Coke Zero, also called Coke Zero Sugar, is a zero-calorie soda that many consumers consider to be healthier than regular Coke. The brand claims that this drink “has a great taste with zero sugar or calories.”
But does Coke Zero have any unhealthy ingredients? Is it healthier or less healthy than regular Coke? How is it sweetened? And is it better or worse than popular zero-calorie sodas like Zevia?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Coke Zero to give our take on whether or not it's bad for you.
We'll also compare Coke Zero to Diet Coke and other zero-calorie sodas, in terms of healthiness, to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains many unhealthy additives
- We consider Coke Zero healthier than Coke Original
- We consider Coke Zero to be bad for you
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Coke Zero are shown below:
Image source: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/coca-cola/products/zero
Aspartame and acesulfame potassium are the sweetening ingredients, and both are artificial sweeteners.
Aspartame was shown in a medical review published in the Environmental Health journal to be potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) based on clinical trials on animals.
Acesulfame potassium has been shown in a clinical trial to cause harm to the intestinal tract.
Phosphoric acid is a flavor enhancer that may have a negative impact on bone health.
As we documented in our analysis of Diet Coke ingredients, medical studies have shown that women regularly consuming drinks containing phosphoric acid have lower blood calcium levels, which can lead to osteoporosis.
Potassium benzoate is a preservative which was shown in a clinical trial published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal to be toxic to human cells.
Caffeine is also included in this drink, but it’s a relatively low amount that shouldn’t have a negative effect on the vast majority of consumers.
Only 34 milligrams (mg) of caffeine is included, which is equivalent to around 33% of the dose in one cup of coffee.
This soda provides essentially zero nutrition and contains a number of ingredients that may be harmful to human health according to the clinical trials cited in this section.
Overall, we consider Coke Zero to be bad for you.
Is Coke Zero Healthier Than Regular Coke?
The Nutrition Facts for regular Coke (20 ounce bottle) are shown below:
image source: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/coca-cola/products/original
The most notable thing is the added sugar.
Coke contains 65 grams (g) of added sugar per bottle, which exceeds the Daily Value by 30%.
A 2019 medical review reports that added sugar consumption in excess is associated with increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.
High fructose corn syrup is the added sugar source.
As we documented in our review of Ghost Protein Powder, high fructose corn syrup is strongly linked to obesity in clinical trials.
The two ingredient lists are very similar. The main difference is that Coke is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and Coke Zero is sweetened with artificial sweeteners.
We consider Coke Zero to be healthier than regular Coke, because the negative health effects of such a high dose of high fructose corn syrup seem clearer in our opinion than that of artificial sweeteners.
But is Coke Zero healthier than Diet Coke? The ingredients in Diet Coke are shown below:
image source: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/diet-coke
You’ll note that the ingredients are extremely similar to Coke Zero, but this formulation is free of acesulfame potassium.
Citric acid is included in Diet Coke but not Coke Zero as a flavor enhancer.
It's shown in a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals.
We consider Diet Coke to be healthier than Coke Zero because it only contains one artificial sweetener.
Coke Zero vs. Popular Zero-Calorie Soda
Here's how Coke Zero compares to other popular zero-calorie sodas in terms of healthiness, in our opinion:
Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar
Contains nearly an identical formulation to Coke Zero, but also contains artificial flavors.
This class of compounds is clinically shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Coke Zero is healthier because it's free of artificial flavors.
Winner: Coke Zero
Zevia
This stevia-sweetened soda contains two flavoring ingredients we consider mildly unhealthy, as we documented in our is Zevia bad for you article.
However, stevia leaf extract is actually shown in research studies to have positive effects on metabolic health, unlike the artificial sweeteners in Coke Zero.
We consider Zevia to be significantly healthier.
Winner: Zevia
Boylan Diet Soda
Contains a nearly identical formulation to Coke Zero.
However, Boylan Diet Soda is packaged in glass, which is a safer choice than cans which may include a plastic lining (and leach microplastics).
Boylan is the healthier choice based on its packaging.
Winner: Boylan Diet Soda
Our Healthy Soda Pick
Olipop is our healthy soda pick.
This natural soda uses no flavoring additives or refined sugar, and is instead flavored with nutritionally-rich botanical ingredients like mandarin juice (which is clinically shown to be a potent antioxidant), nopal cactus and calendula flower.
The cans have only 2 to 5 g of added sugar from natural sources like cassava root syrup and apple juice.
