What Is a Diet Drink?

Diet drinks are often used as a tool in weight loss and seen as a healthier option than their sugar-filled counterparts. But recent studies show that many of the "diet" ingredients used in those drinks are anything but good for us.

To Drink or Not to Drink

Diet drinks are not all that they are cracked up to be. Since 50% of diet-soda consumers are ingesting more than two cans a day, the medical industry is talking about whether or not we should be consuming them at all.

How Sweet It Is

With 49% of adults in the U.S. consuming diet soft drinks, it's clear that the demand for something sweet to drink is big. But in order to maintain the "zero calorie" claim without sacrificing flavor, companies have to use substitutes for sugar. The main ingredient in most diet sodas is Aspartame, a sugar replacement, which has been speculated to cause harm to the brain and nervous system. Phosphoric acid is another key ingredient. It is a chemical used to remove rust. And if it can do that, many experts believe it can cause damage to the enamel on your teeth when ingested frequently. Some diet drink companies have introduced Splenda (or sucralose) as an all-natural replacement for the controversial Aspartame; however the jury is still out on what its long term effects are on the human body might be.

A Bubbly Buzz

Carbonation is the carbon dioxide used to create the effervescence we feel, the light bubbles that tickle our nose when we take a sip. Carbonation also contains a lot of sodium, which is an ingredient most health conscious people try to avoid.
Caffeine is the stimulant used in sodas to give us a bit of an energy kick.
By themselves carbonation and caffeine are relatively harmless, but if consumed in great quantities they can make us bloated, gassy, nervous and jittery. It has been widely speculated that carbonation and caffeine dehydrate the body, but a recent article in the New York Times implies that scientists are out to disprove that fact.

Drinking to Diet

Not all diet sodas are the same. When including a diet drink as a reduced-calorie treat, look for all-natural drinks, such as Hansen's sodas. They contain less of the sugar replacements and synthetic syrups and more ingredients that are easily digested in the body, like fruit extracts.

Your Best Bet

Diet drinks are a good substitute for drinks that are high in calories, but only when consumed in moderation and not as a substitute for water or food.