Is Diet Coke Healthy? Why I Quit After 12 Cans a Day

Twelve. That's how many cans of Diet Coke I was drinking a day. Not a week. A day.

And that was all I drank. No water. No milk. No tea. If I was thirsty, I opened a can.

And here's the kicker: I thought I was making the healthier choice. It was either sweet tea, Coke, or Diet Coke. I was choosing the one with no sugar.

If you're reaching for diet because it seems like the smarter choice, I get it. I made that same choice every day for 40 years. Let me tell you how I finally figured out it wasn't.

How It Started: Tab, the "Healthy" Choice

I was in my early 20s, living in Central Arkansas, when Tab showed up on the shelves. If you're my age, you remember that pink can.

And the message was loud and clear: regular soda is full of calories, so drink this instead. Tab was the healthy alternative. Who'd have thunk it?

So I did what we were all told to do. I switched to diet.

So let me ask you: what’s your Tab? The thing you started because someone said it was the healthier choice, and you’ve never questioned since?

Forty Years of Diet Drinks

That was 40 years ago. For about 20 of those years, I never questioned it. Diet was good. Sugar was bad. End of story.

Then somewhere along the way, I started reading labels. And I started to realize that what I was drinking was basically a can of chemicals. Artificial sweeteners. Colorings. Acids. Nothing my body actually needed, and plenty of questions about what it might be doing to my brain.

Did I quit right then? Nope. I kept right on drinking it. Knowing something isn't good for you and being ready to change are two very different things. I knew. I just wasn't ready.

Maybe that’s where you are right now. You’ve read the labels. You’ve seen the headlines. And you’re still reaching for the can. That’s okay. Knowing comes first, and you’re already there.

What Finally Changed

There wasn't one big moment. No dramatic wake-up call. It was more like one door closing, and then another one opening.

The first door was alcohol. I loved Crown Royal, and Diet Coke was my mixer. I was drinking more of it than I wanted to admit, and I knew I didn't want to become that person. So I quit.

And lo and behold, when the Crown Royal went, a whole lot of those Diet Cokes went with it.

The second door was water. I bought a countertop water distiller, and that changed everything. Instead of reaching for a can, I reached for a glass of clean water. Slowly, the distilled water took over the spot the Diet Coke used to have.

Did I notice a big change? Not really. But once you know the science, you can't unsee it. I knew I was making the better choice. What I didn't do was pay attention to what my body was telling me along the way.

Where I Am Now (Being Honest)

I don't drink Diet Coke at all anymore. Zero.

But I'm not going to pretend I'm perfect. I drink regular Coke now. On average, zero to one a day, two at the very most. And I don't have to have it. I can go without it.

Here's the truth: it's not the taste I'm after. It's the carbonation. I crave the fizz. And if I'm going to have fizz, I'd rather have sugar than chemicals.

But regular Coke in the US is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, and I'd honestly rather not drink that either. So I'm not done yet.

My Next Step

My next move is carbonating my own distilled water at home.

Now, I'll be honest, I can't stand store-bought soda water. It tastes salty to me, and that's not in my head. A lot of club sodas have added minerals that give them that taste. And those fruity carbonated drinks? Not for me.

But homemade fizzy water, made with my own distilled water, with a squeeze of lemon and a few drops of stevia? That just might be the answer.

And if wanting bubbles turns out to be my last craving standing, I can live with that. The bubbles were never the problem. The chemicals and the corn syrup were.

Here’s why this matters. I’m in my 60s now, and I’m not just after more years. I’m after a long, healthy life worth living. Every swap I make is a vote for that. Every swap you make is a vote for yours.

If you've been drinking Diet Coke because someone told you it was the healthy choice, you're not alone. I believed it for 40 years. You don't have to fix it all at once. Just start with the next swap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Diet Coke healthy?

No. Zero calories doesn't make something healthy. Diet Coke is carbonated water, aspartame, caramel color, phosphoric acid and caffeine. In 2023, the World Health Organization advised against using artificial sweeteners for weight control, and its cancer agency labeled aspartame "possibly carcinogenic." The research is still mixed, and Diet Coke offers no nutritional value.

Is Diet Coke worse than regular Coke?

Neither one is a health food. Regular Coke in the US is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, about 39 grams of sugar per can. Diet Coke swaps the sugar for aspartame. One brings sugar, the other brings an artificial sweetener. The healthiest choice is cutting back on both.

Coke Zero or Diet Coke: which is better?

They're closer than you'd think. Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame. Coke Zero uses aspartame plus acesulfame potassium. Neither one is a health drink.

How do you quit drinking Diet Coke?

Cutting back gradually usually works better than quitting cold turkey. Reduce by a small amount, stay there until it feels normal, then cut back again. Going slowly can also help you avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches. Replacing the habit with a drink you enjoy makes it easier to stick with.

What can I drink instead of Diet Coke?

Plain water is the best swap. If you miss the fizz, try carbonating water at home and adding a little lemon, lime, or a few drops of stevia. Store-bought club soda has added minerals like sodium, which can make it taste salty, so homemade can taste much cleaner.

Your Turn

Here's my challenge for you this week: swap one can a day for a glass of water. Just one.

Then do the thing I didn't do: pay attention. When I made the switch, I didn't track a thing. I knew it was the better choice, so I never watched what changed. Now I wish I had. Small changes like more energy or more trips to the bathroom are easy to miss if you're not looking for them. Those are body signals, and they're how you know a swap is working.

If you want to catch yours, my free Body Signal Starter shows you what to watch for.

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A quick note from me

I’m sharing my own story, experiences and research here, not medical advice. I’m not your doctor, and nothing on this site is meant to diagnose, treat or cure anything. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making changes, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing, taking medications or managing a health condition. Use what you learn here alongside the care you already trust, never in place of it. Your health decisions are always yours to make.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products I believe in.

Below, Holistic Life members get the step-down plan I used to go from 12 Diet Cokes a day to none, starting right where you are.