# soft drinks=huge amount of sugar.Diet drinks=zero sugar. Why not meet halfway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [September 5, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768 "2012-09-05T17:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/41 "2012-09-08T18:46:56Z")
Since this is about beverages, let’s move it over to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/42 "2012-09-08T22:17:26Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Back when I drank sugared soda, yup, diet soda tasted terrible to me. I’d try it from time to time (either because regular soda wasn’t available, or because I thought to myself, “might not be a bad idea to cut some calories”), but I’d always turn my nose up at it. > > Then, I was diagnosed with diabetes, and cut out regular soda “cold turkey”. I got used to the taste of diet soda within a few days (weeks at the most), and now, it tastes just fine to me. 🙂 This without the diabetes. My trigger was filling out a food diary and realizing I was drinking more calories than I was eating. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/43 "2012-09-09T06:14:35Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Do artificial sweeteners really taste that bad to some people? They have a horrible chemical aftertaste to a lot of us. ---
**Author:** ![MaltLiquor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@MaltLiquor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaltLiquor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/44 "2012-09-09T06:32:53Z")
I will throw up another hand for, yes that diet stuff tastes bad. It is sweet I guess but I can tell it is not even close to a natural sweet. There is an overpowering tast of something strange at the end. The commercials are right though, I do not mind diet Doctor Pepper at all, though if there is regular I am grabbing that. I guess I dont see why people drink diet soda. They are only sickly sweet if you are not used to sweets at all or drink more than one or maybe two a day. I am very unhealthy so I am not one to preach but soda is only good with greasy meals or as a mixer. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/45 "2012-09-09T06:53:04Z")
> [@davekhps](#): > > As noted, there are increasing number of “low calorie” options available. > > The problem with many of these, IMHO, is that when you’re a fan of sugary soda, if it’s a choice between a lousy-tasting low calorie option and a lousy-tasting no calorie option, then why not choose the no-calorie option? Well, it’s how I got off sugary sodas in the first place. When nutrasweet was new, I had trouble liking it, so I mixed half-nutrasweet/half-sugary Kool-Aid. It was something I could stomach, and after awhile, I mixed ~75% nutrasweet/25% sugar. Next step was pure nutrasweet drinks. I lost 50 lbs giving up my sugary soda. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/46 "2012-09-10T11:22:21Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > As you say, it is all a matter of personal taste. What I find weird is when people assume that everyone tastes this alleged aftertaste. I’ve been a type one diabetic for nineteen years and the amount of times someone has decided I need to hear about how bad sweeteners are, from alleged health issues (whilst ignoring the well known health issues with consuming too much sugar) to the aftertaste that is OH SO DEFINITELY there, is depressingly high. I don’t find it weird at all, seeing as most foods we encounter do in fact taste the same to most people. The only exception I know of is that supertasters taste certain things as bitter that others don’t. My problem with sweeteners is that they have a dull taste, versus the sharpness of sugar. If they could find a sweetener that was actually not dull, it would be a lot better. Also, does everyone agree that saccharin (Sweet N’ Low) is bitter, at least, if used in too high concentrations? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/47 "2012-09-10T13:43:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I don’t find it weird at all, seeing as most foods we encounter do in fact taste the same to most people. The only exception I know of is that supertasters taste certain things as bitter that others don’t. > > My problem with sweeteners is that they have a dull taste, versus the sharpness of sugar. If they could find a sweetener that was actually not dull, it would be a lot better. > > Also, does everyone agree that saccharin (Sweet N’ Low) is bitter, at least, if used in too high concentrations? I would say saccharin is bitter, but I cannot, for the life of me, remember the last time I’ve encountered saccharin, as I don’t sweeten coffee, and soft drinks don’t use saccharine much anymore (if at all), so far as I know. It’s interesting that you describe sugar as “sharp.” I would call sugar “mellow, full, smooth,” and aspartame and saccharine as “sharp and thin.” Sucralose is a bit closer to sugar in its mellowness, but can have an odd greasiness to the mouthfeel. My favorite is a mix of Ace K and sucralose – that’s the combo that tastes the closest to sugar for me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/48 "2012-09-10T14:00:37Z")
The other problem is the postmix machines—the sugared mix requires a lot more pressure than diet, and a blend of sugar and whatever would need a new setting. However, that being said, restaurant owners, yes I’m looking at ALL of you, please brix your soda heads once a month, nothing is viler than diet wrongly mixed. And VERY few are correctly mixed. ---
**Author:** ![With\_Rye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/49 "2012-09-10T22:50:29Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > There are some lightly sweetened sodas available. I like [DRY Soda](http://www.drysoda.com/), which has less than half the sugar of normal soft drinks like Coke. Their orange and vanilla flavors are pretty good, but they don’t make cola. The cucumber flavor is wild! I like [Grown Up Soda](http://www.drinkgus.com/) too. Honest Tea also has low-sugar “just a tad sweet” flavors. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/50 "2012-09-10T23:20:52Z")
> [@howye](#): > > Oh yes. There is no hiding it. The after taste can linger for hours after one small sip. Seriously? I mean, I can understand that some people don’t like the aftertaste (personally, I don’t mind diet pop), but honestly, you cannot be THAT sensitive. It’s not THAT bad. If you don’t like it, don’t drink it. Granted, I prefer aspartame to splenda (I think splenda tastes nasty), but it’s not like it lasts forever. I just think it tastes fakey. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/51 "2012-09-11T13:44:45Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Seriously? I mean, I can understand that some people don’t like the aftertaste (personally, I don’t mind diet pop), but honestly, you cannot be THAT sensitive. It’s not THAT bad. If you don’t like it, don’t drink it. > > Granted, I prefer aspartame to splenda (I think splenda tastes nasty), but it’s not like it lasts forever. I just think it tastes fakey. I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but yes, it tastes that bad and has that effect for me. This is why I don’t drink diets. I switched to water and tea. If it doesn’t have that effect on you, then consider yourself lucky, but it’s not imaginary. Maybe it’s an allergic reaction, but it tastes like a chemical spill, and dries my mouth out, sometimes for hours. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/52 "2012-09-11T15:33:31Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Granted, I prefer aspartame to splenda (I think splenda tastes nasty), but it’s not like it lasts forever. I just think it tastes fakey. Same here! Aspartame tastes great to me but Splenda has a weird taste to it. Because most of the diet non-carbonated drinks around here use sucralose, I stick to the carbonated ones with aspartame. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/53 "2012-09-12T02:19:40Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Seriously? I mean, I can understand that some people don’t like the aftertaste (personally, I don’t mind diet pop), but honestly, you cannot be THAT sensitive. It’s not THAT bad. If you don’t like it, don’t drink it. howye could be a [supertaster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster). I’m glad I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768/54 "2012-09-13T03:16:50Z")
Ugh – glad that’s not me. That must seriously suck. See, I can’t have caffeine, and I’m also a huge fan of Dr Pepper. And most of the time the only caffeine-free Dr Pepper version I can find is diet. I’m willing to make the trade-off. (I liked Pepsi Jazz, that was really good. It only came in diet, but they stopped making it. But, of course, it doesn’t matter, because it wasn’t caffeine free, dammit) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soft-drinks-huge-amount-of-sugar-diet-drinks-zero-sugar-why-not-meet-halfway/633768.md?page=2)