With all the beverage choices today, the cola wars are still going strong. Because of its lower caloric content, diet cola has become even more popular than regular cola. According to an article on ABC news, U.S. consumers spend $21 billion every year on diet sodas. But just because it has less calories doesn't make diet soda healthier for you.
Sweeteners
Both diet and regular colas contain sweeteners. A regular cola contains natural sweeteners, while a diet cola contains artificial sweeteners. A regular cola is sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Most of the calories in a regular cola come from the sweetener, or sugar, which is a carbohydrate. Diet colas contain artificial sweeteners. This makes them lower-calorie than a regular cola. The exact sweetener varies by brand, but some of the more common ones are aspartame, stevia and sucralose.
Calories
Beverage makers market most diet colas as having zero calories. According to FDA guidelines, a drink can have up to five calories and still be marketed as calorie-free. The calorie content is the biggest advantage diet colas have over regular colas. A typical cola contains about 100 calories per 8 oz. serving, although this varies by brand and specific beverage. The calories come from the sweetener, which is a carbohydrate.
Caffeine
Regular and diet colas can contain caffeine. The label "diet" only refers to calories, not caffeine. Not all colas contain caffeine; some are caffeine-free, so check the label. If a cola is caffeinated, the amount varies by brand and drink. Most caffeinated colas, diet or regular, contain 35 to 47 mg of caffeine per 12 oz. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping your daily caffeine intake to no more than 500 to 600 mg.
Considerations
Whether diet or regular colas are unhealthy, and to what extent, is still up for controversy. Dr. David Katz, a nutrition expert from the Yale School of Medicine, reports that the acid in cola, both regular and diet, may be detrimental to your bone health.
The Mayo Clinic website reports that although diet colas don't contain calories, drinking one cola per day, regular or diet, may increase your risk of obesity.
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