How Much Sodium Do Different Soft Drinks Have?
Updated on August 7, 2025
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Excessive amounts of sodium in your diet increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke over time. Understanding where you're getting sodium from in the diet can help you reclaim some control over your intake.
Soft drinks contain some sodium, but their added sugar content is a more significant concern. In the United States, sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of calories and added sugars, which can eventually contribute to weight gain that can add stress on your heart.
Soft drinks may also increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and liver cancer, as well as affect bone and joint health. Despite their relatively low sodium content, keeping soft drink intake low to moderate (or cutting them out altogether) may still be hugely beneficial for health.
Colas and Pepper-Style Drinks
The sodium level in regular colas is generally the same in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated varieties. However, they may vary by manufacturer, so be sure to check nutrition labels if you have concerns about your sodium intake.
Drinking a 12-fluid-ounce (fl oz) can of cola gives you 11.1 milligrams (mg) of sodium.
Low-calorie caffeinated diet colas can have around 28.8 mg of sodium in 12 fl oz.
However, a caffeine-free diet cola might have more sodium than a regular cola, clocking up 14 mg of sodium per 12 fl oz.
Regular caffeinated pepper-type soft drinks, like Dr Pepper, have about the same serving of sodium as a regular cola: 11.2 mg of sodium in 12 fl oz.
A 12-fl-oz can of a low-calorie, pepper-flavored soft drink provides the same sodium serving as diet cola, 28.8 mg. Caffeine-free regular-sugar pepper-type drinks provide around 14 mg of sodium per 12-fl-oz serving, and diet pepper-type drink varieties provide roughly the same.
Fruity Sodas
Bubbly lemon-lime and other fruity soft drinks often have more sodium than most colas. If you drink 12 fl oz of fruit-flavored soda, you'll get about 33.5 mg of sodium. This will likely vary a little by producer and product. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture listing for fruity soda includes all flavors, such as lemon, lime, cherry, grape, strawberry, orange, and other sodas.
Sweet Sodas
Ginger ale is slightly lower in sodium than fruity soft drinks, giving you roughly 26 mg in a 12-fl-oz serving. Low-sugar ginger ale also offers slightly lower sodium content, at 21.6 mg in the same serving.
Chocolate soda has close to half that amount for the same portion size, containing 14.8 mg of sodium. Cream soda and root beer are at the higher end for sodium content among sweet-flavored soft drinks. Cream soda contains 44.5 mg sodium in a 12-fl-oz serving, while root beer contains 48.1 mg per 12 fl oz.
Mixers
Whether you add soda water, also known as club soda, or tonic water to mixed drinks or sip them over ice, you'll be getting more sodium from these than most other carbonated drinks.
A 12-fl-oz can of soda water contains about 75.6 mg of sodium, while the same serving of tonic water has 43.2 mg of sodium.
How Much Sodium Can You Consume Daily?
Healthy adults can have up to 2,300 mg of sodium daily. So a 12-fl-oz can of cola, for example, represents less than 3 percent of your entire sodium allowance for the day.
However, less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day is preferable, especially if you live with high blood pressure or kidney disease. People with heart failure may be able to safely consume up to 2,000 mg of sodium daily.
If you live with one of these conditions, a can of soft drink makes up more of your daily sodium allowance. Speak to a doctor or dietitian about the best choice for moderating your sodium intake if you have concerns.
The Takeaway
- Soft drinks generally contain low amounts of sodium.
- While a can of soda contributes only a small fraction to your daily sodium intake, people with high blood pressure or other health conditions may need to control intake more closely.
- Consult a healthcare professional for guidance if you want to understand more about drinking soda with a health condition that requires limiting sodium intake.
- Despite their modest sodium content, keep soft drink consumption moderate due to other health risks associated with sugar and calorie intake.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- What doctors wish patients knew about sodium consumption. American Medical Association. January 28, 2022.
- Sugary Drinks. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. August 2023.
- Beverages, carbonated, cola, regular. US Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
- Soft drink, cola, diet. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, cola, decaffeinated, diet. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, pepper type. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, pepper type, diet. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, pepper type, decaffeinated. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, pepper type, decaffeinated, diet. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine free. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, ginger ale. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Soft drink, ginger ale, diet. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Carbonated beverage, chocolate-flavored soda. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Carbonated beverage, cream soda. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Beverages, carbonated, root beer. US Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
- Water, carbonated, plain. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Water, tonic. US Department of Agriculture. October 31, 2024.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Department of Health and Human Services. 2020.
- Shaking the Salt Habit to Lower High Blood Pressure. American Heart Association. May 9, 2024.
- How Much Sodium Is Safe for Kidney Patients? National Kidney Foundation. January 5, 2022.
- Managing sodium and fluid intake to improve heart failure outcomes. Mayo Clinic. September 26, 2024.
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Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainabl...
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