I have a friend who is always drinking those so called diet drinks and flavored (with SPLENDA) waters.  He doesn't see the correlation between his gout flare ups and the artificial sweetners. 

Hard Times for Soft Drinks

By Michael Blanding, AlterNet
Posted on March 13, 2006, Printed on March 13, 2006
http://www.alternet.org/story/33380/It could be nearing high noon for the soda industry. After years of repeated battering over the issues of childhood obesity and tooth decay, sugary beverages have suffered an unprecedented backlash. The New York Times reported last week that soft drink sales are down for the first time in 20 years, and sales of bottled water, juices and energy drinks are continuing to eat into the soda market.

Into this anti-carbonated climate comes a potentially bigger bombshell that could spell disaster for the industry. Last month, the FDA quietly revealed that some soft drinks were found to contain the human carcinogen benzene in levels up to 10-20 parts per billion (ppb) -- four times the acceptable limit found in drinking water. Benzene, a chemical linked to leukemia and other forms of cancer, forms in certain beverages under certain conditions, such as exposure to heat and light.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/33380
FYI:  5 class action lawsuits have been filed thus far in the USA

Refined fructose from corn (High Fructose Corn Syrup or Crystalline Fructose, there is no such thing as industrial fructose from fruit) or Iso Glucose (the labeling in the EU and UK for the same from modified starch refining process, but from beets or wheat typically), or falsely and CRIMINALLY AFFIRMED FRAUDULENTLY labeled 'Agave Nectar or Syrup', (which is chemically refined hydrolyzed high fructose, 70-90 DE, inulin syrup, intentionally falsely labeled, to deceive consumers), ARE ALL BAD to human health, AT ANY INGESTION LEVEL!!!

So called 'agave' harms even more, because it is FRAUDULENTLY not from blue agave, as claimed, not organic, and proven to cause red blood cell membrane deterioration in ALL ingestees, in addition of converting to triglycerides or stored body fat. 

Agave Nectar or Syrup (again, a FALSE and illegal ingredient descriptor)causes spontaneous abortion in pregnant woman, at low ingestion levels, is not FDA approved, is NOT Generally Recognize As Safe (GRAS), is highly allergenic, was never used in this highlly chemically refined form in Ancient Meso America as claimed, is NOT all natural, or remotely near naturally occurring, and the FDA has affirmed this criminal fraud in writing as of May of 2,000.

All brands using fraudulent 'agave' stopped using it, after the FDA busted the main industrial sweetner distributor in Los Angeles in 2000, and put these scam artists out of business for criminal fraud.  The officers of that operation fled the country with the assets of that company and from criminal prosecution.

Avoid such naive, or deceptive brands (such a Raw, Raw Indulgence, or Pure bars) recently using this criminally fraudulent product as an ingredient; typically found in so-called natural health food stores.

If you wish to read the FDA letter on the subject, you may send me your fax number at: russ@adepthq.com

Is 'agave' safe? NO!  Is agave natural, or naturally occurring, in this form? NO! Is 'agave' what it's claimed to be? NO!  Is 'agave' dangerous and toxic to humans? YES!  Is 'agave's' so-called certification that it's organic in any way legitimate? NO!  Should anyone consume 'agave nectar or syrup or sweetener'?  NO!  Unless you also like highy refined High Fructose Corn Syrup and want to damage your health!

By the way, just take a triglyceride comparison count, from a simple blood test, 20 minutes after ingestion of phony and criminally fraudulently labeled 'agave'; your triglyceride counts will be jacked-up.

Hmmmm, come to think of it, 'agave' is probably endorsed by Lipitor and Robert Jarvick to sell more expensive liver killing cholesterol drugs.

Uncle Russ