Is Diet Snapple Bad For You?
Short answer
Diet Snapple is bad for you. Regular consumption over the long-term may lead to several complications, including cancer.
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Diet Snapple, like most drinks with the "diet" label, leads people to confuse the terms "diet" with "healthy. A diet is a way to lose weight, not necessarily a way to be healthy (in fact, many diets are bad for your health). While Diet Snapple lacks the sugar content of its non-diet counterpart, it has to get its sweet taste from somewhere -- that somewhere is aspartame.
As recently as 2010, a Danish study showed a link between artificial sweeteners and pre-term delivery. Multiple studies with rats have shown aspartame to cause leukemia and cancerous growths. While human studies are limited, it is important to realize that the genetic makeup of rats is very similar to that of humans. In fact, 99% of our genes have counterparts in mice. Further, some people have mentioned getting muscle spasms, visual changes, and ringing in the ears after drinking beverages that contain aspartame. It should also be noted that the FDA gave aspartame GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status only after heavy lobbying and being given studies that were funded by aspartame companies themselves.
While malic acid occurs naturally in many foods and has a reputation for being good for your skin as well as helping reduce pain, there does remain a risk of side effects, such as nausea, constipation, muscle pain, chest pain, and itching.
Another ingredient, potassium citrate, which is commonly used as a medication in pill form to help treat kidney stones, may cause some minor side effects including diarrhea.
Apart from the possible reasons why Diet Snapple is bad for you, let's see if there are any reasons why it may be good for you. As mentioned, there is no added sugar. Also missing are cholesterol and fat. While a drink with no fat, sugar, or cholesterol may seem like a good thing, the fact is there is no fiber and antioxidants are lacking. Moreover, there are only a few calories in Diet Snapple which greatly lowers the energy-giving potential of this drink.
Lastly, the "natural flavors" contained in this drink are laboratory made and may contain things like glutamate, allergens, and animal products. In the case of glutamate, despite the Diet Snapple not contributing to your weight gain, the glutamate may lead to feelings of hunger and overeating. Furthermore, drinking Diet Snapple may lead some people to disregard getting their daily nutrients as the taste of fruit often tricks people into thinking they are getting the nutritional benefits of real fruit.
Possible short-term side effects
- headache
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muscle spams, aches, pains
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chest pain
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nausea / diarrhea
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constipation
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decreased satiety
Possible long-term side effects
- cancer
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visual changes
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systemic lupus
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ringing in the ear
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multiple sclerosis
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neurological issues
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- has no sugar
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low in calories
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has no cholesterol
Healthier alternatives
- fresh fruit juice
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fresh iced tea
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