As someone who goes through periodic Diet Coke binges, I thought the article hit a lot of important points. I’ve noticed that when I’ve been drinking Diet Coke every day and then stop for a few months, I feel exponentially less gross, but there are a lot of other factors going into that, like the article says. With carbonation comes bloating, with Diet Coke comes caffeine (I don’t do caffeine-free), and with no Diet Coke comes a lot more water. Diet Coke will never be the healthiest choice in the world, but I agree that overall eating habits are a much more pressing problem than demonizing a single soda.

Aspartame is not a neurotoxin. It can cause an increase in phenylalanine, which is dangerous for phenylketonurics (those sensitive to phenylalanine) but it is neither a neurotoxin or a poison. This is supported by medical and scientific research. I would be curious to see what studies or research you are basing you statements on? I would caution thst stating that aspartame is s neurotocin just because you and your acquaintance had adverse reactions does not mean it is a toxin. It could mean that you both have a good sensitivity or allergy to aspartame, it could mean that caffeine or something else in your diet or lifestyles was affecting you both. If you feel better when not ingesting aspartame, all the power to you. I wouldn’t make claims of it’s toxicity though without scientific support. Anecdotal evidence/anecdata is not a solid approach.