Don't go gulping down litres of the new Coke No Sugar range - it's no health drink, a nutrition expert has warned. Show Coke No Sugar is the company's third attempt at emulating the iconic drink's flavour, after the 1980s' Diet Coke and 2006's Coke Zero.
Coca-Cola says it's closer to the taste of the real thing, but without the calories. But that does make it safe to drink? Healthy Food Guide editor Niki Bezzant says it can only be considered healthy if you're drinking it instead of the sugar-filled Coca-Cola Classic. "Coke with sugar in it is bad for you. Sugary drinks have got no redeeming features. There's no nutrition in them. They're nothing but empty calories. "If you're choosing a sugar-free drink like this one over a sugary drink, then it's a healthier option. Obviously the healthiest option is to have water." The sweeteners in Coke No Sugar, just like Coke Zero and Diet Coke, are aspartame - listed on the can as sweetener 951 - and acesulfame potassium, otherwise known as sweetener 950 or 'Ace K'. Aspartame is perhaps the most common artificial sweetener in the world, sold under the brand names Equal and NutraSweet. Both products are considered safe by food authorities here, in the US and in Europe. Because it's around 200 times sweeter than sugar, only a very small amount of aspartame needed to make a drink taste nice - about 185mg (in contrast, a can of Coke Classic has 27g of sugar). It would take 18 cans for the average person to exceed the US Food and Drug Administration's daily recommended maximum. If you drink fewer than 18 cans a day, according the Mayo Clinic the only proven risks aspartame poses are to people:
Recent studies looking at suspected links between aspartame and cancer have largely come up empty. A less immediate risk of consuming any artificial sweetener is weight gain. It sounds counterintuitive, but studies have shown consuming sweet products without the calories increases your appetite and makes real sugar even tastier.
"Inside the brain's reward centres, sweet sensation is integrated with energy content," Associate Professor Greg Neely from the University of Sydney said last year. "When sweetness versus energy is out of balance for a period of time, the brain recalibrates and increases total calories consumed." All Coke variants are acidic says Ms Bezzant, so are bad for your teeth regardless of their sugar content. "Try and get yourself towards where you're having more water than anything else." Coca-Cola's position is that its sweeteners are "perfectly safe". "We know that consumers, their tastes are changing, their preferences are changing, our concerns are changing, right?" says Sandhya Pillay, general manager of Coca-Cola New Zealand. "We want to eat and drink less sugar." All about the money? Ms Bezzant says Coke's move has little do with health, and more about capturing the emerging sugar-free market. "They're going where the demand is," she told The AM Show. "Everyone's wanting to have less sugar in their diet. This is Coke being a savvy business." Ms Pillay says Coca-Cola's sugar-free range currently makes up about a third of the company's sales, but that's rising fast - about at least 12 percent in the last year. "We're in the business of treats - that's part of our portfolio. But now you're going to have an option." Coke No Sugar goes on sale on June 12. In the meantime, both Diet Coke and Coke Zero will still be available. It's not clear if they'll eventually be discontinued. "We've been so focused on getting this to market, because it's been five years in the making, we haven't even had conversations about that yet," says Ms Pillay. In countries where a similar 'Coke Zero Sugar' offering has been unveiled in the past year, the 10-year-old Coke Zero range has been discontinued. Newshub.  While both Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke contain the same sweeteners (a blend of aspartame and acesulfame-potassium or Ace-K) and contain zero calories, Coca-Cola Zero uses a different flavour base and delivers the great taste of Coca-Cola with zero sugar. Drinking soda can be a hard habit to break. That's why so many people were thrilled to hear that Coca-Cola had released a healthy alternative to their soda beverages, Coke Zero. But, health experts say that this seemingly healthy drink still isn't a good choice for you. In fact, it can even be worse for you than Regular Coke! Here's why you should stop drinking Coke Zero for good! [Photos: Shutterstock] 1. It can cause weight gain According to Livestrong, research suggests that drinking sweet-tasting soft drinks like Coke Zero can affect your weight, and even cause you to pack on the pounds without realizing it! 2. It tricks your brain Drinks like Coke Zero have been proven to increase your appetite for other sweet foods and throw off your body’s ability to accurately estimate the number of calories you've consumed, according to Harvard’s School of Public Health. 3. The caffeine content can have effects on the body Most people forget that soda--even Coke Zero--contains caffeine. Make sure that you're not overconsuming your caffeine for the day as it can cause restlessness, irritability and difficulty sleeping. 4. It has no nutritional benefits Coke Zero may be free of calories, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol or sugars, but it's still not providing your body with any nutrients or vitamins. This is why parents should avoid giving the soft drink to their children, who need to make sure that they're getting nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and protein from their drink choices. 5. There are still preservatives in Coke Zero Ingredients like caramel color, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, natural flavors, and potassium citrate are still used to make Coke Zero's sweet taste and signature brown color. 6. There are artificial sweeteners in there, too! Coke Zero is sweetened using a combination of aspartame and acesulfame K (ACE-K). Though it has less aspartame than Diet Coke, you should still be mindful of this sweetener as it's been linked to diseases and ailments like cancer, seizures, depression, ADHD, weight gain, lupus and Alzheimer's disease. 7. ACE-K isn't good for you either Though this artificial sweetener is safe for human consumption, there is evidence to support that it may interfere with your appetite, cause weight gain and future problems with your blood sugar regulation. 8. The caramel color isn't doing you any favors Caramel color has been added to California's list of chemicals that are known to cause cancer, and there have even been petitions created to urge the FDA to ban the types of caramel color that are cancerous. Is aspartame harmful to the body?The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that “the use of aspartame as a general purpose sweetener… is safe.”
Is Coke Zero sweetened with stevia?Coke Zero is sugar-free, calorie-free and is very similar in taste to the Coca-Cola Classic. However, Coke Zero uses aspartame and acesulfame potassium as sugar substitutes in the beverage instead of stevia extract.
Is aspartame worse for you than sugar?Both sugar and artificial sweetener are addictive. But artificial sweeteners may be likelier to make you get hungry, eat more throughout the day and develop diabetes. Sugar is OK in limited amounts and in the context of a healthy diet.
Does Coke Zero have added sugar?Coke Zero contains no added sugars since it uses artificial sweeteners instead. It comes in a variety of flavors, including cherry, cherry vanilla, orange vanilla, and vanilla. Caffeine-free Coke Zero is also available.
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