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Topics: Donald Trump, Health, Politics
Phoebe Tonks
Topics: Donald Trump, Health, Politics
Throughout his presidency, it has been no secret that Donald Trump has a fondness for diet soda, with the carbonated beverage regularly making an appearance at functions alongside the world leader.
Yet up until now, the reason behind his beverage of choice had simply been chalked up to personal preference, but Dr.Mehmet Oz has now revealed that there is actually a health driven reason behind the President’s drinking habit.
During an episode of Donald Trump Jr’s podcast, Triggered with Don Jr., on Monday, April 13, Dr.Oz revealed: “Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass — if poured on grass — so, therefore, it must kill cancer cells inside the body.”
“You know, we were on Air Force One the other day, and I walk in there because he wants to talk about something, and he's got an orange soft drink on his desk. He's got a Fanta on the desk,” Oz said. “And I say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ So he starts to, like, sheepishly grin. He says, ‘You know, this stuff’s good for me, it kills cancer cells.’ ”
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Oz, a former cardiothoracic surgeon and television personality who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also went on to explain the President’s views on Fanta, the orange soda manufactured by parent company Coca Cola, as he joked that it must also be good for him as it was ‘freshly squeezed’.
“OK, OK,” Don Jr. interjected, “but then maybe he’s onto something. Because I will say this: I know a lot of guys pushing 80 — not a lot have his level of energy, recall, stamina.”
There are currently no confirmed studies to show that diet soda has any cancer cell killing benefits, nor does it possess any nutritional value that could be considered a health benefit. However, it can be used as a useful aid in reducing sugar intake and as a weight management tool, if replacing a full sugar alternative.
Oz’s comments on Trump’s diet, come as the Department of Health and Human Services resets U.S. nutrition guidelines earlier this year, with the new model encouraging American households to focus on protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains in a bid to ‘Make America Healthy Again.’
Yet while the new guidelines are aimed at reducing ultra-processed food intake, it appears the President may not be quite so keen to cut down on his fast food meals.
Reflecting on Trump’s love of fast food, Oz explained: “He doesn’t want to get sick, so he eats junk food, but it's food made in large, reputable chains because they have quality control.”
"I’m a very clean person. I like cleanliness," Trump previously told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in 2016. “And I think you’re better off going there than someplace that you maybe have no idea where the food is coming from.”