Here's Why We're Different

I'm a newsletter junkie...

I plow through more than a dozen advisories every month.

It all began when I went off to college and my dad signed me up with a gift subscription to the Washington, D.C. insider report The Kiplinger Letter. I still receive that letter today.

It started a passion for newsletter reading that eventually led to me writing Retirement Millionaire. More than that, I was able to share this passion with my dad. We could talk for hours over the phone, discussing the different topics in the newsletters we read, even though we lived in different cities.

I've read (and written) enough newsletters to know what it takes to create a product that provides not only useful but firsthand, credible experience.

I've always told my team that I don't want to imitate the financial- and health- news media... where kids fresh out of college sit behind a desk regurgitating information they got from press releases.

That's why we use "boots on the ground" research...

  • When we write about a trading strategy, it's one we've used.
  • Our health advice is filled with tips that we use personally. (Just look for: "Do what I do" in our essays.)
  • When we discuss the results from a medical study, we've read the paper, not just the press release.

And if we haven't done it, I'll get out my Rolodex and talk to someone who has.

That's also part of why I love writing for Stansberry Research. I get to work with some of the best financial minds in the business, like...

  • My good friend Dr. Steve Sjuggerud. Steve is known for his big predictions – correctly recommending real estate in 2001... China in 2006... U.S. stocks in 2009... health care stocks in 2011... and more.
  • Our cryptocurrency expert Eric Wade. Eric knows all the biggest players in the crypto industry, and he understands the scientific technicalities in a way that only angel investors, computer programmers, and software engineers know about.
  • Value-investing expert Dan Ferris. Dan identifies the best values in the market – the stocks trading at a ridiculous discount to what the underlying businesses are actually worth. And his track record speaks for itself... Dan's readers are holding multiple triple-digit winners, with one of his best picks sitting at 800%-plus gains.

And that's just a short summary of the expertise you'll find here at Stansberry. And right now, we're offering a rare opportunity to have a lifetime stake in our research. That means access to almost everything we publish, now and in the future, along with exclusive perks.

On Wednesday, we opened the short window to join us as a partner and detailed the No. 1 investment we believe you should make if you have any money right now.

Click here for all the details.

Now, let's get into this week's Q&A... As always, please keep sending your questions and comments to [email protected].

Q: I drink Coke Zero because it doesn't have sugar and it tastes almost as good as the original. But Coke Zero does have aspartame. Because of the unknown effects of aspartame, would you drink Coke Zero with aspartame or drink original Coke with real sugar?

I have a lot of arthritis and wonder if either Coke is better or worse for me. I only drink about 24 ounces a day. Thanks. – M.R.

A: Longtime readers know I hate diet soda.

Diet Coke and Coke Zero are essentially identical in their ingredients. They both use aspartame as the sweetener to replace sugar. Folks think this aspartame is healthier than sugar, but it poses serious dangers...

We've seen that the body reacts to fake sugars as if they are real sugars. Research from the journal Diabetes Care demonstrated that artificial sugar could raise insulin levels as well, even leading to type-2 diabetes.

Aspartame can also dampen your mood. With too much aspartame, your serotonin levels drop. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter we need to boost our moods. It also controls smooth muscle contraction, proper sleep, body temperature, and more. And guess what – depression (from low serotonin) and exhaustion factor heavily into low libido.

In your particular case, too, aspartame can make arthritis pain worse. It's well documented that aspartame causes inflammation. Several studies show that inflammation increases the pain you already feel in your joints if you have arthritis.

The tough truth is... You shouldn't be drinking any sodas regularly. Both offer no nutritional value and can lead to inflammation and diabetes.

My question for anyone out there drinking soda (whether it's regular or diet) is, why are you drinking soda? Are you drinking it because of the caffeine? Do you like fizzy drinks? Or are you addicted? (We know that sweeteners and caffeine in sodas make them highly addictive.)

Take time to think about why you're drinking it and then take steps to cut it out of your diet. If it's caffeine you crave, stick to coffee or tea, both of which are beneficial to your health. And, of course, make sure you're getting enough sleep that you don't need caffeine. If you just like the fizz, go for sparkling water.

Q: I'm a longtime reader and did not read any article about arthritis. – H.Y.

A: We've covered arthritis a bit in the past, including how to tell the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, who is most at risk, and some tips to ease the pain from arthritis. Here's what we've written before:

The Reason Behind Your Aching Joints

If You've Got Achy Joints... Stop Eating These Foods

If you have any questions we haven't answered, please send us an e-mail to [email protected].

Q: I've been a subscriber for probably 10 years and just read your wine piece. It might be appropriate for your wine-challenged readers to know that a good wine is one you like and can afford. That's all. Perhaps encourage experimentation: Buy a mixed case of wines to try but go back soon for more of the one(s) you like since retail inventory continually changes. One continuing winning white wine: J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay. This is a highly rated, oaky, big chard that tastes like it costs more than twice its $10-12 price, and an open bottle lasts a long time in the fridge. You don't have to spend big bucks to get an enjoyable beverage. – B.E.

A: You're absolutely right, B.E.

I love cheap wine... When I held a white-wine taste test at the office, one of the most popular picks was the lowest-cost wine we tasted – a $10.99 five-liter box of Franzia Crisp White. You don't need to spend a fortune to experience an extraordinary bottle of wine.

Lots of folks let buying wine intimidate them. They wonder how much is too little to pay for a bottle, or how much is too much. They wonder what type of wine goes with what food or what label will impress people.

Here's the truth... When it comes to buying and drinking wine, only your tastebuds matter. Once you recognize that, picking a wine you like becomes easy.

Of course I don't mean that all cheap wines are good. Nor do I mean that no expensive wines are special. For example, my own Eifrig Cellars sells wine that can cost $100 per bottle or more. But I use an "Old World" style of winemaking...

My dry red wines are truly dry because the sugars are fermented out and I don't add any artificial sugars in. I use French oak barrels from various forests that I toast at different levels. It's a true artisan experience that's only possible because my winery is small. So, while my least expensive wine usually sits around $100, it's still much less than often mass-produced, ultra-pretentious, overpriced wines.

If you'd like to try them for yourself, click here. But when you've found $12 bottles that suit you perfectly, you're right to stick with that winner.

What We're Reading...

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
December 17, 2021