Update August 2008

Since Feb I managed to cut down on Diet Coke and lost one stone in weight.

But in June 2008 the stress of a new job meant I fell back to it - as a prop - makes me think faster (I think).

Things I discovered since June 2008.

Diet Coke makes me crave sweet food - makes me crave sensation. I gained nearly half a stone July - August 2008.

I sleep better without Diet Coke and feel healthier.

So from 17 August 2008 I'm trying to avoid it (not had any in two days).

Have not realised it, but been trying to eat like this:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/
life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article4523487.ece

"But why are carbs such a problem? The very persuasive answer to this is why I went on the diet. Humans evolved over millions of years, probably on the African savanna. We were, for almost all our existence, hunter-gatherers – agriculture and settlement began only 10,000 years ago. Both sides of the dietary debate agree that this means we are omnivorous – hunter-gatherers have to be – and that because of our massive brains we have unusual energy requirements. Both sides also agree that settlement and civilisation changed our diet and living conditions radically. We may live longer because we are better protected from predatory beasts and all the other traumas that would have afflicted early man, but we also have new diseases, new miseries. "

Diet coke and alchohol

Last night I had Diet coke and alchohol (1 pint beer and 1 cocktail) - my tinnitus really bad in morning

Ajinomoto

A comment on my blog has been left. It's:

"BS. If you want the true facts about aspartame visit snopes.com, aspartame.net, or better yet the full text 2007 Magnuson review

http://www.fte.ugent.be/vlaz/Magnuson2007.pdf.

The latter is conducte by 10 experts in the field.

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology"

Which is lovely - it's a report saying aspartame is safe.

At the end of the 01 September 2007 report it says:

"The identity of the sponsor of this review
was also unknown to peer reviewers and the editor until
acceptance of manuscript. The sponsor was Ajinomoto Company,
Inc."

Who are Ajinomoto Company?

"Ajinomoto of Japan, the world's largest manufacturer of both aspartame and MSG"

http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/storage/paper344/news/2008/01/24/Opinion/Hawaiian.Aspartame.Bills.Challenge.Corporate.Clout-3166777.shtml

This is where it gets slightly bladerunner

Check out their president:

http://www.ajinomoto.com/message/index.html


Ajinomoto is active in 23 countries and regions worldwide, employing around 24,861 people as of 2004. Yearly revenue stands at US$9.84 billion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajinomoto

Diet coke makes my tinnitus worse

It's been ten minutes since I drank Diet Coke for the first time in four days.

It makes my tinnitus louder - I don't know why - but it does - the volume is nearly back at the level which will disturb my sleep.

I don't think it's the caffeine - as I've drunk coffee, in the last four days, equivalent to diet coke amounts - and no effect.

So what else is there in diet coke? Is it the aspartame? I don't know - I'm not a doctor.

If you've got tinnitus and you're a diet cola drinker - I suggest you try to stop drinking it for a while and see (hear?) what happens.

Also - maybe try increasing your intake of fruit - oranges seem to calm my tinnitus!

Aspartame is safe, says John E. Garst

He's posted a comment, saying:

"BS. If you want the true facts about aspartame visit snopes.com, aspartame.net, or better yet the full text 2007 Magnuson review

http://www.fte.ugent.be/vlaz/Magnuson2007.pdf.

The latter is conducte by 10 experts in the field.

John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology"

John may be right. I hope he is.

It could be that it's all in my mind - but I've just drank 25oml of diet coke (after none for four days) and my face feels hot, I feel slightly sick and my tinnitus got slightly worse.

I was so scared of tinnitus - but it's volume has dropped, since one week ago (I don't know if this is to do with my cutting back on diet cola - but it does seem to have increased in volume after my 250ml of diet coke).

After drinking it I feel slightly foggy - like the two halves of my brain are joined together - which I like, but I don't like the increased tinnitus, sick feeling and hot flushes.

I think I associate the foggy feeling with creativity - this is something I've got to break. There must be a way around it.

One thing that also scares me: Diet Coke with me is an addiction - I know I'll feel sick if I drink it - yet I have to drink it (I know this sounds silly - but it's true) - so what the hell is it doing to me to create such an addiction?

Tinnitus - update

Had diet coke earlier, then coffee in fizzy water - and whistling noise went!

Then put in olive oil eardrops and whistling returned! arrgh

aspartame story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1667734,00.html

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10217&page=2

I would just like to share a quote with everyone from my favorite Vegan Book, "Skinny Bitch":

"Diet sodas contain formaldehyde, and if you are not familiar with that let me explain. It is a chemical used to preserve things in scientific experiments, maybe it is preserving the fat on your ass"

Smoke 4 packs a day
Eat meat every other day
Drink 3 glasses of milk a day
Eat 4000 calories a day
Drink 2 glasses vodka each night
Pop a handful of script pain meds every other night

If you are drinking DIET anything, I dont care if it is made with splenda, equal, sweet'n low, or aspartame you should also just pick two things from the above list and do them as well. Because it wouldn't be doing you any more damage as long as you drink DIET drinks/eat DIET snacks. I even learned in NURSING SCHOOL that just because they say they dont have calories doesn't mean you dont have to burn it off. Calorie free just means your body doesn't recognize what they are, and can go ahead and store them on your body anyway with no way to "use them".. that means "diet" drinks will stick to your thighs...forever with no way to use then as real energy!! (That is scary) Be careful.

"If it says sugar free, fat free, low cal, low carb, or cal free, read those words as CHEMICAL SH*T STORM and run as far as you can!!!"

~Skinny Bitch (Oh I just love that book)

http://askwaltstollmd.com/archives/aspar.html

Tinnitus

On Friday (four days ago) I realised I have tinnitus. It's at about 9000hz and I've been struggling to sleep - I'm quite scared - going to see doctor tomorrow.

Has this been caused by my attempting to cut down on aspartame? I don't know.

My cutting down has been going quite well - down to one can of diet coke (and no other source of aspartame) every two days. But for the past four days I've felt awful.

Today I drank diet coke and I felt better - my appetite returned - it made the headaches go away, but the tinnitus is still there.

Can I notice the tinnitus now, because my brain is less excited?
The neurotoxins hurt my hearing?



http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/ageing/1995-September/001727.html

It says in the
Congressional Record, S5511, May 7, 1985, the following:

"Aspartame has been demonstrated to inhibit the carbohydrate-induced
synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Wurtman affidavit).
Serotonin blunts the sensation of craving carbohydrates and thus is part
of the body's feedback system that helps limit consumption of
carbohydrate to appropriate levels.  Its inhibition by aspartame could
lead to the anomalous result of a diet product causing increased
consumption of carbohydrates."

http://www.rawcuisine.co.uk/whats-happening-to-food/diet-coke/

This page mentions tinnitus and aspartame.

” … I am a Pediatrician, a Professor of Pediatrics at Emory, and have spent 25 years in the biomedical science, trying to prevent mental retardation and birth defects caused by excess phenylalanine.. . . . . .I have considerable concern for the increased dissemination and consumption of the sweetener, aspartame, (1-methyl N-L-a-aspartyl-L- phenylalanine) in our world food supply. This artificial dipeptide is hydrolyzed by the intestinal tract to produce L-phenylalanine which in excess is a known neurotoxin. Normal humans do not metabolize phenylalanine as efficiently as do lower species such as rodents and thus most of the previous studies in Aspartame effects on rats are irrelevant to the question, ‘Does phenylalanine excess occur with Aspartame ingestion?’”

Statement by Louis J. Elsas, II, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, before the USA Senate Committee of Labor and Human Resources on the subject “Nutrasweet: Health and safety concerns”, November 3, 1987.

http://www.tinnitusformula.com/infocenter/articles/treatments/toxins.aspx

Both aspartame and monosodium glutamate are excitatory neurotransmitters. That is, they excite brain neurons and increase levels of electrical activity in the brain and the auditory cortex, the area where tinnitus is perceived. We know that people with tinnitus have an elevated level of electrical activity and reducing this activity is helpful for tinnitus. Increasing electrical activity increases tinnitus. A previous article discussing elevated states of electrical activity in the brain and tinnitus can be seen by clicking here.

http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/ageing/1995-September/001727.html

HE ROLE OF ASPARTAME

Each of these components of aspartame -- phenylalanine; aspartic acid;
the methyl ester, which promptly becomes methyl alcohol or methanol --
and their multiple breakdown products after exposure to heat or during
prolonged storage is potentially toxic to the brain and inner ear.  These
organs are uniquely vulnerable to metabolic disturbances and neurotoxins
because of their unique metabolic requirements.

http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/ageing/1995-September/001727.html 

Subject:      Help at last... please read
Date:         1997/09/13
Newsgroups:   alt.support.tinnitus

On 07-11-97 I received information on the fact that
aspartame(Nutrasweet/Equal) could cause tinnitus by destroying the
central nervous system.  I had been a large user of diet sodas which
contain aspartame.I  figured I had nothing to lose by switching to plain
water. The results were not immediate but took approx. 2 months. I can
now honestly say that my tinnitus has been greatly reduced and
completely gone much of the time.

update

one can today, one reg from Mcdonalds yesterday, none day before?

2 bottles

one 500ml bottle of diet coke yesterday

and one today - I feel sick - and hot but addicted - it's a sickness

I cracked - 1.5 diet cokes

I'm drinking it now - one and a half cans.

I had it with chocolate - made me high... wonderful

Still no diet coke

My diet coke craving has subsided a bit - I would love one, though.

Been drinking carbonated water with instant coffee in it.

Food cravings subsided - so am trying to cut down on refined sugar? Carbohydrates?

Why Have Carbohydrates Become Such A Controversial Food?

To understand why carbs have attracted so much dietary criticism - much of it inaccurate and misleading - you need to understand a bit about the diet and food industry. The following explanation is a simplified account of the carb controversy.

Heart Disease And Low Fat Diets
In the 60s and 70s, cardiologists established a clear link between animal fats (in fatty meat, butter, cheese etc.) and coronary heart disease (hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis). So low-fat diets became very popular. Unfortunately, in its attempt to cater for this preferred reduced-fat type of eating, the food industry started producing a huge range of low-fiber white flour food products (eg. muffins, donuts, bagels, cookies), tons of carb snackfoods (eg. multi-flavored popcorn, nachos etc.) and various high-carb add-ons and toppings. Note that ALL these foods are largely "refined" carbs - that is, carbs with most of the natural fiber removed. Thus, the low-fat approach led to a significant increase in the consumption of refined carbohydrate.

Kola Nut - phenol and alkaloid

Bissy, bissy, bissy
published: Wednesday | February 26, 2003

KOLA NUT (or bissy) extract is popularly used around the world in some soft drinks. Bissy (Cola acuminata, C. nitida) is native to Africa, and is cultivated extensively in the tropics, particularly in West Africa, West Indies, South America, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The tree grows about 40-60 feet high, has yellow flowers, spotted with purple; the leaves are pointed at both ends. There are 125 species of this plant. Though it is called a "nut", the part of this plant consumed is the cotyledons of the fleshy seeds. When fresh it is nearly white but on drying it undergoes a fermentative change, turning reddish brown and losing much of its astringency. Fresh kola seeds have a bitterish, astringent taste, but this is lost during the drying, the dried seeds being almost odourless and tasteless.

Kola (or Cola) is related to cocoa and contains the same methylxanthine stimulant alkaloids including caffeine and theobromine, found in coffee, tea, cocoa and mate. Small and medium doses render one capable of warding off physical and mental depression and exhaustion. Large doses produce overstimulation, and thus tend to destroy the usefulness of the drug. Their consumption is not considered habit forming.

For thousands of years, West Africans have traditionally chewed cola nuts for their stimulant effects, as a necessity and a luxury. The kola nut has particular uses in the social life and religious customs of West Africa. It

was used as a declaration of war (red nut), and as a symbol of peace (white nut). It figured in courtship and marriage, compacts of friendship, as a mark of hospitality, and was put into the graves of the dead to nourish them on their long journey.

Primary constituents of fresh kola seeds include caffeine (0.6 to 3.0 per cent), theobromine (up to 0.1 per cent), other xanthine alkaloids, tannins, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins such as "kola red". The phenolics and anthocyanins are likely to provide antioxidant activity. Specimens of African kola yielded more caffeine (2.24 per cent) than Jamaican kola (1.93 per cent).

The properties of kola are the same as caffeine, modified only by the astringents present. Fresh kola nuts have stimulant action apart from the caffeine content, but is often used for the stimulation caffeine supplies.

The action of kola has been compared to that of coffee and cocoa, but it differs even from these, and from that of the two principles-caffeine and theobromine-contained in it.

Clayton's Kola Tonic is giving me the buzz

Clayton's Kola Tonic is giving me the buzz without the hot face that comes with a can of diet cola.

Why?

Is it just the caffeine and sugar? (test this)

Diet coke breaks down into a phenyl

One of the simplest phenyl containing compounds is phenol,

Clayton's Kola Tonic contains Kola Nut - which contains phenols?

Oh - I dunno - is this too far fetched?

So why is diet coke addictive?

1) stimulation of caffeine? (alkaloid)

2) neurotransmitter - aspartame breaks down into PEA (phenylethylamine)?

- Claytons Kola Tonic seems to be doing same - thing - I'm quite high. But is this just sugar and caffeine? Doesn't feel like it.

What's difference between Phenol and phenyl?

Phenol is also known as Phenylic Acid

More on the debate

Chocolate, after all, is the nearest thing to a drug you can legally buy if you're eight years old.

It contains three psychoactive chemicals - caffeine, theobromine and phenylethylamine - as well as a variety of sugars. Sugar gives a sudden charge of energy while caffeine's mild amphetamine rush is well known. Theobromine is one of nature's Prozac replacements and phenylethylamine is a mood enhancer. It's the theobromine and the phenylethylamine which give rise to the rumour that chocolate simulates love. They are suspended in a fat, cocoa butter, which is the only stuff in the world that melts at exactly body temperature. The moment you put chocolate in your mouth it spreads out softly, delivering little packets of sugar, caffeine, theobromine and phenylethylamine right into all those pleasure receptors on your tongue. No wonder we love it.

D-phenylalanine (DPA), can be synthesized artificially. D-phenylalanine can be converted only into phenylethylamine.

Guess what - Kola nut contains Caffeine (alkaloid) and phenol, too -

On the other hand, many studies and research works made on kola products proved that its beneficial action was due not only to its caffeine content but also and more particularly to the combined form in which this caffeine is present therein, as it constitutes an unstable association of alcaloids and phenol compounds.

alkaloids and phenolic compounds.

alkaloids and phenolic compounds are produced by plants - can mess with mind?

http://www.mcmanweb.com/more_diet_coke_posts.htm

McMan (Oct 11): The FDA is constantly pulling products it previously approved and is changing the warnings, Mandy. Even with the best-intentioned watchdogs, too many bad products get approved. David Willman of the LA Times won the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting in 2001 for exposing the ineptitude of the FDA. Please do your research before you accuse me of scaring people.

Heather (Feb 4, 2003): Interesting to know that there is a phenol compound in aspartame. I'm one of the 1 in 16,000 who is allergic to phenol. Every time I've eaten something with aspartame in it, I've had wild, horrible nightmares. I found out I was allergic to phenol when the allergy shots I was taking gave me severe asthma-like symptoms which lasted for months as the usual asthma treatments didn't work. I had to take oral steroids (more trouble) to get rid of them. I'm now taking allergy shots without the phenol preservative in them. And, just BTW, phenol is in everything from pesticide to toothpaste.

==========

Brad (Nov 20, 2004): I consume about 1 300 litres of Diet Coke annually. I very rarely have headaches, maybe one per year and it's nothing an Advil and a large glass of water or Diet Coke couldn't fix. This whole aspartame thing is nonsense; it's most likely the sugar companies spreading the rumors about 'aspartame poisoning'. Just look at how much business they'll be losing if this new “better then sugar substance” took over the market. Aspartame is made of completely natural substances, two amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine joined together with a methyl group added. Aspartic acid is found in beef, chicken, pork, fish, and some vegetables like spinach. Phenylalanine is found in eggs, milk, bananas, and meats. The downside of aspartame is the phenylalanine one in ten thousand people who have Phenylketonuria or carry the PKU gene can’t ingest phenylalanine or aspartame because of a genetic disorder that is characterized by an inability of the body to utilize the essential amino acid. Once aspartame is broken down in the body it is converted back to aspartic acid and phenylalanine with a very small amount of methanol, no more then a glass of tomato juice would convert to. Thus aspartame is safe to consume in small amounts, but who’s going to drink more then 12 litres of Diet Coke in a day anyways?

========

Chocolate comprises 50 percent fat and 50 percent sugar and contains phenylethylamine, all which combine to create an endorphin effect, particularly in women. Low blood levels of phenylethylamine have been found in depressed patents. (Researchers at Nottingham Trent University (UK) claim phenylethylamine to be a byproduct of exercise and the cause of the euphoric mood called "runner’s high.")


Hi! I'm a first time reader of your blog. Happened across the title, and had to find out what you write about.

Anyhow, back to the subject of Diet Coke:
Diet Coke contains PEA (phenylethylamine), which is a feel-good neurotransmitter that affects the brain. PEA is also found in chocolate, surprise surprise.
Based on the scientific research I've read (I've got an M.Sc. in Nutrition; I speak "Science"), together with my personal experience, I'm certain that Diet Coke can be addictive.
When I decided I wanted to kick the habit (I used it as a pick-me-up, when I was a bit depressed, and it worked... I am so not joking), I just started drinking Diet 7Up instead. Funny enough, I now dislike the taste of Diet (I never thought that would be possible), and of course I'm not addicted to the 7up (because who would be?).
Of course, now I NEED my multiple-daily fixes of coffee... I basically replaced one addiction with another.
Maybe it's best to leave well enough alone? :)
All the best to you.

THE CULT OF DIET COKE.

The formaldehyde from each can of diet soda is more than the legal limit of this dangerous chemical.

The formaldehyde from each can of diet soda is more than the legal limit of this dangerous chemical.

Aspartame breaks down into an alkaloid - that can mess with mind?

When you drink a diet soda, your body breaks down the aspartame into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol, one molecule of each.

• aspartic acid is harmless; it’s broken down into alanine, an amino acid, and oxaloacetate, an organic compound
• phenylalanine, an allergen to some people, is broken down into mostly tyrosine, an amino acid, and to a lesser extent into phenylethylamine, an alkaloid, and phenylpyruvate.
• methanol (wood alcohol) is broken down into formic acid (the toxin in ant bites) and formaldehyde which is a carcinogen.

Caffeine levels

Caffeine: Diet Coke
Per 12oz can: 46.5mg caffeine

The amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee (8oz/230ml) varies from between 80 to 150 milligrams.

Alkaloids

Cola nuts are chewed for the stimulating effect of the alkaloids caffein and theobromine they contain. The cola nut is widely grown in West Africa and has particular uses in the social life and religious customs of the people. In Nigeria and Cameroon, four species of cola with edible seed have been distinguished.

• Purine group:
  • Xanthines: caffeine, theobromine, theophylline

here's an excerpt off the net regarding caffeine: http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html
------------
Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous compounds called alkaloids, among them we have the
methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found
in cola nuts, coffee, tea, cacao beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different
biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. These
compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the
chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids which are also
similar in chemical structure.

Caffeine: Sources: Coffee, tea, cola nuts, mate, guarana. Effects: Stimulant of central nervous
system, cardiac muscle, and respiratory system, diuretic Delays fatigue.

Theophylline: Sources: Tea Effects: Cariac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic, vasodilator

Theobromine: Sources: Principle alkaloid of the cocoa bean (1.5-3%) Cola nuts and tea Effects:
Diuretic, smooth muscle relaxant, cardiac stimulant, vasodilator.

Releasing caffeine - how cola can be more active than coffee

(Info from Merck Index)

    The presence of the other alkaloids in colas and tea may explain why
    these sometimes have a stronger kick than coffee. Colas, which have
    lower caffeine contents than coffee are, reportedly, sometimes more
    active. Tea seems the strongest for some. Coffee seems more lasting
    for mental alertness and offers fewer jitters than the others.

 8. How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?

    Sources: Physicians Desk Reference and Institute of Food Technologies
    from Pafai and Jankiewicz (1991) DRUGS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

    cocoa                      250mg theobromine
    bittersweet choc. bar      130mg theobromine
    5 oz cup brewed coffee     no theobromine
    tea 5oz cup brewed 3min
    with teabag                3-4 mg theophylline
    Diet Coke                  no theobromine or theophylline


4. Frappe - cold coffee

    Frappe coffee is widely consumed in parts of Europe and LatinAmerica
    especially in summer. Originally was made with cold espresso. Nowadays
    is prepared in most places by shaking into a shaker 1-2 teaspoons of
    instant coffee with sugar, water and ice-cubes and it is served in a
    long glass with ice, milk to taste and a straw. The important thing is
    the thick froth on top of the glass.