Coke Zero vs. Diet Coke: Which Is Healthier? A Nutritionist Breaks It Down

While many of us consume sugary and carbonated drinks, these beverages have a “toxic” effect on the body and teeth. To avoid sugary drinks there are those who instead consume diet sodas without sugar, such as Coke Zero and Diet Coke. Are these really any healthier?

Dietitian Abbey Sharp from Toronto explains that both alternatives are far from healthy: “Both drinks contain artificial sweeteners, caffeine, flavorings, caramel coloring, and more — not exactly healthy ingredients.”

She highlights the main difference between the two: “Diet Coke is sweetened only with aspartame, while Coke Zero also contains a sweetener called acesulfame potassium. While many health experts consider both of these sweeteners to be outright toxic, the reality is that both are FDA-approved and considered safe for human consumption in moderation.”

Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and has already been classified as a “possible human carcinogen.” Acesulfame potassium is considered a food additive, but a French study has linked it to increased risk of arterial disease.

Another difference between the drinks is the caffeine content: Diet Coke contains 46 milligrams of caffeine, while Coke Zero has “only” 34 milligrams.

Sharp concludes: “Diet sodas are not health drinks. They should not be treated any differently from regular sugar-loaded soda. They add nothing of nutritional value to your diet, other than a little pleasure and a caffeine kick.”