Left-handed Complement

MUDGE’S Musings

As a charter member of the Boomer cohort, health issues are never far from top of mind.

Embarrassed to admit that, at dinner with the closest of friends the other night, our various afflictions comprised the sum total of the conversation for the two hours the four of us were together.

Not our kids (except relating to their health); not politics (what presidential election?); just visits to this chiropractor (by now a virtual member of our friends’ family); that specialist; these MRI results. Ugh.

Never again, that!

But, typical.

Imperceptibly, somehow when I wasn’t paying attention I joined that group of health-obsessed codgers that I used to make such cheerful fun of. Anyone have a pill to treat depression stemming from participation in excessive health-related conversation?

–Coming right up, sir!

Meanwhile, some interesting health topics hit the news this week. And some struck entirely too close to home for comfort.

Diet soda: bad!

Vital Signs

Symptoms: Metabolic Syndrome Is Tied to Diet Soda

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR | Published: February 5, 2008

Researchers have found a correlation between drinking diet soda and metabolic syndrome — the collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and elevated blood pressure.

So, long ago yr (justifiably) humble svt switched away from the sugared stuff, but have become accustomed to the off-putting taste of soda (that’s “pop” where I come from) made with sugar substitutes. Those have improved over the years, although controversy remains over the health implications of consuming the ersatz sugar itself. And now, maybe there’s some fire to go with the smoke.

But the one-third who ate the most fried food increased their risk by 25 percent compared with the one-third who ate the least, and surprisingly, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome was 34 percent higher among those who drank one can of diet soda a day compared with those who drank none.

The short article does not speculate on the possible origin (the sweetener? what else would not be present in sugared soft drinks?) of the agent of metabolic change.

[Please click the link below for the complete article — but then please come on back!]

Symptoms: Metabolic Syndrome Is Tied to Diet Soda – New York Times

As a person long pharmaceutically treated for various metabolic syndromes (diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia), and an enthusiastic (in industrial strength quantities) consumer of highly caffeinated diet soda (for the lift, and the appetite suppression) it’s hard to know what is cause and what is effect.

After all, until the adult onset diabetes was diagnosed, I almost never imbibed diet soda.

Diet drinks tasted horrible (until NutraSweet and Splenda came along).

Read an amusing science fiction novel many years ago where the person who caused the banning of calcium cyclamate (a much better tasting alternative 30-40 years ago to the than prevalent saccharin sugar substitute) was consigned to the lowest, most fiery, ring of hell.

But that was then, now, bring on that diet brew!

But it’s disturbing. Am I working against my pharmaceutical cocktail by consuming Pepsico’s finest?

Does the study reported on here suffer from the same kinds of distortion and inexactitude in reporting so frequently exposed by Sandy Szwarc in Junkfood Science?

(BTW, more from there soon!)

But, if you think I’m grumpy now, just try taking away my Diet Mountain Dew!

It’s it for now. Thanks,

–MUDGE

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This entry was posted on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Health, Medicine, Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.