# How bad really is Coke Zero **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106 "2013-06-04T11:34:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Caneknife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Caneknife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caneknife)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/1 "2013-06-04T11:34:31Z")
I was drinking around 12 cans of Coke Zero a day, but down to 4 cans a day, would that amount really affect my health, I clean my teeth daily, drink at least 2 litres of water a day, never eat junk food, don’t smoke or drink, go to gym every day, I know my teeth would be the first affected but I love the taste so much, just don’t want serious health issues later in life, I’m 40 yrs old. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/2 "2013-06-04T11:42:24Z")
I drink 1 can per day. I wait to see how long I have to live. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/3 "2013-06-04T12:19:25Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > I drink 1 can per day. I wait to see how long I have to live. I dunno, but maybe you’ll only live one-twelfth as long as **Caneknife**. Assuming that Coke Zero is what keeps him healthy, going to the gym and not liking junk food. Me, I hate Coke Zero (bitter aftertaste), and never drink it. But I also eat a lot of junk food and never go to the gym. So… one of is gonna live longer than the other. 🙂 And he’s probably healthier than me. (Also,I’m still trying to understand how anybody can drink **12** cans of soda plus 2 liters of water every day.That’s about 6 liters of liquid. When I work all day outdoors in the desert sun, I only drink about 3 liters.) ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/4 "2013-06-04T12:25:10Z")
He’s only drinking 4 cans a day now. As far as I’m concerned, diet soda is just fizzy caffeine-water. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/5 "2013-06-04T12:27:55Z")
I’m trying to understand how anyone drinking 4-12 cans of coke anything, a day thinks they ‘never eat junk food’? How is that kind of disconnect possible? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/6 "2013-06-04T12:30:28Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I’m trying to understand how anyone drinking 4-12 cans of coke anything, a day thinks they ‘never eat junk food’? How is that kind of disconnect possible? Because it has 0 calories? If you define junk food as “anything that has Coke or McDonalds in the name”, then the term becomes rather meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/7 "2013-06-04T12:43:06Z")
No, it means “overly-processed foods” - and you can’t get much more processed than diet soft drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/8 "2013-06-04T12:46:40Z")
That’s not how I use it. “Processed” is so broad as to be meaningless. I usually think of junk food as pre-packaged food that is extremely high in sugar, starch or fat. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/9 "2013-06-04T12:56:21Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > That’s not how I use it. “Processed” is so broad as to be meaningless. I usually think of junk food as pre-packaged food that is extremely high in sugar, starch or fat. You don’t use “junk food” that way because it’s a ridiculous definition. It’s always meant food of little nutritional value and often high in fat and sugar and calories. I think some reasonable people might want to call anything without significant nutritional value “junk food”, but it’s definitely not “any overly-processed food”, whatever that would even mean. The problem is diet soda is closer to water in that it’s not delivering meaningful nutrients but has none of the high fat, sugar or calories. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/10 "2013-06-04T12:57:20Z")
It can’t be that good for you- it makes you skip your periods. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/11 "2013-06-04T13:01:37Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > You don’t use “junk food” that way because it’s a ridiculous definition. It’s always meant food of little nutritional value and often high in fat and sugar and calories. > > I think some reasonable people might want to call anything without significant nutritional value “junk food”, but it’s definitely not “any overly-processed food”, whatever that would even mean. The problem is diet soda is closer to water in that it’s not delivering meaningful nutrients but has none of the high fat, sugar or calories. Well said. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/12 "2013-06-04T13:03:32Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > It can’t be that good for you- it makes you skip your periods. I wish. I drink it ll day, and my periods are as wonderful as ever. Except for the tooth enamel thing, I think there are three big issues: - Caffeine effects the heart rate and anxiety levels - Phosphoric acid can leech the calcium from your bones - the acids can cause stomach problems and acid reflux/GERD Other than that, I think it’s pretty much okay. I don’t know that it causes death. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/13 "2013-06-04T13:05:50Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > It can’t be that good for you- it makes you skip your periods. I need to start drinking more Coke Zero. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/14 "2013-06-04T17:04:09Z")
Coke Zero is a lot more tasty if you mix it 50/50 with rum. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/15 "2013-06-04T17:22:48Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Coke Zero is a lot more tasty if you mix it 50/50 with rum. That sounds horrid! Must squeeze a lil lime in.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/16 "2013-06-04T17:29:25Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I don’t know that it causes death. It [could](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/12/coca-cola-soda-death/1912491/). But this woman was drinking more like 24 cans a day, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/17 "2013-06-04T17:47:36Z")
I drink a couple of cans a day, but usually the vanilla and cherry flavored varieties. Some people might be concerned about the sweeteners (aspartame and Ace-K), but I’m not. As for caffeine, a 12 oz. can has fewer than one-third as much as a cup of coffee. It’s certainly healthier than drinking soda loaded with HFCS. As an insulin-dependent diabetic, I appreciate anything I can drink that doesn’t throw my blood glucose out of whack. And water can get pretty boring after awhile if that’s all you drink. And as with anything else, it all comes down to moderation. I’d find even four cans a day to be a bit much, but YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/18 "2013-06-04T17:52:08Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > It [could](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/12/coca-cola-soda-death/1912491/). > > But this woman was drinking more like 24 cans a day, somehow. She was drinking regular Coke, not the diet variety. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/19 "2013-06-04T18:23:56Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > It can’t be that good for you- it makes you skip your periods. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106/20 "2013-06-04T18:24:52Z")
Play on words, guys. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-really-is-coke-zero/660106.md?page=2)