjective, and therefore kept the legalities of the trademark intact.
The reason why Diet Coke can ruin tooth enamel
Diet Coke Scott Olson/Getty Images
Since childhood, everyone has heard warnings from parents and dentists that sugar will rot teeth. As Healthline explained, sugar does indeed encourage tooth decay albeit indirectly, by combining with certain bacteria in the mouth to create an acid that eats away at tooth enamel and leads to cavities.
A sugar-free soda would seemingly be far less harmful to teeth, but that has not turned out to be the case when it comes to Diet Coke. A 2015 research study undertaken by the University of Melbourne's Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre exposed human molars to 15 different beverages, including milk, sports drink, sugar-sweetened sodas, and three different sugar-free sodas. Surprisingly, the study found that sugar-free soda and sugary soda were both equally bad for tooth enamel.
And while sugary soda and sugar-free soda both erode enamel, the way that happens is actually different with Diet Coke, which contains certain ingredients particularly phosphoric acid that combine with calcium to weaken tooth enamel. As the study noted, "polyol-based sugar-free products" such as Diet Coke may decrease the risk of dental caries (a.k.a. cavities), although the phosphoric acid will actually cause more dental erosion. Just another reason to avoid that Diet Coke refill when eating out.
Slumping sales led to new flavors of Diet Coke
Diet Coke slumping sales and new flavors Kris Connor/Getty Images
By the mid-2010s, sales of Diet Coke were on a decidedly downward trajectory. By 2017, reported Beverage Marketing, sales of bottled water had, for the first time ever, surpassed soda to become America's top beverage category. The growing popularity of bottled water was bad news for Diet Coke and other sugar-free sodas, as it was cutting directly into the category's market share.
In response to Diet Coke's slumping sales, Coca-Cola made a big move. According to a 2018 press release, the Diet Coke can underwent a redesign to arrive at a slim new look. In addition, four new flavors were introduced targeting millennials, with original Diet Coke joined by Twisted Mango, Ginger Lime, Zesty Blood Orange and Feisty Cherry varieties.
"Diet Coke is one of the most iconic brands loved by millions of fans in North America," said Rafael Acevedo, Coca-Cola North America's group director for Diet Coke. As Acevedo explained, the company's goal was to "be bold, think differently and be innovative." The ultimate intention, he explained, was to ensure that the company "stay true to the essence of Diet Coke" while "recasting the brand" in hopes of reeling in a new generation of Diet Coke drinkers.
A centenarian credited Diet Coke for her long life
Diet Coke credited to centenarian's long life George Frey/Getty Images
In 2018, Theresa Rowley of Grand Rapids, Michigan celebrated her 104th birthday and shared the secrets to her longevity in an interview with WZZM 13. One of those secrets was her longtime Diet Coke habit, revealing that she drank at least one per day.
"I drink it because I like it," she explained. "I'm going shopping Wednesday, and I need more Diet Coke. I have a bag full of empty Diet Coke cans that I need to return to buy more Diet Coke." Of course, Rowley couldn't claim that she'd been drinking it all her life; given that Diet Coke wasn't introduced until 1982, Rowley would have been in her late 60s at the youngest before receiving the first taste of her favorite beverage.
Looking back at her long life, Rowley recalled that when she turned 100, she "never thought I'd be 104. I thought I'd pass away by that time but it just didn't happen."
Diet Coke may actually lead to more weight gain than regular Coke
Diet Coke may lead to more weight gain than regular coke Anna Webber/Getty Images
Given that the word "diet" is right there in the name of Diet Coke, it would be easy to assume that drinking Diet Coke would be better for one's waistline than regular sugar-laden Coke. Not only is that not the case, but a research study indicated that drinking diet soda can actually lead to weight gain, not weight loss, particularly in older consumers.
A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society drew a direct link between diet sodas such as Diet Coke and obesity in people aged 65 and older. The study monitored 749 subjects and found that those who drank diet soda demonstrated an increase in waist circumference that was nearly three times that of those who didn't drink diet soda.
University of Texas researcher Sharon Fowler, lead author of the study, determined that "increasing diet soda intake was associated with escalating abdominal obesity, which may increase cardiometabolic risk in older adults."
Why Diet Coke increases the craving for calories
Diet Coke increases craving for calories Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Another study, undertaken by the University of Sydney in Australia, followed on that earlier research to determine why sugar-free soda was associated with weight gain and not weight loss. The study came to an interesting conclusion: drinking Diet Coke and other types of artificially sweetened diet sodas can lead the brain to crave more calories than it otherwise would.
According to a press release for the 2016 study, which was published in the Cell Metabolism journal, researchers confirmed that diet soda actually makes those who drink it feel hungrier. As a result, those who drink artificially sweetened soda such as Diet Coke will ultimately eat more than they would if they were drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage.
The study found that the brain expects sweetness to be accompanied by calories. When the brain's pleasure center experiences the sweet taste without the accompanying calories, the brain then "recalibrates" and causes the brain to crave the calories it was expecting to receive. "After chronic exposure to a diet that contained the artificial sweetener sucralose, we saw that animals began eating a lot more," said the study's lead researcher, associate professor Greg Neely.
A Diet Coke and fries isn't the best food combination for your health
Diet Coke and fries food combo Sonia Recchia/Getty Images
A 2018 study co-authored by Yale researcher Dr. Dana Small dug deeper and came up with some even more surprising findings. Not only can drinking Diet Coke and other diet sodas lead to craving more calories, but that becomes considerably more pronounced when the soda is combined with carbohydrates.
According to the study, consuming carbohydrates and artificial sweeteners together will lead to confusion in the brain, blunting its response in metabolizing what is perceived to be sugar but actually isn't what Small describes as a "circuit change" within the brain. If this "blunting" effect keeps happening on an ongoing basis, difficulties can arise when the brain and body attempt to process the nutrients but aren't receiving accurate information.
"If you're going to have a diet drink, don't have it with French fries," Small told Inverse. "Have the diet drink by itself and if you're going to have a diet drink, give an hour on either side and it should be fine, at least in small quantities."
A viral infographic about the dangers of Diet Coke was debunked
Diet Coke infographic debunked Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Back in 2015, a shocking infographic about the dangers of Coke became a viral sensation as it ricocheted throughout the internet. That was followed by another focusing on the hazards of Diet Coke, claiming to detail the scientific effects on the human body one hour after drinking Diet Coke.
However, BuzzFeed broke down the infographic and reached out to some actual scientists to see if the information detailed in the infographics was accurate. As it turned out, the scientists were able to debunk many of the claims in both infographics, particularly one alleging that the combination of caffeine and aspartame in Diet Coke creates "an addictive high similar in the way cocaine works."
Dr. Michael A. Taffe, an addiction researcher from the Scripps Research Institute, explained to BuzzFeed that the claims in the infographic were "overblown" and should be taken with a grain of salt. According to Taffe, the amount of caffeine found in a can of Diet Coke "is not going to have very large functional effects in most people and particularly not those who consume caffeinated beverages somewhat frequently."
A controversial chemical was removed from Diet Coke
controversial chemical was removed from Diet Coke Sonia Recchia/Getty Images
In 2008, Diet Coke removed a controversial ingredient from the soda's formula. Diet Coke revealed plans to stop using sodium benzoate. The company's announcement came after the release of research concluding the chemical could cause cell damage, resulting in changes to the DNA that were linked to hyperactivity, Parkinson's disease, and cirrhosis of the liver.
The 2007 study from molecular biologist Dr. Peter Piper of Sheffield University, reported The Telegraph, was not mentioned by Coca-Cola when the company confirmed it would be removing sodium benzoate from Diet Coke. According to a statement given to the Daily Mail, Coca-Cola was removing the ingredient as a response to increasing consumer demand for more natural products. "We are continuously listening to our consumers' thoughts about ingredients." a Coca-Cola spokesperson told The Daily Mail. "For a number of years, we have been moving towards non-artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives where possible in our drinks. We are looking to phase out the use of sodium benzoate where technically possible."
A mixed drink with Diet Coke is more inebriating than one with regular Coke
Diet Coke with alcohol is more inebriating regular Coke Sonia Recchia/Getty Images
When having a mixed drink, there's a difference between mixing booze with regular Coke and Diet Coke that goes far beyond the disparity in taste. A 2015 study on diet soda found some surprising results, indicating that drinks mixed with artificially sweetened soda led to a higher concentration of alcohol as measured in the breath.
Researcher Dennis Thombs was working on a similar study, and told NPR why this was. As he explained, "it is not that diet soda accelerates intoxication. Rather, the sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption."
However, the study determined that the subjects didn't notice a difference in their own levels of intoxication based on whether they were drinking diet soda or regular soda, which could place them at higher risk of drinking and driving. "I wanted to know if the choice of a mixer could be the factor that puts a person above or below the legal limit," the study's author, Northern Kentucky University's Ceceile Marczinski, told NPR of why she undertook that particular line of research.
Dr. Betty Martini, D.Hum.
Founder, Mission Possible World Health International
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