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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Diet Coke - is it really as bad as my friends make it out to be?

    Related Topic
    Nutrition
    Every time I open a Diet Coke I tend to get a flood of opinions about how bad it is for me! Please can someone who is sutably qualified provide me with their views on this?
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  • Genevieve Michael

    Dietitian

    Having gathered 28 years of private practice experience , Genevieve wants to assist people with practical changes to their food and lifestyle issues in order … View Profile

    I believe that artificially sweetened or low-joule soft drinks are a better alternative to ‘full’ soft drinks. A can of Coke contains the equivalent of  12 cubes of sugar, which is not good news for your teeth or your weight.
    Both are equivalent in the amount of caffeine they contain, so on that score one is not better than the other.
    However, if you are looking for a low-joule, low caffeine beverage, water will always be the best choice.

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    Melanie McGrice

    Dietitian

    Melanie McGrice is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, one of the few dietitians in Australia to achieve that status. Her success has made her an … View Profile

    The acid in diet softdrinks are really bad for your teeth.  Choose water or skim milk instead.

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  • Chris Fonda

    Dietitian, Nutritionist, Sports Dietitian

    As an Accredited Sports Dietitian, APD and athlete (springboard diver), Chris has both professional and personal experience in sport at the sub-elite and elite level.Chris … View Profile

    Studies suggest that the “artificial sugars” in foods are safe for human consumption. It really is a personal choice when it comes to “diet” drinks. As a nutritionist and student dietitian, I would recommend water or skim milk over diet soft drinks as a preferred choice, but if you like the odd can of soda on occasion then I don't have a problem with it.

    When it comes to the acidity in soft drinks (both diet varieties and normal) it is important to remember that this acidity can ruin your tooth enamel and may possibly lead to damage of the gastric lining or gastric ulcers if consumed in excessive amounts.

    The take home message here is the same as Melanie and Genevieve above, always choose water over soft drinks as an everday choice and leave the odd soda drink to special occasions

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