[shel]

I tasted a Coke Zero today - FEH! "Bellywash!" as my dear old grandpa would say.

shel

[shel]

Originally Posted by siduri

the fact is that nobody knows what problems a new substance can have. You can't find out what the long-term effects will be until long-term time has passed. Use sugar, it;s been around a long time, and drink lots less soft drinks. I used to drink lots of coke. Then i started drinking more water, and now i find i can;t get through a whole can, it's way too sweet.

I've pretty much quit drinking soft drinks. IMO, they are wasted calories, contain less than desireable - if not actually harmful - ingredients, are too sweet, and filled with artificial and unnatural "stuff."

That said, I'll sometimes want a real coke, and will go to one of the local Mexican restaurants or groceries, and buy one made with sugar. After a couple-three sips, my craving is cured for another six months or so. If circumstances permit, the unfinished bottle will be presented to a friend who sucks up sugar like a sponge. It makes him so happy, because not only does he exist on huge amounts of sugar, he's the cheapest person I've ever met, so even a half-filled bottle of Coke is a big thrill for him

shel

[shortstack]

Very interesting! I had been told once that Coke Zero didn't have aspartame but I obviously never looked it up myself! I like the taste okay...my real weakness is Cherry Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Pepper. They are definitely tied for my two top favorite sodas.

[Ninja_59]

Thank you for clearing up these cokes, now I know

[RouxTheDay]

I tried the Coke Zero and found zero appeal. Way too sweet, and a strange undertaste/aftertaste.

Interestingly, for most of my life I disliked soda of all kinds (other than the very rare root beer, especially in a float!). After my second child was born, I began drinking an occasional Diet Crack because they were readily available (free) where I worked. Yes, I did mean to type CRACK not Coke, because it's that addictive. I now drink a DC or Diet Dr. Pepper most days. (For a while there, I was up to 2-3 per day, so that's a good thing!)

Anyway. We don't use artificial sweeteners for anything else, at all, whatsoever. We mostly drink water (when we're not drinking coffee or wine), but both hubby and I are Diet Crackheads, and need pretty much a daily fix.

Side note: My kids swear that you can't be a real mom unless you drink Diet Coke. They say all moms drink it, and regard it suspiciously as if it might be some kind of secret handshake or whatnot! I must agree, around here, I hardly ever see a mom without a DC in hand. Too funny...

Re safety of aspartame. It's one of the most-studied synthetic food substances in current usage, and has been found time and time again to cause none of the problems anecdotally attributed to it. (I'm not saying some kind of issue won't turn up eventually, simply that none of the evils it's blamed for have been upheld in controlled research.)