'I quit Diet Coke addiction after sweetener scare - my health issues have gone'
Al Baker cannot remember a time when he wasn't addicted to Diet Coke. The self-confessed addict has spent the last three decades of his life guzzling three litres of the carbonated drink daily.
His 30-year obsession with the sweet brown stuff has taken him down a dark hole, and he estimates spending £1,000 a year on cans and 2L bottles of the no-calorie beverage.
Al isn't alone in his addiction - singer George Michael was known to have a Diet Coke in hand at all times, and billionaire Elon Musk stocks it on his bedside table.
But for Al, his once-controlling habit has now been broken, after he went cold turkey on the fizzy pop a month ago, and claims to have noticed huge improvements in his health.
He drank 3L of Diet Coke every single day for over 30 years before calling it quits (Al Baker)
Al was put off by the potential links between aspartame and cancer (stock photo) (Getty)The 49-year-old finally cleared his fridge of Diet Coke in May, after learning about the potential health consequences associated with aspartame, the artificial sweetener in the drink.
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The ingredient is set to be classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as early as next month, it has been announced.
It was first brought to Al's attention when his mother watched a BBC documentary on the sweetener and alerted him to the potential cancerous risks.
"My vice was always Diet Coke. A few weeks ago, my mum watched a TV show about the carcinogenic properties of sweeteners and called me in a state of fear," he told the Mirror.
"She said, 'I know you drink loads of it. I want you to stop. There's a possibility you'll get cancer'. I thought it was too late as I'd been drinking it for so long.
"But I did some research and giving it up seemed the right thing to do. I also read that it makes you gain weight. I am classed as 'morbidly obese' and trying to lose weight."
He spent approximately £1,000 a year on his no-calorie drink addiction for three decades (stock photo) (Getty Images)According to WHO, aspartame - which has been used for decades in soft drinks, sugar-free gum, low fat yoghurts and ice cream - has "possible" links to cancer.
This doesn't necessarily mean it directly causes the illness, but that there is a small amount of evidence linking its consumption with people who have been diagnosed.
According to Cancer Research UK: "Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose or aspartame can be found in lots of products from diet versions of fizzy drinks to chewing gum. They do not cause cancer in humans."
Al continued: "Seeing all the information about the negative effects on health and weight, I decided to stop. So I went cold turkey four weeks ago, and I've not had a Diet Coke since".
It's been a huge lifestyle change for Al, from Hampshire, who used to wake up every single morning thinking about his next glass of bubbly Diet Coke.
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In total, it is estimated that he has consumed 32,850 litres of Diet Coke over three decades.
"Drinking two to three litres of Diet Coke every day was normal. I loved the taste, sensation and bubbles. I became addicted to it. It's crazy," Al explained.
"Any time I was thirsty, I'd have a Diet Coke. I'd crack open a can, finish it and then reach for another. I have ADHD and apparently, it's common for people with ADHD to feel calmed by fizzy drinks.
Al experienced many 'side effects', like migraines, when he stopped drinking it (Al Baker)
Now, he's proudly not had a single sip of Diet Coke in almost four weeks (Al Baker)"I always used to drink Diet Coke as a way to fill me up when I was on a diet, as it's got no calories. I didn't realise the spike in glucose was likely to increase your sugar cravings."
Al, who runs the money-saving blog Penny Pincher, also didn't think it was viable to continue spending hundreds of pounds a week on Diet Coke in the cost of living crisis.
"I used to justify it to myself because I didn't drink lots of alcohol or smoke, and I had no expensive hobbies. But it was still a lot of money to spend," he said.
After Al made the decision to immediately stop drinking it, he claims to have suffered numerous 'side effects' as a result of his body being so accustomed to the drink.
"You wouldn't believe the sleepless nights, migraines, headaches and the general feeling of being unwell. That lasted for about five days, and then it suddenly stopped," he said.
"Since then, I've been feeling so much better. I used to have acid reflux and stomach issues and they've all stopped. I no longer have the same attraction to sugary foods and I don't binge eat.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) will release its risk assessment on aspartame soon (stock photo) (Getty Images/RooM RF)"I've lost 11lbs in the last month and it's down to taking the artificial sweetener out of my diet. Now I'm drinking things that are better for my body, which aren't always easy to find."
In his quest to go aspartame-free, Al went to the supermarket and looked at the ingredients in every single soft drink on the shelf - but struggled to find one without it in.
"Probably 95 percent of them contained artificial sweeteners. So, I bought a SodaStream machine and started mixing fizzy water with pure apple or orange fruit juice," he said.
"It does the job perfectly, tastes good and is considerably healthier. I've noticed a massive difference in my general health by stopping drinking Diet Coke."
WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said in a statement: "The IARC has assessed the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame (hazard identification).
"Following this, the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (Jecfa) will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame."
The Mirror has contacted Coca-Cola for comment.
Do you have an addiction to Diet Coke? Get in touch. Email [email protected].
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