What Are The Differences Between Diet And Zero Sugar Sodas?

Diet soda versus zero-sugar soda — what's the big difference between the two? No, this isn't a generic discussion of the soda wars. Although both types are typically sugar-free, there are other key differences at play here. These include the variety of sweetener used, the taste of the beverage, and even the amount of caffeine that you'll get in the glass.

Perhaps the most prevalent brand of soda with diet or zero-sugar varieties is Coke. So, using the ingredient and nutritional info posted by this brand, let's look at how these two measure up. Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame. According to its label, the soda also has carbonated water, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, caramel color, citric acid, caffeine, and natural flavors. Zero-sugar Coke, sold as Coke Zero, is also sweetened with aspartame, as well as acesulfame potassium and stevia extract.

With Coke Zero, consumers might not notice any difference with the zero sugar variety. With Diet Coke, however, drinkers often note that the flavor is a little lighter and a bit brisk compared to the original.

Why the difference in flavor? It comes down to the sweetener. People who have tasted the two say that acesulfame potassium has a flavor more like sugar, though some detect bitter notes. Aspartame's flavor is typically sharper, while stevia lends further sweetness but may also taste slightly bitter to some consumers. The use of the combined sweetener has become the standard for many brands that are reformulating diet beverages. This adjustment gives zero-sugar sodas a flavor that many deem closer to a beverage's original formula.

Besides the different sweeteners, the amount of caffeine separates diet from zero-sugar sodas. Returning to the example of Diet Coke and Coke Zero, the former contains 46 mg of caffeine in a 12-ounce can. The zero-sugar version has 34 mg of caffeine in the same size.