Why Mice Don’t Like Diet Coke?

Why Mice Don’t Like Diet Coke?

Almost all of us come across diet drinks in our daily life. These drinks are especially preferred by people trying to lose weight since their calorie value is almost negligible. The first example of these drinks that comes to mind maybe ”diet coke”. Whether we feel the difference between them or not, we can say that diet coke is equivalent to normal cola in terms of taste. But we guess mice don’t think that, have you ever thought why they don’t like diet coke? Keep reading.

What is the difference between normal coke and diet coke?

For first, let’s explain the difference. The biggest difference between diet cola and regular cola comes from the way they are sweetened, which makes a big difference between their calories. While sugar is used in the normal formulation, it is the aspartame (known as Nutrasweet) that sweetens the diet coke.

Let’s come to our main question; Why don’t mice like diet coke?

In humans, sweet perception receptors not only bind to sugar, but also to sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, which is why we say that diet and normal coke can be equivalent in taste, as stated earlier in the article. But according to mice, the situation is a little different; their sweet receptors are bound to sugar and saccharin like us, but not to aspartame. So the rats don’t prefer to drink water with aspartame instead of the usual water because diet coke is not sweet to mice; it has nothing to attract. Although there is such a difference between us and mice; Research has shown that the difference in our perception of sweet things is not in the neural path, but our receptors. Because when the receptors between humans and rats are exchanged, it has been observed that mice also love aspartame. (Sandra Ammodt&Samuel Wang E.(2008). Welcome to your brain,chapter8, pg58)

So what happens if they drink diet coke?

In one experiment, the mice were divided into two groups. While both groups were given nutrients, one group received normal water and the other received water with aspartame. At the end of the experiment, liver and kidney samples were taken; It has been observed  that usage of aspartame leads to serious negativities such as; changes in tissue structures, apoptotic cellular death (necrosis), invasion of inflammatory cells, also weight gain. So, although aspartame seems like a good choice, it produces severe cellular toxicity, especially in the liver and kidney. One source even says diet coke may be preferred over poison to get rid of mice. So that, it is recommended to aspartame should be taken under medical supervision along with natural antioxidants for not getting harm.

References:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331780819_Histopathological_Effect_of_Aspartame_on_Liver_and_Kidney_of_Mice

http://howtogetridofmiceinhouse.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-get-rid-of-mice-in-house-with.html?m=1

(Sandra Ammodt&Samuel Wang E.(2008). Welcome to your brain,chapter8, pg58)