The main ingredient in diet soda is water, specifically carbonated water. After that, the ingredients vary. For instance, caffeine is one of the more recognizable names on the list, but beyond that, the ingredients contained in diet soda sound more like chemicals than food---and, in fact, they are chemicals. Artificial flavors and colors, acidifying and buffering agents, viscosity-producing and foaming agents and preservatives all are present in diet soda.
Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame potassium are common calorie-free artificial sweeteners found in diet soda, alone or in combination. They are all FDA-approved, but many holistic practitioners caution against their consumption because of the numerous complaints of side effects, including headaches, dizziness, mood swings, nausea, seizures and abdominal pain.
Phosphoric Acid
Many diet sodas contain phosphoric acid, which keeps soda from going flat. Unfortunately, it also leaches calcium from your teeth and bones to satisfy the body's delicate balance of phosphorus and calcium. It also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which we need to digest food and use its nutrients, particularly calcium, causing further mineral loss from your body.
Citric Pectin and Citric Acid
Pectin is extracted from citrus plants as a stabilizing, emulsifying and binding agent. Citric acid is also found in citrus fruits, and it acts as a natural preservative and adds a sour flavor to soda.
Potassium and Sodium Benzoate
Potassium and sodium benzoate are preservatives that prevent bacteria and mold from growing and contaminating soda. When mixed with vitamin C, they "can react together to form small amounts of benzene, a chemical that causes leukemia and other cancers," according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Gum Arabic
Gum arabic emulsifies and stabilizes diet soda. It is derived from natural sources, like bushes, trees and seaweed "and are poorly tested, though probably safe," according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Calcium Disodium EDTA
Calcium disodium EDTA is used to retain flavor and prevent the formation of benzene, a known carcinogen, caused when the other diet soda ingredients, potassium and sodium benzoate, combine with vitamin C.
Artificial Coloring
Coloring, such as caramel, yellow 5, red 40 and blue 1 are used to make cola drinks appear brown, citrus drinks appear yellow and fruity drinks appear red or orange.
References
- Organic Consumers Association: Soda Ingredients Linked to Cirrhosis and Cancer
- Family Education: Healthy Habits: Cut Back on Soft Drinks, Even Sugarless
- Jstor: Pectin, It's Extraction and Utilization
- Now Foods: Sodium/Potassium Benzoate Information
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chemical Cuisine
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