Apparently February is "American Heart Health" month... apropos, considering the Valentine theme. So Diet Coke brand is partnering with The Heart Truth organization to help bring about awareness of women's heart health issues. It seems heart disease is the #1 killer of women -- not breast cancer. And of course, like a mindless chant, they call up the same old red herring to blame it on-- cholesterol.
The CDC is quick to point out the health issues that put people more at risk for heart disease: diabetes, obesity, poor diet, inactivity, and excessive alcohol use. But the first thing the medical establishment will do with those at risk is put them on a low fat, low calorie diet--a diet with no track record whatsoever of success. Don't get me wrong, a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is not a bad thing. But most people on a "low fat" diet, don't reach for the fruits and vegetables. They reach instead for all the processed foods bearing "low fat" "heart-healthy" labels... low fat cheese, low fat milk, low fat yogurt, low fat pretzels, low fat desserts, diet soft drinks. The problem here is that when the fat is removed from a normally fatty food, it must be replaced with something else in order to make the food tasty. More often than not, the substitution is a chemical or a sugar... or both.
Furthermore, dietary fat is not the problem. No study has ever been done that conclusively links heart disease or any other chronic disease with the consumption of fatty foods. The low-fat diet theory is the product of a 1977 government publication called Dietary Goals for the United States, championed by Senator George McGovern. As discussed in Gary Taubes' excellent book, Good Calories Bad Calories, the report itself acknowledged that there was no real evidence to support the idea that reducing fat content in the diet would lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of chronic illness.
"Dietary Goals took a grab bag of ambiguous studies and speculation, acknowledged that the claims were scientifically contentious, and then officially bestowed on one interpretation the aura of established fact."(1)In no time, the low-fat diet became "settled science"... settled only in the sense that no more discussion would be allowed.
Now we have the Heart Health organization telling us by virtue of this bizarre partnership that a product that is loaded with chemicals and devoid of nutrients is going to benefit those at risk for heart disease. This is not only bad advice, it is akin to malpractice. Medical professionals such as those at the CDC and the NIH (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) ought to know better! For starters, Diet Coke (any diet drink for that matter) has no redeeming value and cannot even really be classified as a food. It is a concoction of artificial ingredients.
Even more worrisome, Diet Coke(R) contains the artificial sweetener, Aspartame, a known excitotoxin linked to migraine headaches, seizures, anxiety attacks, depression and brain cancer. But don't worry. So far, it's not associated with heart disease.
We expect a measure of embellishment in marketing campaigns...after all, they're trying to sell their product. But there's a limit to the level of false advertising we should be willing to accept. This one, in my opinion, crosses the line. The institutions that claim to have our best interests at heart have no business colluding with companies whose products are downright dangerous to our health. When they do, they betray the public trust.
So next time you're tempted to pick up a diet soft drink, do yourself a favor and grab a water instead. Despite the deceptive advertisement, the heart truth can't be found in government diet programs or your favorite diet drink. The best heart health program is one based on natural whole foods and healthy fats ...and low in anything with a label.
Aspartame Pathway
(1) Good Calories Bad Calories, pp 44-46
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