Diet Drinks - bad for TTC and baby?

[megaminz]

Hi,

Was just at a chemist asking about natural weight loss and was told that I should give up Pepsi Max cause it has Phenylketinurics in them (the fake sugars).

Do I really have to? What does it do to the baby? I can agree to give up my coffee in the morning but really Pepsi Max?:crying:

[giveitago]

Sprite Zero has.....

Phena...nope
Pheni... hang on
Pheno... nearly got it
Phenylalanine

I have to stop now dont I :hissy:

Do you have any idea how hard it was to give up coke Zero. I was happy that now I drank sprite.

[megaminz]

Do you have any idea how hard it was to give up coke Zero. I was happy that now I drank sprite.
So I do have to stop???? :hissy:
You drink Sprite now? hmmm maybe that is my option but then the sugar.... oh man I am doomed.

[giveitago]

Nope, we both have to give it up.

The phenyl stuff is in all diet drinks (including Zero and Max).

That Sux.

[megaminz]

Nope, we both have to give it up.

The phenyl stuff is in all diet drinks (including Zero and Max).

That Sux.
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh:hissy: can this day get any worse???

What are you drinking as a substitute?

[giveitago]

What are you drinking as a substitute?

Ummmmmm you mean AFTER this bottle of Sprite Zero is finished? hehehehe

No idea, if i drink water, tomorrow there will be a post about how bad water is for TTC and pregnancy. I'd drink air, but that isn't to healthy either.

[megaminz]

Ummmmmm you mean AFTER this bottle of Sprite Zero is finished? hehehehe

No idea, if i drink water, tomorrow there will be a post about how bad water is for TTC and pregnancy. I'd drink air, but that isn't to healthy either.
well I drink water but there is only so much a girl can take!! no booze, no caffiene, no diet drinks....wanna drink something with FLAVOUR

[aphrodeity]

I thought you only had to give up phenylalanine (an amino acid) if you had phenylketonuria - a genetic disorder. If you did have this disorder and you ingested phenylalanine the effects are life-threatening, hence they declare it on the side of soft drink cans etc... at least, this is my understanding.

Possibly your chemist was concerned about the aspartame (artificial sweetener) in the soft drinks, which is converted to phenylalanine in the body (it is converted to other things too, including formic acid :eek:). High quantities of phenylalanine in the body is called hyperphenylalanine and is not good in pregnancy. My understanding then is that if you ingested enough phenylalanine in pregnancy, you could make yourself sick. What manner of sick, and how much you need, I don't know.

From a weight loss perspective, aspartame (and hence phenylalanine) can apparently slow your metabolism. I think it's a pretty controversial subject. Here's a for and against:
http://www.aspartame.org/aspartame_myths_weight.html
http://www.rense.com/general3/asper.htm

But this is just my understanding of it - I'm studying nutrition at uni next year so I have an interest in these things but I'm not there yet, I am no professional. Quite possibly she mentioned it because you were after natural methods (as I gathered from your post), and aspartame isn't exactly natural. But then again there may be more to it, I don't know! Hope that helped somewhat, I ramble on sometimes! ;)

[megaminz]

But this is just my understanding of it - I'm studying nutrition at uni next year so I have an interest in these things but I'm not there yet, I am no professional. Quite possibly she mentioned it because you were after natural methods (as I gathered from your post), and aspartame isn't exactly natural. But then again there may be more to it, I don't know! Hope that helped somewhat, I do ramble on sometimes! ;)
ooh I dont know. I remember from uni phenylketinurics slow down your neural transmissions but only temporarily, i.e. dont drink it day of exams... but I have never heard of it damaging fetus or anything like that.

Maybe I did confuse her with natural cause I am TTC I didn't wanna go drastic weightloss pills or anything, just something herbal.

[aphrodeity]

Sounds like you know more about it then I do! I haven't studied anything remotely sciencey at uni yet, I had to google to double-check before I posted :laughing:

It's an interesting subject. You would think that a little bit of the things you like would be ok, at least before the TWW/pregnancy, but then how do you know what goes into food these days?

I know what you mean about flavour though, sometimes a girl wants a bit more than mung beans and water!

[megaminz]

Sounds like you know more about it then I do! I haven't studied anything remotely sciencey at uni yet, I had to google to double-check before I posted :laughing:

It's an interesting subject. You would think that a little bit of the things you like would be ok, at least before the TWW/pregnancy, but then how do you know what goes into food these days?

hahahah please dont be impressed, its the only thing I remember from uni, that and red bull is better to drink before exams, and also that most serial killers are left handed tee hee:laughing:

Yeah I don't want to become a victim of another scare fad. Wheres the resident BubHub Doctor to answer us??


I know what you mean about flavour though, sometimes a girl wants a bit more than mung beans and water!
totally!!!!!!!!!!:hissy:

[kittykatz]

I'm pretty sure a substance is artificial sweetners has been proven to be carcinogenic (cancer causing).

But i know what you mean about every single thing you read about being bad for your.

And funny enough i did read about water being bad for you unless it is filtered and room temperature. COME ON, enough is enough.

[megaminz]

Haven't heard of Phenylalanine being carciogenic but found the below on webmd

What's the Deal With Artificial Sweeteners?



Artificial sweeteners can be used instead of sugar in a variety of foods and beverages without adding more carbohydrate to your diet. Using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar also greatly reduces calories in your favorite foods.
Examples of artificial sweeteners you can use include:

Aspartame
Acesulfame-k
Saccharine
Sucralose
Other non-nutritive sweetenersPregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid saccharine, and people who suffer from phenylketonuria should not use aspartame.
Some artificial sweeteners -- such as xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol -- have some calories and do slightly increase blood glucose level.
The American Diabetes Association cautions that eating too much of any artificial sweetener can cause gas and diarrhea.
Reviewed by the Department of Endocrinology and Department of Patient Education and Health Information at The Cleveland Clinic.

[megaminz]

this is interesting from the Mayo Clinic

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, which means you need it in your diet. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Phenylalanine is especially important to young, growing children. Adults need less phenylalanine in their diet.
Phenylalanine is found in protein-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, nuts, seeds, poultry, fish, as well as some leafy vegetables and whole grains. It's also found in diet foods, such as diet soda, that contain aspartame.
Phenylalanine is safe to eat or drink unless you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare birth defect in which an enzyme needed to process phenylalanine is missing. PKU is usually diagnosed in infancy.
For infants and children with this disorder, consuming phenylalanine is dangerous. Adults with this disorder should consult their doctors regarding whether phenylalanine is a concern. If you do not have PKU, phenylalanine in foods is not a concern.

[aphrodeity]

And funny enough i did read about water being bad for you unless it is filtered and room temperature. COME ON, enough is enough.

Oh no kittykatz, that's ridiculous! And then we will just start getting into the filtered water, and they will say oops you're not getting the fluoride from the tap water anymore, here take this supplement :laughing:

Megaminz, all I can remember from uni is how to say "hello, I studied Chinese at uni" in Mandarin, and that noone knows for sure where the Japanese language came from. Ah, arts degrees, they are so handy :laughing:

ETA: coolio, good to see phenyl isn't dangerous!

[Nomsie]

Waaay to many big words in this thread! LOL


:confused: Good lord, it is making me feel like this :sleeping: just from studying them and trying to figure out how to pronounce them!

[megaminz]

Waaay to many big words in this thread! LOL


:confused: Good lord, it is making me feel like this :sleeping: just from studying them and trying to figure out how to pronounce them!
hehehe was just saying to a friend next to me at work how proud I was the day I learnt how to pronounce phenylalanine properly hahahahaha still proud of it!! tteeeheee small things....:laughing:

[Nomsie]

I would be proud too- today I had trouble pronouncing the word "discipline"... infront of my colleagues! It was a bit awful! (I just couldn't be bothered opening my mouth wide enough to begin with, but once I had made the initial mistake it was hard to correct!)

Anyway: Question- what about regular soft-drinks... apart from the sugar, are they harmful to baby?

[aphrodeity]

Haha that's the good thing about this thread, noone can hear me try to pronounce phenylalanine (or see how slowly I have to type it so I don't end up with lalalanane), and I can have google open as well :laughing:

Nomsie I can't think of any reason why they would be bad for you! Apart from the sugar/calories of course, and all the chemical flavourings/preservatives - but I don't know of any that are specifically bad at all, they're just not the most natural things out there.

[KiahsMum]

My diabetes educator (saw her for gestational diabetes) actually said you are better having an occasional glass of regular coke over having the diet stuff due to the unknowns with artificial sweetners. There was a recent study that said over consumption (over 3 serves a week) of diet drinks contributes to heart disease. I admit when I was pregnant I gave up on the artificial sweetners just in case and have since found they taste strange, not sure why!

[Nomsie]

I have always found that artificial sweeteners taste strange! I hate diet coke, well diet anything drink really, and have been CONVINCING myself that I like coke zero... I think I will just stick with tooth rot and have my regular coke thanks!

[Mahjong]

I used to drink Diet when TTC this baby and when I found out I was pregnant.

Then I had a friend educate me on the artificial sweetners and haven't touched it since!