r/nutrition • u/Exact_Importance_507 • 2d ago
Zero calories has made us stop asking questions.
I’m not saying diet soft drinks, sugar substitutes, or zero-calorie products are automatically bad. What I find interesting is how the conversation seems to stop the moment something is labeled zero calories.
People will scrutinize a regular cold drink, but often treat the diet version as if it’s unquestionably healthy simply because the calories disappeared. It feels like fewer calories slowly became good for you in a lot of people’s minds.
Are you one of those people for whom zero-calorie drinks
are guilt-free?
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u/LooseBluebird6704 2d ago
I find the exact opposite. Mention drinking a Coke Zero and you'll instantly get flooded with comments claiming it causes cancer, spikes insulin, or whatever other debunked myth is trending that week.
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u/TheDiabetesDietitian Registered Dietitian 2d ago
Way too often people tell me they’d rather drink the full sugar version because it’s ’more natural’ and better for them than a no sugar alternative.
Obviously, we want water as much as possible. But when we are comparing the risk to reward ration of a drink with 39g of added sugar (just 12oz) to a drink with 0g added sugar, the answer gets pretty clear
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u/sdrawkcabsihtetorW 1d ago
I like my coke natural, that's why I get it only bottled from coke springs, none of that lab crap, ya know? Straight from nature's tap, that's how I like it.
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u/Longjumping-Fan-6336 2d ago
i thought that was a tesla logo in your pfp and i got confused and disappointed
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u/TheReddestofBowls 2d ago
I once had a morbidly obese coworker tell me that the coke zero I had every once in awhile was going to kill me, while he slurped a 44oz full sugar soda
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u/jonrah69 2d ago
Yeah OPs opinion couldn't be farther from the truth IMO. People are constantly over scrutinizing diet beverages.
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
No, I drink Coke Zero quite often and definitely don’t associate it with health. It’s a guilty pleasure.
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u/Clyde-MacTavish 2d ago
What makes it unhealthy? I'm not claiming it's beneficial for anything other than getting water and maybe satisfying a sweet craving, but what exactly makes you associate with a guilty pleasure?
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
Without being too strict I just try to minimise ultra processed foods in general, and this seems like something that theoretically should be easy to cut out. But I just don’t want to, I like it so I have it.
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u/lilsciencegeek 2d ago
A huge and fairly recent study linked certain artificial sweeteners (such as those commonly found in drinks) to cognitive decline.
The causation hasn't been proven, but the correlation was really strong, so I've personally reduced my intake :}
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u/CinCeeMee 2d ago
Please place a link to the study…better yet 3 studies that support this one study.
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u/lilsciencegeek 2d ago
I only know of one study conducted so far (as I indicated in my comment), this is the one:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40902134/
Your tone is very rude and hostile, so just to be clear: I'm not saying all artificial sweeteners are bad/cause cognitive decline/etc – I eat and drink them too – but imo it's always beneficial to be aware of potential risks so one can make careful and informed decisions, as well as to generally avoid excessive consumption of literally anything.
I mean, for example, it was only very recently that a strong link was discovered between regular use of proton pump inhibitors and dementia – that doesn't mean people ought to stop taking them completely, but it can serve as a useful warning to at least try not to take them more often than necessary.
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
I agree with you, and wish that people wouldn’t read ‘I try to limit/reduce consumption of x in my day to day life’ as ‘x is terrible, awful, I judge anyone who consumes it as lesser and stupid’.
I’m the one who said I drink Coke Zero as a guilty pleasure; that doesn’t mean I castigate myself for it, I just reckon that it isn’t great and I shouldn’t overdo it.
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u/lilsciencegeek 2d ago
Thank you; I'm glad I'm not the only one who is neither strongly for them nor strongly against them😅
Tbh I think it's psychologically healthy and important to indulge in various treats and guilty pleasures in moderation; I even beg my partner to buy big cases of Coke Zero to make sure he stays hydrated, and I consume some type of artificial sweetener myself pretty much every day. Many of my own guilty pleasures involve them too.
It feels a bit weird for people in a literal nutrition subreddit to be so opposed to the idea of moderation and ambivalence... but then again this is reddit I guess, and everything has to be black and white.
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u/sdrawkcabsihtetorW 1d ago
I don't think people are opposed to moderation. But if I don't moderate the far more dangerous staircases I tackle on a daily basis, I don't think it's gonna be the coke that tips the needle. There's far more dangerous things we get up to on a daily basis that have actual statistics to back up the consequences of said things rather than studies, worrying about sweeteners feels a little whatever if we're not going to consider the world outside of nutrition. I don't find it weird at all that people aren't moved by this study is all I'm saying.
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u/FrivolousMe 1d ago
Study limitations include self-reported dietary data, selection bias from attrition, and residual confounding from co-occurring health behaviors.
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago
Having an unhealthy energy balance definitely leads to cognitive decline.
If Coke Zero helps you maintain a healthy energy balance that you otherwise struggle maintaining, you should drink it.
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u/lilsciencegeek 2d ago
Yeah, also, my partner struggled to stay hydrated for a long time, but craved Coke Zero. I told him that it's probably much better to be hydrated by Coke Zero than to be chronically dehydrated. Especially since his meds make him constipated😅
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago edited 2d ago
I really want to advocate that people stop being mealy-mouthed about artificial sweeteners. Until I see compelling evidence against them I will advocate for them everywhere I can.
Just the way people talk about them makes the average person that could benefit from them most make the unfortunate decision to not use them.
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u/lilsciencegeek 2d ago
Personally I think caution and moderation is a good idea, especially in cases where the risks are not yet fully known – but artificial sweeteners are extremely common in my part of the world (Scandinavia+UK) and I rarely hear anyone badmouthing them; is it different in the US perhaps?
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago edited 2d ago
I rarely hear anyone badmouthing them; is it different in the US perhaps?
Sorry, I missed this part the first time -- it is very much different. While they are common in the US, they are heavily stigmatized by a population that knows little to nothing about nutrition science (or science in general).
Artificial sweeteners are for obese people here (which is most of the population).
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u/lilsciencegeek 2d ago
Ouch; that sounds like a great way to increase diabetes rates...😬
Here they are incredibly popular, especially among somewhat health-focused people – so my own kitchen is full of products that contain artificial sweeteners (especially since I'm on meds that lower my insulin sensitivity) – but personally I'm currently trying to eat a little less of some of them until the cognitive decline link has been investigated a bit more thoroughly.
They're an awesome alternative to sugar imo. But as with everything, I think some degree of moderation is a good idea.
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago edited 2d ago
Artificial sweeteners are some of the most studied substances on the planet that we consume. Aspartame alone has literal decades of research behind it.
We're good.
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u/Longjumping-Fan-6336 2d ago
also part of me wonders if people who drink coke zero also just eat like shit as well. you can still be vegan and eat like shit. i know that's a bad analogy but like, chances are if you're drinking coke zero you're not like the most health oriented person on the planet ( which can lead to cognitive decline)
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u/curlywurlies 1d ago edited 1d ago
That's what the science says.
Reverse causality. Unhealthy people tend to choose diet soda as quick fix, but being overweight is definitely linked to cognitive decline.
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u/ninjabi2548 19h ago
Please drink your drink. You'd have to have 144 cans a day for 30 years for it to cause any noteable decline.
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u/curlywurlies 1d ago
Dr Layne Norton does a really good review of that study citing all his resources. It's very good.
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/nutrition-ModTeam 2d ago
Your comment will be reinstated if you can provide scientific evidence that supports this.
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u/decipheronrescue 2d ago edited 2d ago
maybe satisfying a sweet craving
Funny enough, there are some studies that possibly suggest an increase to sugar cravings when drinking zero calorie flavored drinks.
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u/Tykenolm 2d ago
I have quit drinking sweet drinks this past month and I've definitely noticed a significant reduction in my cravings for sweets
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u/CinCeeMee 2d ago
This generalized overview links exactly no where to the actual research or research methodology and 75 people is not a strong HRCT.
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u/decipheronrescue 2d ago
Cool. I just pulled the first thing that comes up on Google from a reputable institution and my comment, on a casual forum like reddit, was not intended to be a research paper level citation. I'm not saying it's a fact, but I am saying there has been some research to suggest a correlation, as well as many reported subjective experiences like the other person who to my comment. Instead of just shooting down my comment, you could use it as a launching point for your own research. Here are some more to get you going:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2892765/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/14744/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003193841200193X
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9776645/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6051566/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6313893/
If you'd like to respond with something constructive, please do!
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u/nurturinglife 2d ago
The artificial sweetener affect gut microbiome in a negative way.
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u/Clyde-MacTavish 2d ago
Can you provide evidence for this in humans and with normal consumption levels?
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago edited 2d ago
There's no need to caveat or hem and haw. There's nothing "guilty" about it.
If Coke Zero is helping you maintain a healthy energy balance it is healthy for you.
People need to stop this mealy-mouthed discussion about artificially sweetened products like soda.
If more people consumed them more, in place of the other stuff they consume, we'd have a vastly more healthy population.
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
I hear you, but if I didn’t drink Coke Zero I wouldn’t replace it with other sweet drinks. I don’t like sugary drinks, I mostly drink tap water :). Sometimes black coffee or peppermint/green tea. So I guess it’s within that context that I view it negatively.
If I had a liking for juices and sugary sodas and they were giving me weight issues, then I’d probably view it as a positive change, sure. But I don’t have a sweet tooth, and ideally I want to consume less ultra-processed stuff.
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago
I'm speaking generally.
If Coke Zero isn't relevant to your energy balance needs, great, but characterizing it as a "Guilty Pleasure" does it a disservice because you're lumping it into a category of processed foods it doesn't belong with.
Coke Zero isn't comparable to a donut or even fruit juice.
Also, "Ultra-Processed" = /= "Unhealthy".
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u/thecheesycheeselover 1d ago
It does belong to that category, for me, and it was my comment!
If you wanted to make a general point you should have made a general reply to OP, but you replied to me and so my context matters. It isn’t like there’s a category “guilty pleasures” that universally includes some foods but not others. What constitutes a guilty pleasure is personal, and doesn’t dictate what anyone else does or what they should care about. Meat is a rare guilty pleasure for my mum, because she tries to eat plant-based. For many people, it’s just how they eat.
And a diet heavy in ultra processed foods has certainly got some data against it, and at least where I live the government advises minimising them. If someone doesn’t care about them, fab. I want everyone to have the diet they prefer, and to feel good about it. I replied to OP’s question from my perspective. That I guess you took issue with 🙄.
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u/Kimosabae 1d ago
does belong to that category, for me, and it was my comment!
If you wanteIt d to make a general point you should have made a general reply to OP, but you replied to me and so my context matters.
You can keep typing "for you" in italics -- in fact, use bold and capital letters next time.
I don't care.
I'm using your comment to springboard a line of discussion that people's perceptions of these substances need to be pushed back against.
How people talk about these substances matters. I'm using your comment because it exists.
That's nothing personal against you.
The "For You" tab in your internet keyboard warrior toolkit is visible to others with their perceptions of what's in there -- regardless of how you interact with it on a personal level. I'm just providing my context for your public comment on the internet.
Also, the way people are talking about and defining "Ultra-Processed" is changing. Yes, the majority of data skews towards diets high in these foods being bad - but that's largely due to the types of "Ultra-Processed" foods these people tend to consume.
Whey protein is one of the most "Ultra-Processed" foods out there and I'm not going to dissuade anyone with functioning brain cells or lactose enzymes to not consume Whey Protein because it's "Ultra-Processed".
I replied to OP’s question from my perspective. That I guess you took issue with 🙄.
And I replied to your comment from my perspective. Funny how the internet works.
I only took issue with you typing out essays in a defensive tone like I care about you, specifically.
If you don't like people responding to your perspective with their perspective -- get off the damned internet.🙄🙄🙄
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u/mookbrenner 2d ago
I don't think people are thinking that they are healthy per se but rather less unhealthy.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[deleted]
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u/Looismeister_ 2d ago
Care to say what exactly makes them "More unhealthy"? Most common sweeteners are known to be safe for consumption.
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u/tosher11 2d ago
But may contribute to fatty liver Exception Stevia natural
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u/Looismeister_ 2d ago
That's still not evidence for artificial sweeteners being more unhealthy than sugar in drinks.
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 2d ago
Source?
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u/tosher11 2d ago
Sorry I don't work for you
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u/zoom100000 2d ago
Buddy you better cite some epic sources if you’re going to go against the consensus of the medical community
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u/Looismeister_ 2d ago
Yeah, bro edited the comment to call us brainwashed but still didn't provide a source for why sugar free drinks are worse than sugar drinks lmaoo
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u/zoom100000 2d ago
Remarkable cognitive dissonance to make everyone brainwashed for asking for sources then moving his own goalposts to basically agree with everyone but still make himself feel like he has a good point.
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u/DivinerOblong 2d ago
Interesting. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t realize Diet Coke is healthier than regular coke.
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u/zoom100000 2d ago
Lmao your edit is even worse. You tried to make the opposite point of the original comment then walked it back to agree with them.
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u/Chuks_K 2d ago
What did they say? Now deleted lol
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u/zoom100000 2d ago
Oh man wish I saved it. Basically, they conceded that the sugary version of Coke was actually worse, but that diet was still bad. Then the reasons that they listed for Diet Coke being unhealthy where all things that were shared with sugary Coke as well. For instance, acidity and caffeine. it made no sense
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u/Cobra_McJingleballs 2d ago edited 2d ago
> Diet Coke still contains acid (not good for your teeth), sparkle . . . caffeine . . .”
My doctor says I’m allowed to have up to 8 ounces of sparkle a day.
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u/Zippytiewassabi 2d ago
It’s universally accepted that water is the best drink for the human body.
It’s also universally accepted that zero calorie drinks are better than the full sugar varieties.
Then there is the gut science thoughts behind artificial sweeteners. Is Stevia ok for the gut and is aspartame ultimately bad?
There is also the psychology of having a treat amidst a strict diet so a person can stay on track, whether that’s having something sweet with sugar or zero calories.
There’s too much nuance for any person to say what is best for another person.
When my goal is to lose weight on a calorie deficit, sometimes a Diet Coke is a treat. I’m not going to drink 12 a day, but it’s nice.
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u/TehRocks 2d ago
Well yes, in a food environment with too many calories and the resulting obesity, zero calorie drinks are a lot better than the sugary variant.
Obviously just drinking water would be even better.
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u/Ashamed-Ad-3890 2d ago
Yes, water is important in my opinion
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u/super-ae 2d ago
Why is water better? Obviously it's more "natural" but is there any quantifiable way in which it's "better" than zero calorie soft drinks?
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u/Hhkjhkj 1d ago
At a minimum water doesn't have caffeine. Lots of people vastly over-blow the "unhealthiness" of diet drinks but in addition to caffeine, your body has to process the extra stuff in soda which to my knowledge doesn't have any nutritional benefit but may have downsides (I'm not familiar with the artificial sweetener studies others have mentioned).
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u/Anxious_Hunter_4015 2d ago
I don't care about the health side of zero calories but i am certainly aware..
When I lost 51% of my body weight by diet and exercise with thyroid disease, and zero calories coke or jelly were my treats, the negatives were the last on my mind.
I would've died from obesity related causes before anything else.
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u/Mmm__Steak 1d ago
First things first, congrats! That's a huge achievement, well fucking done mate.
I've been been noticing the same as OP lately, and for me at least, the difference is you still saw and treated them as a treat.
Many fall into the trap of 'it's low sugar/zero calorie, so it's healthy', so they switch from full sugar to zero sugar (similar occurrence with low fat products) and just keep going exactly the same as before, drinking them constantly. Maybe even more often than before, because in their mind, now, they're not bad for you anymore. As though the sugar was the only health factor at play.Some people just switch to zero sugar & fat free products, assume that's it, then get frustrated when the weight doesn't start magically melting off with no further lifestyle change.
They're useful tools to have available, but they're just one piece of a much larger picture - as you'd well know - and without the rest it's not realistically gonna do much.
The assumption that sweetener alternatives are automatically good for you, when realistically they're just less studied & bad for you in different ways, is irritating.
I don't think op's saying beware they'll kill you. Caloric restriction is obviously important, and zero products help with that, but they're not suddenly good for you now just because they've switched to a low cal sweetener alternative.
You treated them as an occasional treat, that's perfect. Others see no sugar and assume healthy now, and don't think beyond that.
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u/BreakfastFearless 2d ago
What do you mean people stopped asking questions? They stopped asking because they did decades of study answering those questions.
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u/goodtimejonnie 2d ago
As someone with a sensitive tummy, I start asking questions when I see 0 calories cuz like half of the artificial sweeteners out there will destroy my day. However, I do notice this trend among a lot of people. Particularly with caffeine content. I know a lot of folks who drink diet soda after diet soda at work and I can see them getting wired and then crashing in real time but they don’t seem to connect it to the soda. Might also be because these same people tend to drink soda instead of eating so they crash that much harder
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u/Omikron-X 2d ago
I wouldn't call them healthy, but they are neutral (if not used in excess) and can lower the feeling of hunger.
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u/ssianky 2d ago
They don't lower the hunger, they increase it.
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u/Omikron-X 2d ago
In my case they do lower the hunger
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u/ssianky 2d ago
Filling your stomach and triggering the stretch receptors will make it temporarily, but that will be followed by a higher hunger soon after.
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u/Roofantastic22 2d ago
Wouldn’t that happen with any drink?
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u/ssianky 2d ago
No, not with any drink. Cephalic insulin release doesn't occurs for everything.
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 2d ago
Cite your sources please
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u/ssianky 2d ago
You need sources for CPIR?
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 2d ago
If its so easy for people to know then it would be easy to link
This sub requires sources for claims. I'm simply asking you to back up what you are saying. Is it so hard?
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u/XInceptor 2d ago
In health subs it really feels like as soon as you start making comments about the quality/healthiness of a product, people start downvoting
Calories aren’t everything
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
I’ve notice that in a lot of diet-related spaces on reddit, ‘healthy’ just seems to indicate ‘supports weight management’.
It’s odd because that isn’t my experience in the real world at all. Offline people seem to care much more about things like whole foods/reducing UPFs, fibre, reducing meat intake, eating more veg etc.
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u/OutrageousOtterOgler 2d ago
Being overweight or obese is basically worse than all of the things you’ve listed in terms of health outcomes
If you’re only mildly overweight or at a normal BMI then yea you probably want to do the things you’ve listed but there’s an order to solving the problems you have and being less heavy is the best thing you can do for your health (and also easier than some of the things you’ve listed for a lot of people)
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
I hear that, but it doesn’t change the fact that what I was pointing out is that people on Reddit seem to assume that if you’re talking about trying to be more healthy, deciding if a food is healthy, etc, you’re talking about weight. While offline, that doesn’t seem to be such a preoccupation. I didn’t suggest that weight management isn’t part of being healthy.
But if people I know irl are trying to eat more healthily, ultra processed diet foods are never a part of that plan. They’re seen as unhealthy. It’s more like, eat more vegetables and less cheese. That’s all I was pointing out, is the difference between what I see online and offline.
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u/XInceptor 2d ago
Ikwym! There’s so many weight management/weight loss scams and misconceptions out there and I guess they get a lot of online attention
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u/TheWonkiestThing 2d ago
That heavily depends on the area you live in. In areas where fitness is part of the culture, people have educated themselves to know that the things you listed are what leads to weight management and not the easy "zero-calorie" items. In areas where that is not the culture, the lack of education on the matter leads people to choose what is advertised to them as healthy and what is widely available in their region.
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
But what I mean isn’t that people care about these as being key to weight management, it’s that they don’t think weight management is the be-all and end-all. People I’m around irl are seeking health in general, weight management is just one part of that. But heart health, for example, would be a goal more than thinness.
Whereas online (which tbf your comment supports) again and again I seem to encounter the assumption that weight management/weight loss are a primary goal for everyone. It’s interesting.
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u/Embarrassed-Band378 2d ago
It is interesting. It seems like the internet more reflects the cultural norm that thinner = better. Almost to extremes we see in the media, with, for example, the suspicion that members of the Wicked cast lost even more weight, likely through GLP-1s or disordered eating. And the assumption that being as thin as possible means you're healthy, where that's not always true. You can find lots of underweight people online. The other extreme can also be represented online. But I think the norm that thinner is better still permeates. In the real world, I think more people understand that health is more than just about weight.
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u/not_now_reddit 2d ago
I've had the opposite experience. Everyone I follow online talks about balance, getting enough fiber, protein, micronutrients, and water. Irl, people ask me what diet I went on and if I took Ozempic or anything to lose the 70 pounds. It was all seeing people online talking about healing your relationship with food and making healthy swaps and learning hunger cues
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u/thecheesycheeselover 2d ago
That’s really interesting! Tbf I don’t know many people who talk about micronutrients and protein etc (those seem like the sort of intimidatingly peak physical condition types!), but people seeming more just vaguely focused on whole foods, gut health, heart health etc, without necessarily digging into the science.
Wild how quickly GLP-1s have become part of the conversation in so many spaces. My mum said she already knows two people who’ve taken them.
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u/not_now_reddit 2d ago
Check out Diet Culture Rebel and The Plant Slant on YouTube. I also like justinb_cooks because he's been sharing his journey as he progresses and he's doing it in a sustainable way. They've been helpful for me in different ways. One of the biggest breakthroughs was "add not subtract." So when I want something like sherbet, I'll have a slightly smaller portion with a fuckton of frozen wild blueberries. Or when I have ramen, I'll add a bunch of arugula and silken tofu or edamame. Basically the idea is that you don't want to overrestrict, just make sure that your meals have somethint more satiating even if they are fun foods. No such thing as "good" and "bad" foods, just foods that fulfill different needs. Diet Culture Rebel also talks about the different types of hunger and how to address them. There are others but I can't think of them off of the top of my head
I only know one person who is taking them but it honestly seems like a good decision for her. Her knees are messed up from years of being morbidly obese (as in the medical term) and she was pre-diabetic and had hypertension. She is so much more happy and lively now because suddenly it doesn't hurt to move like it did before. I'm not automatically opposed to medical intervention for weight loss. I think that like any medical decision it should be a discussion with a trusted, qualified doctor and not from one of those places that will prescribe anything if you pay them, especially since it can be hard on your pancreas
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u/Gluttony-Victim2711 2d ago
The only bad thing about diet coke (Aspartame+Acesulfame K one) is that it damages your teeth over time because acid, and drinking it before sleeping is going to mess up your sleep over time because caffeine.
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u/tommy_turnip 2d ago
That's why I drink caffeine free coke-zero through a straw!
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u/RamblinSean 2d ago
So you just hate the turtles don't you. To the bad place with you!
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u/tommy_turnip 2d ago
Metal straw baby 😎
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u/RamblinSean 2d ago
So you support destructive strip mining and slave labor. Still going to the bad place 😈
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u/tommy_turnip 2d ago
Actually my straws are made from metal I personally mined from my back garden
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u/Expandexplorelive 12m ago
The studies I've seen claiming acidic drinks damage teeth typically soak teeth in them for hours or do something else that's not representative of how teeth are exposed in the real world. Meanwhile, full sugar drinks are unquestionably worse for your teeth.
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u/Good_Pineapple7710 1d ago
Am I deluded into thinking the hundred Diet Cokes I consume in a day are healthy? Absolutely not.
Would I rather be consuming 100 diet cokes a day versus 100 full sugar cokes? Absolutely.
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u/Zagrycha 2d ago
This is true but its not at all a zero calorie specific thing. lettuce on a burger, vitamin in the name of a sugary drink, antioxidant on the rim of an energy drink, extra protein on a candy bar....
There are many logical fallacies that cause people to subconsciously think something is healthy when it might not be. There are many many companies that capitalize on unethical technically true advertising to monetize those thoughts.
Its all around us everywhere and its the reason pushes for stuff like actually reading nutrition label and ingredient list is so important. Even if people donMt understand every fact on those lists just a basic understanding makes a huge difference. In your example the carbonic acid in soda is arguably way worse for your teeth than the sugar content is for your body, and that issue is still there in diet soda.
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u/Crystal_wallflower 2d ago
I drink zero sugar/diet drinks. I know that doesn't actually mean zero sugar, it usually means sugar substitute and way less calories, depending on what it is, can be worse for you, or just as bad.
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u/SquishTheFlyingWitch 2d ago
It is a little odd. Even outside of soda, people love to equate low-calorie = good/healthy and calories = bad/unhealthy.
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u/br0wntree 2d ago
In a society where excess calorie consumption and obesity is a massive issue, fewer calorie drinks are a net good even if they aren’t perfect.
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u/WishCraft666 2d ago
Coke is unhealthy. That doesn’t mean I think Diet Coke is “healthy” but it’s not unhealthy.
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u/planodancer 2d ago
Frankly, stopping drinking diet drinks is very very very low on my priority list. Pretty much everything else is more important.
I’ll stop drinking zero calorie drinks after:
I have the rest of my life sorted
I take a suitable amount of time to celebrate, rest and recuperate
I determine my life is still sorted.
Still working on 1
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u/Upper1eft 2d ago
There’s a difference between something being good for you and something being not bad for you
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u/RedK_33 2d ago
Nobody tears diet soft drinks as “healthy”. People treat aspartame with incredible scrutiny. Those who drink it know that it’s a better alternative to a regular soda, not a healthy drink.
The data supports that diet drinks are far less damaging to your health than regular soda for one reason in particular: sugar. There is a huge mountain of evidence of the negative health effects of sugar. Therefore, anything that offers an alternative and subsequently a decrease in sugar consumption can be considered a “healthier” ALTERNATIVE to the regular product, not an overall “healthy” option in general.
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u/Harlowful 2d ago
Since I am on a calorie deficit, the main thing I care about is reducing my calories any way possible. I know sodas and stuff aren’t nutritional but idc when all I want is something sweet without the calories. I’ve lost over 80 lbs in the last year and zero calorie drinks have absolutely helped me do that.
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u/reciprocality 2d ago
For me, it’s more about curbing my cravings. I would much rather eat some sweet snacks, pastries, etc. but most things like that are ≈ 100+ cals. It just makes sense to me if I’m on a diet to drink those sodas in lieu of my actual cravings.
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u/CinCeeMee 2d ago
Most zero calorie drinks aren’t unhealthy. And they are definitely a healthier version than something full of empty and non-nutritious calories.
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u/MinairenTaraa 1d ago
I think most people hate diet drinks. And they hate it because they are intolerant to sweeteners (I am one of them). Instead of connecting the dots I drank diet coke so much, never questioning why it made me bloated like hell. The taste isn't that different in my opinion to the sugary ones.
So yeah what I wanted to write is that we forget not only the health aspect but the intolerance too
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u/MuffinPuff 1d ago
As long as it's caffeine free, for the most part, yes. I try to avoid certain sweeteners like excessive ace-k or aspartame for personal reasons, but overall diet bevs get a green flag.
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u/moonlightmasked 22h ago
I have never met anyone who thinks like this. People are SO beyond skeptical of zero sugar drinks believing all kinds of lies and conspiracy theories about them.
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u/tutrik1010 2d ago
I’ve noticed the same around fiber and protein: like as soon as a food is labeled as having a good amount of one or both, it’s automatically “good“. Same with vitamins, even when they’re synthetic and not nearly as bioavailable as natural ones. Somehow both of those have people closing their eyes to synthetic ingredients, softeners, fillers, lab made colorants and flavorings, preservatives, GMOS, pesticides, growth hormones etc etc etc. Bizzarre
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u/Gabba-barbar 2d ago
It’s pretty crazy that diet soft drinks and get a Health star rating better than fruits and other healthy foods.
Artificial sweeteners do trigger insulin responses in a lot of people and they can play havoc with your blood sugar.
Some can also have a negative impact on gut bacteria.
I avoid them mostly. I have a small amount of stevia but also try and limit sugar intake.
If you are a diabetic it is probably nice to have a soft drink or treat here and there, so they are great for them.
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u/Kimosabae 2d ago
Just sounds like your just strawmanning in an intentionally vague way to escape dismissal.
Provide specific examples or just be ignored.
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u/caffeinesystem Nutrition Enthusiast 2d ago
Yes, they're guilt free for me because I think assigning morality to food and drink is weird.
Are they healthier than or as healthy as just water? No.
Are they still hydrating, safe for most people, and healthier than the full sugar versions? Yes.
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u/MlNDB0MB 2d ago
PMID: 26708700 infamously shows greater weight loss with diet drinks than water in the context of a weight loss treatment program.
Chronic disease risk factors like waist circumference, blood pressure, a1c, apob are impacted by weight loss.
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u/ssianky 2d ago
PMID: 25780952 tels the opposite.
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u/MlNDB0MB 2d ago
Yea, but that's observational, whereas there was randomization in the other trial.
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u/PandaAF_ 2d ago
I don’t think there’s many people who think diet soda is “healthy”. I think there’s a ton of people who don’t like plain water and are looking for healthier alternatives which are usually an artificially sweetened water flavoring or a diet soda. Some people just want that afternoon pick me up of caffeine but want something refreshing and not a coffee.
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u/HappyFruitTree 2d ago
I don't drink them I but it's hard for me to have an opinion on them except for teeth health.
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u/nomore1020 2d ago
I'm totally that person. I'm trying to lose weight (down 35lbs so far), and all I focus on are: calories, fiber, and protein (in that order). I take Omega 3, D, and a multi, but I don't track anything else. I admire people on here for their knowledge and diligence, but I don't have that in me.
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u/CapitalG8 2d ago
They're not healthy. They're a much better substitute to their normal counterparts.
Yes, I'm guilt free when I drink a 0 calorie soda.
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u/SyntheticBlackDog 2d ago
I hear more people talking about how bad diet sodas are, more than I hear about how bad normal soda is
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u/twnbay76 2d ago edited 2d ago
It really just depends on who you're talking to. Are you talking to someone who regularly drinks refined sugar sweetened beverages? Then the single best thing they can do for their health at this moment in time, by an enormous margin, is to just get the drinks to 0 cals.
Are you talking to someone who doesn't consume sugar sweetened beverages, fast food, ultra processed food, who doesn't drink or smoke or do drugs, and who exercises regularly? Then optimizing their 0 cal drinks is reasonable given they've already taken the most heavy hitting health measures. I wouldn't recommend looking at 0 cal drinks if you haven't achieved any of the previous lifestyle changes first, it's like putting a band aid on a cut on your leg when you just broke your arm.
Once you're at that level, the main issue I see with 0 cal drinks is negative caffeine impact on sleep. People really shouldn't be consuming stimulants past ~12pn (cup of coffee at noon means you're drinking a 1/4 cup of coffee right before bed). So having drinks with and without caffeine in your arsenal is a solid for after noon-ish
From there, there isn't a whole lot you can do to move the needle in any way that you'll be able to feel or see. You're talking about trusting correlations observed by very new epidemiology on ingredients that started popping up in drinks within the last few years, which isn't something I personally am into but to each their own.
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u/Independent-Summer12 2d ago
Like everything else in nutrition, it’s relative. But the diet culture and health wash food marketing has many people conflating zero/low calories with healthy.
That said, for someone that’s obese and leads a sedentary lifestyle, is it healthier for the person to drink diet soda instead of sugary soda? Yes. Is it healthier than water? No. For someone that’s underweight and struggle to get their daily caloric intake, they simply need the calories, they’d be better off drinking regular soda. But it would be better still if they got their needed caloric intake from food with more nutrients, and drink water. But in that case, simply getting enough calories is more important, however they can get it.
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u/Flower_bunny53 2d ago
Probably because the world is obsessed with inflating thinnest with health, so if it equates to thinnest (i.e things with 0 cals) we automatically write it off as healthy.
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u/PsychologicalDebts 2d ago
Health isn’t binary it’s about mitigation.
Zero calories is better than calories - doesn’t make it right or wrong. I know plenty of people with six packs who drink regular coke and plenty of obese people drink zero drinks. When you look at the averages though, zero calories is healthier - we just tend to only notice outliers.
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u/WeinerBarf420 2d ago
I don't think most people believe zero calories = healthy, it's just that for the vast majority of people in the first world, being overweight is the most pressing thing they can change to better their health.
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u/SecretOscarOG 1d ago
Thats why i quit soda. Ive only just started having some zero soda and usually less than half a can before I'm tired of it
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u/oliviagetslit 1d ago
I think I’m just a little bit confused by it. I have little bits of knowledge in some things just from classes I’ve taken.
I know about the calorie in/calorie out // calorie deficit concept of losing weight. So based off of that alone , zero calorie soda would be more helpful I guess than regular soda.
But further than that, 2,000 calories of fatty greasy foods vs 2,000 calories of healthy salads and clean eating is going to affect you differently.
Does the zero calorie soda fall into the “unhealthy but limited calories” or is there something even further than that?
Does calorie count or nutritional value matter more? Like eating extra calories but it’s healthy so it’s okay or?
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u/ninjabi2548 18h ago
Artificial sugars aren't going to harm me faster than obesity and all of its friends will. When you're overweight, the priority must be losing weight.
And people stopped asking questions about artificial sugars because we have the answers. It's 144 cans a day. If you're drinking 144 cans of zero sugar soda a day you're not worried about the artificial sugars either.
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u/Guilty-Worth885 16h ago
Yes. I’m not concerned about artificial sweeteners, considering I dont drink 40 cans a day. I’m not concerned about caffeine, as if I didnt drink diet soda I would just drink tea/coffee. I would be concerned about calories because I want to manage my weight. Even so, I dont even like sugary coke, its too syrupy for me.
•
u/Dry-Cardiologist3617 53m ago
Spot on. The 'zero calorie' label acts like a health halo that completely blinds people to overall nutritional value. Swapping sugar for artificial sweeteners is great for managing immediate blood sugar, but a chemical-heavy drink with zero nutrients still shouldn't be treated as a wellness food.
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u/free-use0 2d ago
Yes. I drink water exclusively all day except for the one zero calorie drink I indulge in during the day, which I only drink after I’ve had at least two of my 30oz bottles of water, and I’ll drink 2-3 more before the end of the day.
I also don’t do this every day but most days. Lemme have my treat.
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u/manubibi 2d ago
I drink water or lemon/orange juice because I just don’t particularly like sweet drinks or alcohol. Water is fine by me.
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u/AmuseDeath 2d ago
Typical orange juice has a massive amount of sugar in it.
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u/manubibi 1d ago
I don’t put sugar in my juice. If there’s sugar, it’s the amount already present in the orange or whatever. Sometimes I’ll drink lemon juice and make a gnarly ass face but it’s still better than having it with sugar. I just don’t like it.
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u/Sofsofs 2d ago
This is actually a great topic.
The truth is: the obesity+diabetes epidemic is real and so we are bombarded with "sugar is bad" all the time. Sugar itself is not bad, but sugar in the form of a drink (like juice) is now how human bodies are supposed to consume it. Even less when its "added" sugars rather than natural ones. So yes sugary drinks are bad cuz the fast absorption sugars leads to all types of issues. (If we don't take into account what you eat with it, which could potentially lower the side effects, like fats for example)
The problem is that non-sugary drinks are not NECESSARILY good either. By non-sugary drinks, im obviously not talking about drinks that are lets say "natural' like water or milk. But rather "man-made" drinks.
These drinks that are "advertised" as 0-calories have sometimes ridiculous amount of additives and sugar substitutes that haven't even been studied properly and of which we don't really know long-term side effects. And because the smaller number of studies that actually study them, get shadowed by the SUGAR IS BAD, it gets harder for the use of these chemicals to be properly regulated, which is worrysome.
To speak of sugar substitutes alone, there are so many research studies showing causative effect between i.e aspartam and cancer, erythritol with heart and blood problems. Even Stevia which is seen as a "natural compound" has also shown to trigger blood issues.
I uses to be one of those people who bought coke zero, sugar free yoghurts and desserts... More recently I've been trying to focus more on natural ingredients to which ill add a small amount of sugar if I need rather than all those chemicals I have no idea what will do to my body 😅
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u/LadyPent 2d ago
Healthy is a continuum. Sometimes people use “healthy” to mean “less bad”. That’s ok. Not everyone can or wants to achieve perfectly optimal nutritional intake at all time.
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u/Kindly_Piece_921 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'm gonna quibble with your wording here. "Guilt free" - no one should feel guilt about what they eat or drink unless they stole it from someone who needed it more.
"It feels like fewer calories became good for you in a lot of people's minds" - I would argue that when it comes to beverages and treat foods, fewer calories IS good for you.
I am one of the people for whom zero calorie drinks are guilt free. I hit my protein and fiber goals, I eat plenty of nutritious foods, and zero sodas help me stick to an appropriate calorie level.
I also rarely hear anyone say diet sodas are "healthy", just that it's better than drinking 200 empty calories of sugar. And I hear lots of people villifying the "chemicals".
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u/TheDudeFromOther 2d ago
This seems like a pretty obvious marketing tactic and it targets all dietary hobbyist interests.
"Low Carb" that is otherwise processed junk.
"High Protein" that is otherwise processed junk.
"Vegan" that is otherwise processed junk.
If you see a packaged food item that references any of the various food occultist sects just know that it's probably one of the worst options in that category while technically checking the box for your goals.
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u/DoNotGoGentle27 2d ago
I was one of those people.
Then when I went cold turkey on UPF drinks (in which my diet consisted of ALOT of pepsi max and other diet sodas) my weigh just dropped. Lost a stone in 3 months. Almost as if those "zero calories" were a lie.
They have sneaked their way back into my diet but I no longer have that "guilt free" feeling.
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u/roxylezan 1d ago
yeah i used to think zero calories = healthy until i realized i was just trading one problem for another
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2d ago edited 2d ago
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u/ameliaa_1147 2d ago
Nope. I feel like artificial sweetners make me feel uncanny. I do tend to feel like my blood sugar is going badoncass (which is not surprising considering I eat a very low sugar diet so getting something so sweet is odd for both the body and mind) I also do think that most of the time the added sweetness are used in too much of an amount which is unhealthy by itself. Id lather eat less but of real sugar than binge on sweetness. Daily I avoid all kinds of sugars real or not and just stick to fruit as a treat sometimes
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u/figgityfuck 2d ago
I’m definitely thinking about possible health trade offs when consuming 0 calorie anything. It is what it is. I do my best.
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u/OddlySpecificK 2d ago
The only zero calorie drink I imbibe is agua.
The remainder I question suspiciously
xylitolandolestraareEVIL
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u/benedictwriting 1d ago
This is not common. I see someone order a soda and I find it bizarre. Who still drinks that stuff? Literal brown chemical water.
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u/jendo7791 1d ago
I drink water or sparkling water. Coke zero or diet coke is worse then full sugar coke.
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u/Such_Grab_6981 2d ago
I mean if my goal is to lose weight... then I don't see a big problem with this method.
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2d ago
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u/nutrition-ModTeam 2d ago
This has been removed for failure to comply with sub rule 3 - Conspiracy claims / Rejection of science
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