Does Zero sugar soda (Pepsi, coke, mtn dew) affect a calorie deficit?

Brisk09

Are they better than their sugar filled counterparts?

tomcustombuilder

If they have zero calories then no, no effect. As far as which is better from a health standpoint you’ll get conflicting opinions. There are a multitude of studies of pros and cons of both.


I’m in the camp of no sugar however I rarely drink it but if you drink a lot of it then that would be something worth looking into.

MargaretYakoda

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

If they have zero calories then no, no effect. As far as which is better from a health standpoint you’ll get conflicting opinions. There are a multitude of studies of pros and cons of both.


I’m in the camp of no sugar however I rarely drink it but if you drink a lot of it then that would be something worth looking into.

Agreed.

Calories are calories.

That said: Some no calorie sodas have sodium, at a level that isn’t typically a problem for most people, but if you’re on a low sodium diet for heart or inner ear issues (or other health issues) you might want to count those sodas to be sure you don’t go over your sodium intake limit.

Also, anecdotally, I have heard that certain “zero sugar” sodas have a negative impact on blood glucose levels in some people.
I don’t have a link to share that can explain this. The anecdotes are from a couple relatives and friends who are diabetic and noticed this effect from observing information relayed by their continuous glucose monitor, so they stopped drinking those sodas. And warned me against drinking them or giving them to my husband whose diabetes is more reactive than others.

So. Short answer? No calories means just that, and absent other dietary restrictions they’re probably a free choice for most people.

But if you have more restrictive dietary goals for health reasons you might want to consider sticking with fizzy waters, and other zero calorie drink options.

neanderthin

No, they have no calories. “better” can be subjective and depends on individual health goals and preferences. Diet Pepsi may be better in terms of lower calories, it contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which some people might prefer to avoid, for example.

7gmfq5zvhv

I would say yes it has no calories but still has sodium so if you have to watch your sodium intake then better off to good old water!

COGypsy

I know people always talk about soda being full of sodium, but just to provide some perspective, Coke Zero has 40mg of sodium per 12-oz serving. The World Health Organization seems to be the most conservative resource and advises consuming less than 2000mg of sodium per day. Of course there are cases where sodium needs to be more stringently restricted, but for the average healthy adult, a can of Coke Zero would amount to about 2% of their sodium allowance for the day. Depending on your particular circumstances, it may not even be a blip on the radar.

kshama2001

I believe studies do show that artificial sweeteners increase appetite in some people, but I don't have a link handy. If they don't spike your appetite, enjoy!

Like some people have a "cilantro is disgusting" gene, I might have a "artificial sweeteners are disgusting" gene, so I'll pass. 🤢