Reposted from November 5, 2014
I was innocently about to drink what I thought was a glass of flavored seltzer. However, when I took a sip, it was incredibly sweet and I instantly knew it wasn’t what I thought it was. I had broken my own rule by not reading the ingredients.
The bottle looked like it contained clear seltzer as its description said it was flavored sparkling water beverage. However, it was anything but. As I looked at the ingredients, I saw that it contained aspartame and potassium benzoate (along with a few other chemicals). So much for carbonated water with a dash of natural flavor…
Aspartame (aka NutraSweet) is an artificial sweetener used in everything from soft drinks to gum to yogurt and endless other food products. The problem is that this artificial sweetener has been linked to numerous adverse effects, including headaches, dizziness, mood changes, convulsions, memory loss and more. In fact, the FDA has received more complaints related to aspartame than any other food additive.
I know this to be true personally, as I experienced these symptoms myself when I was a Diet Coke addict. I actually thought I had Lupus as I had all of the above symptoms which mirror the ones for Lupus. However, as soon as I gave up the Diet Coke, my symptoms immediately dissipated.
Adding to the list of toxic ingredients in this “flavored sparkling water drink” is potassium benzoate. This is a preservative and also happens to be a well-known carcinogen. Many European countries actually require label warnings with this ingredients that advise children not to consume this.
Bottom line, is the zero calories of this drink and others with these chemicals worth the risk to help lose weight? Unfortunately,the irony is that it actually encourages weight gain!
First, the sweetness of the soda with no calories actually makes your body crave more sugar as stated by a study in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. This is because the sweet taste triggers your brain receptors to send messages to your tongue to salivate and so on, in preparation for the digestion process. Your body thinks it is getting food. However, there are no nutrients in the soda and therefore nothing to digest. It’s like watching a movie with no ending. It leaves you hanging. As a result of waiting for something to digest, your body tries to wake up whoever told the brain to prepare for the digestion of food by releasing the hunger hormone ghrelin. So, the false messages sent from the brain produce hunger pangs that make you hungrier. This can lead you to eat more than if you had no soda to begin with!
The most important thing is to look at the labels and stick with the true zero calorie drinks such as good old fashioned water or REAL seltzer (no added ingredients). No worries about crazy side effects with those. I love adding lemon or fresh mint leaves for a refreshing taste. Sometimes I even add a drop of peppermint extract for a little zip. Whatever you do, know that everything is not necessarily what it may seem. READ YOUR LABELS.
All material in this newsletter is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication;instead readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information provided has not been approved the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease.