As the health risks associated with excessive sugar consumption have grown increasingly clear over the years, soft drinks companies such as Coca-Cola have been giving fans sugar-free options such as Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
Both Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar replace the sugar found in classic Coca-Cola with artificial sweeteners and have incredibly similar recipes as a result. The Focus spoke with Registered Dietitian Avery Zenker to understand more about the differences between the two beverages and whether one is healthier than the other.
Diet Coke vs Coca-Cola Zero Sugar: Recipe differences
As the Diet and Zero Sugar varieties of Coca-Cola are both sugar-free and zero-calorie beverages, their recipes are incredibly similar, although not identical.
According to Coca-Cola’s website, this results in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar tasting more like classic Coca-Cola, while Diet Coke has a different blend of flavors, giving it a lighter taste.
Both drinks boast zero grams of fat, sugar, carbohydrates and protein as well as 40mg of sodium and no calories.
Where they differ, however, is in their sweetener, flavoring/preservative and caffeine content.
In terms of flavorings and caffeine, Diet Coke uses critic acid and boasts 46mg of caffeine while Coca-Cola Zero Sugar uses potassium citrate (instead of citric acid) and has 34mg of caffeine.
To explain the differences in sweeteners that each drink contains, Avery Zenker, who has a master’s degree in nutrition and contributes to EverFlex Fitness, told The Focus: “It appears that there is more phosphoric acid than aspartame in Coke Zero. It also contains acesulfame potassium (also known as Ace-K) which is another artificial sweetener.
“Probably the most significant difference is that Coke Zero contains both aspartame and Ace-K, while Diet Coke contains only aspartame. However, we don’t know the quantity, so while Diet Coke only contains aspartame, it may not have less total artificial sweetener content.”
You can find the full nutritional information for the Diet and Zero Sugar drinks on the Coca-Cola website.
Which is healthier?
As for whether Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is ‘healthier,’ than the other, “Neither beverage is healthier,” says Zenker. “If health considerations are important to you when it comes to hydration, soda isn’t the best choice.”
“Neither Diet Coke nor Coca-Cola Zero Sugar provides any significant nutritional benefits, as they are essentially calorie-free carbonated beverages with artificial sweeteners and additives,” she explains. “The healthiest ingredient in these beverages is water.”
“They’re both very similar in terms of nutritional value,” Zenker adds. “The caffeine content of both is very comparable, and both varieties offer caffeine-free options. The potassium content is pretty insignificant, you’re better off having a bite of a banana to get more potassium.”
“While they may be lower in calories and sugar compared to regular Coca-Cola, they are still considered processed beverages with little to no nutritional value,” the dietitian continues.
Avery Zenker’s advice on Coca-Cola’s Diet and Zero Sugar products mirrors that of fellow dietitian Abbey Sharp, who mentions in a video posted to social media that one of the main reasons why Coke Zero was launched was so that it could be marketed toward men as the Diet option had largely been aimed at women.
A 90-page report published by the World Health Organization in May 2023 warned that long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners posed an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults.
“It’s important to note that excessive consumption of diet sodas, like any other artificially sweetened beverages, may have potential health implications,” warns Zenker in conclusion. “These include concerns about artificial sweeteners’ effects on metabolism, gut health, and cravings for sweet foods.”
