Is it possible to be addicted to pepsi max

The cravings and the headaches were strong and every time I had a meal it would trigger the craving. Now I no longer crave Pepsi Max at all. Barry, carer, Dundee. The tropical weather in the country where I grew up also contributed to consumption of cold drinks, mainly Coke. Sometimes I succeed and may go a few months replacing them with coconut water, but the craving, especially at meal times, never leaves me.

Irene, health professional, London. In the moment, you never consider whether an extra can is one too many. I have now managed to quit altogether. Now Fanta is my soft drink of choice. Michael, student, Glasgow. I have always been a big fan of Diet Coke — when the beast from the east hit and I only had a few cans left in the fridge, I was panicking!

While others were desperate to stock up on bread and milk, I went straight for the Diet Coke aisle. Nothing tastes the same. I drink about two litres a day and have tried to quit several times. The only times I have been successful was when I was pregnant. Lindsay Young, nurse, Renfrewshire. My addiction to Coke Zero developed during my undergraduate studies when I needed a pick-me-up but was spending too much money on coffee. I thought it would be a slightly cheaper alternative.

But I ended up drinking more Coke Zero than I ever did coffee, so it was pointless. Anonymous, Glasgow. I started drinking full-fat Coke in sixth form because I was too busy with extracurricular responsibilities and lessons to eat properly. The caffeine and sugar kept me going. When I tried to wean myself off it, I switched to Diet Coke. A few years ago I gave up drinking Diet Coke for February as a charity fundraiser, but since then my intake has increased and I drink between six and eight cans a day.

I make special trips to buy them in bulk as it works out cheaper. I can tell when a can is getting near its best-before date as the taste changes and I can also tell the difference between Coke and Diet Coke just by smell. Is it addictive? The difficulty is retraining your palate to enjoy different flavours, and finding another drink that has the same ease of access. Frances, teacher, Surrey. I did not like coffee or tea, but did not have enough energy to do everything I needed to and felt crushed by pressure.

I probably drank an average of six cans a day — and it worked! I graduated top of my class from high school and maintained good grades at the University of Oklahoma while working 35 to 45 hours a week. I was diagnosed with Covid and have been able to utilise the fact that everything tastes awful to implement my own personal Garcia effect AKA, conditioned taste aversion on Dr Pepper. You engage in a particular behaviour because you enjoy it, you get a rush from it.

So your brain wants that feeling again and again. In this stage we see a transition from casual use to dependence. Positive reinforcement is soon replaced by negative reinforcement , as the addicted person engages in the addictive behaviour to avoid the uncomfortable consequences of not acting on the addictive impulses. If some tries not to engage with their addiction, they will experience withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and irritability.

If someone who is addicted to a certain behaviour or substance does engage in a period of abstinence, they are likely to experience cravings for whatever they are abstaining from. Over time, cross-sensitisation is the process by which one addiciton can lead to another. In the UK, the average person consumes more than two cans of fizzy drink every day. That certainly looks like potential for an addiction. And we know that the ingredients in fizzy drinks refined sugars, caffeine can be independently addictive, so why not when mixed together and served with a side of carbon dioxide bubbles?!

The US study found those who drank a can of artificially-sweetened pop — such as Diet Coke or Pepsi Max — daily were at three times the risk of suffering the most common form of stroke compared to non-drinkers. Diabetics have been warned to be aware of imported cans of a soft drink that could pose a serious health risk to them. The UK version of Pepsi Max is safe for diabetics to drink because it contains artificial sweeteners, rather than sugar.

Bottom Line: Artificial sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels, and are considered safe alternatives to sugar for diabetics. Caffeine Drinks and foods that contain caffeine can cause diarrhea in some people.

Caffeine is a stimulant and accelerates the rate that food moves through the intestines. In a preliminary release of a study to be published by Honglei Chen and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health, a survey of , adults nationwide indicated that consumption of sweetened drinks—especially diet sodas—was associated with an increased chance of a depression diagnosis.

The Rule of Threes states, humans can survive three weeks without food, three days without water, three hours without shelter, and three minutes without oxygen. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Ben Davis March 28, Why is Pepsi Max so addictive? Is Pepsi Max banned in America? How bad is Pepsi Max for your teeth?