The soda stream syrups are more concentrated than fountain ones

What are people's opinions on the sodastream versions? I tried regular yesterday and it has that diet aftertaste

Well, there is a caffeine free version available

Are you serious? It’s common knowledge that it has caffeine. It also shows on the label that it contains caffeine. No one failed you by not mentioning it.

Probably best to not sleep at all at this point.

Reading is fundamental.

You just figured this out? It's only a little, like 40mg or something like that. Coca Cola and other soft drinks have caffeine as a flavor booster/stimulant, but like I said it's not much. A cup of coffee has a lot more caffeine.

If it's a concern read the label, it will tell you if it has caffeine or not. No one is trying to trick you.

In moderation, you're fine, in excess is where you run into risk:

Artificial Sweeteners: Coke Zero contains artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium. While these are approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA, some studies suggest that they may have potential health risks, including negative effects on metabolism, gut bacteria, and appetite regulation. There is ongoing research into their long-term effects.

Some research suggests that consuming artificial sweeteners may lead to weight gain and metabolic issues. This might be because they can trigger cravings for sweet, high-calorie foods, leading to increased calorie intake overall.

While Coke Zero does not contain sugar, it is still acidic due to the presence of phosphoric acid and carbonation. This acidity can erode tooth enamel over time, potentially leading to dental issues.

Artificial sweeteners might negatively affect gut microbiota, which plays a crucial role in overall health, including digestion and immune function.

There is some evidence that the phosphoric acid in sodas like Coke Zero may interfere with calcium absorption, potentially impacting bone health over time.

Aspartame is one of the artificial sweeters used in Coke Zero. The WHO's cancer research group, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, classifies it as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" based on studies it may cause certain blood cancers.

https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released

Yeah. Soft drinks have had this for decades. Calorie free sweetener we can’t process, and otherwise it’s basically water and co2

Yeah but speaking from experience, that doesn't mean too much won't give you a tummy ache. Btw it's closer to the original Coke formula than Diet Coke (which is a different recipe altogether).

Artificial sugars are zero calories but it's still bad for you.

Zero flavor

I’ve always wondered whether or not you can survive on only zero sugar drinks without too many health problems. Let’s assume there’s no acid. Could you?

I mean there’s plenty of research going on with aspartame and its potential long term side effects. Enough to make me cautious of anything using it, if it’s something I’d want to consume regularly.

lol in germany all flavors have 160 mg per can as its the highest u can put in per law

I'm just guessing, but maybe the caffeine has a taste? So they're putting in as much caffeine as they can without it affecting the flavour?

Caffeine laws

Diet Coke uses more aspartame, which tastes a bit lighter. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar uses aspartame too, but combines it with acesulfame potassium, creating a more robust flavor that's closer to actual sugar.

Diet Coke doesn't taste like Coke, so they released Coke Zero, which tastes more like Coke, but is still sugar free. I also heard they struggled to get men to buy diet coke as it had been marketed to women for years, so it was a fresh start for their marketing department.

Coke Zero tastes three times better. On ice in a glass it's amazingly close to real coke, while DC still retains that metallic taste. And, jeebus, out of the can, I find Diet Coke virtually undrinkable.

At least in terms of marketing - Diet Coke has its own cult following. They like the taste. Coke isn't gonna change that. On the other hand Zero is targeted more for people who want the original Coke taste without sugar/calories. 

"Zero" sodas try to more accurately mimic the flavor of the original. "Diet" sodas have their own unique flavor.

Oddly I notice much less of a difference between diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper zero than between Diet Coke and Coke Zero. When the grocery store has multiple-buys-necessary sales, I will often get both of them among the selection. I probably couldn’t tell you which was which if you gave me a taste test.

You know, I actually dont really taste a difference between diet coke and coke zero, but I prefer them both over regular coke - I dont like the feeling of the sugary syrup on my teeth. And interesting that you prefer fountain coke over store-bought, I always find them a little too flat.

They have different flavor. Coke Zero tastes like regular coke, while diet coke is more obviously a different product

I expect that diet coke was made in era when trying to match the flavor of regular coke would be close but wrong, so it had to be its own thing. (Diet Coke is very old, while Coke Zero is a relatively recent product)

Coke has a blurb about this on their website: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/offerings/faq/whats-the-difference-between-coca-cola-zero-sugar-and-diet-coke

It has to be ice cold.

Coke Zero is nasty at room temperature while regular Coke is still drinkable

I believe that Coke Zero has a flavor based on Coke Classic, and diet is its own thing.

Different sweeteners. Coke Zero tastes very similar to sugar coke (at least to me and I'm in Australia so we use cane sugar, never tried corn syrup Coke).

Diet Coke tastes like filtered swamp water, but enough people seem to like it that it's worth them keeping it around still.

I'm 100% with you, but I will say Coke Zero is the most tolerable one I've tried.

Coke Zero tastes nothing like Coke

Because it has sweeteners

When a mf is too dumb to understand science.

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Is yada yada not enough reason?

If you drink it, you owe the Coca-Cola Company your firstborn child. They will be used to make Coca-Cola products like Oopma Loompas.

Depends on stuff like tolerance and body mass presumably. A single can of coca cola iirc has a lower caffeine content than the average cup of coffee,

A person with a high caffiene tolerance might not see much if any effect, but ordinarily the caffiene content plus all that sugar should be enough to interfere with sleep

Yes it

CAN

It definitely could. Different levels of caffeine affect different people to varying degrees.

Yes, not to mention, the sugar.

For some people. Caffeine has no impact on my sleep. I can drink a 2 liter of soda or a cup of coffee and go right to bed.

Same. I hate caffeinated beverages and it's what's mostly carried around me.

Plenty of it at my store, If you can get Real Sugar Mountain Dew, I’ll trade you.

Used to be a merchandiser years ago and the trend I see is that most big box stores only carry the main flavors to appeal to the masses, try mom and pop/smaller chain stores as they tend to carry a variety of different flavors as from what I'm seen, hopefully you find more soon