• Blackmist@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    4 months ago

    That’s not because the sugar tax was enough.

    It’s because the drink manufacturers mostly just stopped selling the full sugar versions, which kind of sucks for anyone who hates the taste of artificial sweeteners. Even squash like Robinsons became undrinkable. It tastes like battery acid.

    There’s only really Coca-Cola left that tastes the same as it did before. Lemon and lime drinks like 7-Up or Sprite almost cover the taste of it, so they’ll do in a pinch. Otherwise I just drink water and cider. Apparently alcoholic drinks don’t need to tell you how many calories are in them either, so I’ll assume it’s none and carry on looking confused when I get on the scales.

    • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      4 months ago

      It’s because the drink manufacturers mostly just stopped selling the full sugar versions

      Which was a result of the sugar tax. They didn’t just suddenly drop the sugar content for no reason.

      • Liz@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        The sugar tax didn’t include artificial sweeteners? That’s an oversight. Those things are bad for you in ways that are different from digestable sugars.

        • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          They’re nowhere near as bad as consuming a huge amount of sugar.

          They only cause issues for a vanishingly tiny amount of people that have pre-existing genetic conditions.

          • EnderMB@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            That’s highly debatable. It’s swapping one set of side effects for another, especially when drunk at high volumes.

            • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              It’s not highly debatable, it’s been studied to death. Sweeteners have existed for a long time.

              There were rumours they cause cancer, this has been proven false. There were rumours they cause headaches, this has been proven false. There were rumours they cause infertility, this has been proven false. There have been rumours they stimulate your appetite, this likewise has zero scientific backing.

              Aspartame, the most common sweetener, does cause issues for people with phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disorder, because it contains stuff they can’t metabolise. But so does a long list of foods people eat every day.

              Some polyol sweeteners have a mild laxative effect if consumed in very high quantities, but the same is true for stuff like tea, coffee, most fruits, etc.

              Sugar is far worse for your health.