Coca-Cola Company has many brands of soft drinks, but one of the most popular a is Coke. The main challenge of drinking soft drinks is the weight gain due to calories associated with them. The Coca-Cola Company introduced coke zero so people could drink Coke without gaining weight. Basically, this is a soft drink free of sugar and calories, which makes it sound good, but does coke zero have any health-related side effects?

For you to answer the question correctly, you must know the constituents of sugar-free coke. The drink's nutritional label outlines the following: 0 calories, 0 g fat, 40 mg sodium, 0 g total carbs, and 0 g protein. Its main ingredients are water, caffeine, aspartame, caramel color, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, natural flavors, potassium citrate, and acesulfame potassium.

There are some reasons to justify the question, " is coke zero bad for you?”

Side Effects of Sugar-Free Coke

1. No nutrition

Coke zero contains no nutrition. This particular drink has no vitamins, proteins, or minerals. There is nothing in it that benefits the body. So replacing this drink with other healthy beverages like water and tea is good for people.

2. Presence of aspartame

This is an artificial sweetener that is present in zero sugar Coke. According to a 2005 report, a link between aspartame and cancer in rats has been established. This is based on the fact that aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. People with phenylketonuria should avoid it.

3. Caffeine

It is worth mentioning that caffeine is a stimulant. Too much caffeine intake can cause restlessness, sleeping difficulties, and nervous system upset. Coke zero contains almost the same amount of caffeine as regular Coke. 9.6 to 9.7 mg/100 ml is a negligible difference.

4. Weight gain

Although there are no sugars and calories in this drink; the artificial sweeteners, namely aspartame, and acesulfame potassium have been known to cause metabolic disorders. Proper food processing and absorption in the body greatly depends on the work of gut bacteria. Researchers have discovered that these artificial sweeteners and flavors adjust the PH. This makes conditions not optimal for proper metabolism and the working of the gut bacteria. This can easily lead to weight gain.

5. Tooth decay

Carbonated, as well as acidic drinks, are not good for the teeth. Acids are corrosive and the case is no different with carbonic and phosphoric acid in Coke Zero. The acids cause wearing away of the enamel.

Best Alternatives for Sugar-Free Coke

Even though this coke drink contains zero calories and sugars, it has negative impacts on our health. It is wise to avoid drinking coke and replace with healthy drinks that have nutritional benefits for our bodies.

• Plain water

Drinking plain water has plenty of health benefits that include improving skin complexion, flushing out toxins, relieving fatigue, and boosting immunity.

• Tea

In addition to quenching your thirst, tea is also rich in antioxidants. These properties give it the ability to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

• Milk

This is one of the richest beverages you can have since it supplies minerals such as potassium, calcium, and phosphorus to the body. It also helps to maintain hydration since it is almost 80% water.

Although zero sugar coke has no sugar and is branded as zero calories, we wonder is coke zero bad for you? This drink cannot be determined as any better than other sodas because it has artificial sweeteners and flavors. The magic in these sweeteners is their concentration, for example, aspartame is almost 200 times sweeter than sugar. However, the unfortunate thing is that aspartame breaks down to carcinogenic elements that can trigger cancer growth. The acidity and zero nutrition in zero coke sodas are also undesirable features in this drink. Instead of taking sugar-free soda, it is better to take tea or milk, even plain water to be healthy.