Water it down, swap it out: Diet soft drinks are a health concern – here’s how to cut back on them

The average Australian drinks almost 60 litres of soft drink a year. Many people see diet soft drinks as a “healthier” choice than regular ones, and when it comes to sugar, that’s true.

For example, a 375 millilitre can of Coca-Cola contains about seven teaspoons of added sugar (almost to 40 grams). That’s close to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) daily recommended limit for added sugars of 50g.

In comparison, the Diet Coke version is sweetened with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and does not contain sugar.

So if you reach for diet soft drinks, is that so bad? Or is it worth giving them up too?

Are diet soft drinks really that bad?

Diet soft drinks provide few nutrients. They often contain artificial sweeteners and caffeine, and while they’re low in energy (kilojoules), they aren’t filling.

People who regularly drink diet soft drinks may have a higher risk of developing conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean the drinks cause these conditions. People who already have health concerns or are trying to manage their weight may be more likely to choose diet drinks, which might make this evidence a little misleading.

How about artificial sweeteners?

In 2023, the WHO classified aspartame (a common sweetener found in many diet soft drinks) as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. This means the evidence linking aspartame to cancer is currently limited...

Read more