Keep in mind that all of them-except Sprite Zero-also contain caramel color and thus the potential for 4-MI.Īnd unless they're labeled as "caffeine-free," the caffeine in these sodas can be a problem for children, pregnant women, and people sensitive to caffeine.ĭiet Mountain Dew may well be the riskiest diet soda because it has the greatest number of questionable additives. MORE: 4 Ways To Beat Your Diet Soda Addiction In One Week
Pepper (123 mg), Diet Coke and Caffeine-Free Coke (125 mg). Their aspartame content, in order from least to most per 8-ounce bottle: Sprite Zero (50 mg), Coke Zero (58 mg), Pepsi Max (77 mg), Diet Pepsi and Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi (111 mg and 118 mg, respectively), Diet Dr.
(Check out 57 sneaky names for sugar.)Īspartame is the go-to sweetener in most diet sodas, so regular drinkers might think twice about what they're guzzling. Consumer Reports' testing has found that some sodas sold in California have much lower levels of 4-MI than the same brands sold in other states.ĭiet Coke with Splenda also carries no risks from aspartame, but the sweetness comes from sucralose, which is now on the caution list, per the CSPI, as well as ace-K, which is on CSPI's avoid list. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, concluded that 4-MI is "possibly carcinogenic to humans," and California now lists it as a carcinogen. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
"The thing is, aspartame has undergone better cancer testing than these other artificial sweeteners," Lefferts explains, "so while it appears to be the worst from a risk perspective, it's possible that these others are just as bad and we just don't know it." But it still contains acesulfame potassium (ace-K), which is poorly tested, although two studies suggest it may pose a cancer risk, as well as sucralose (Splenda), which the CSPI is now approaching with caution since the authors of a forthcoming study link it to leukemia. The newly reformulated Diet Pepsi no longer has aspartame-so that may push it to the top of the list. diet soda.)īased on what we know about diet soda's main components, here's how they stack up. (Though diet soda's hardly healthy check out this comparison of regular soda vs. "We know that sugar drinks are a major cause of obesity and have also been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, not to mention tooth decay," Lefferts says. And diet sodas are still likely a better choice than their full-sugar cousins. Other artificial sweeteners-including ace-K and sucralose (both of which are in the newly reformulated Diet Pepsi)-may also pose a cancer risk, and there are safety questions about artificial colors, including the caramel coloring found in most sodas (even some ginger ales), as well as certain emulsifiers.īefore you spit out the diet cola swishing around your mouth right this second, the fact is that the cancer risk from food additives is likely pretty small, Lefferts says. A study last year by the American Cancer Society did not find a link. Several animal studies have linked aspartame to cancer risk, and a highly controversial study from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2012 explored a possible link in humans, although even the researchers from that study admitted that it was a weak link. "Diet sodas contain several questionable ingredients, but aspartame is the one we’re most concerned about." Lefferts, senior scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a food safety watchdog group. "The change reflects widespread public concern about the safety of aspartame," says Lisa Y. PepsiCo ditched the controversial sweetener aspartame in response to consumer demand, replacing it with sucralose, known by the brand name Splenda, and acesulfame potassium, or ace-K, both sweeteners thought to be safer.
This week, a freshly revamped Diet Pepsi-with the phrase "now aspartame free" on its silver label-will hit supermarket shelves nationwide.
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