Diet soda can be a pretty tempting beverage. It is hard to get rid of our sugar cravings, and most times we want to enjoy something that isn’t water. We don’t want to take the time to prepare something though, we want whatever we’re drinking to also be convenient. Diet soda seems like the perfect solution, right? Well, if it looks too good to be true, it might be too good to be true. Find out what’s in your diet soda.
The contents of your diet soda
At its core, any soda is essentially an amalgamation of carbonated water, colors, artificial flavors, food additives, and artificial or natural sweeteners. Sodas basically have zero calories and no real nutrition to speak of. You would think that diet soda has no sugar, but often times diet sodas use a mixture of artificial sweetener and sugar.
Recipes generally differ across the board, but diet sodas tend to have more or less the same things in common:
Carbonated Water
Sodas are made by injecting or dissolving carbon dioxide into water while under pressure.
Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes. They include brands such as, saccharin, aspartame, Stevia, etc. These sweeteners are designed to be more addicting than actual sugar – they’re actually 200-13,000 times more sweet than normal sugar.
Acids
Acids like, malic, citric, and phosphoric acid are included in sodas to add tartness.
Colors
Sodas wouldn’t be complete without their distinctive coloring which comes from, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and caramels.
Flavors
All types of natural and artificial flavorings are used in sodas, including herbs, fruits, and berries.
Preservatives
Preservatives are included in sodas to help extend their shelf life. The most common preservative utilized is potassium benzoate.
Caffeine
Caffeine is an essential part of most sodas, unless they label them as caffeine free.
