Which Soft Drinks Do Not Have Fructose?

Soft drinks are popular for a reason: They’re bubbly, refreshing, and a quick solution for that midafternoon sweet tooth.

But they can also be full of empty calories that could sabotage your health goals. Soda without high-fructose corn syrup might be a better option.

Diet drinks with zero calories, such as Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, and Coke Zero, all contain artificial sweeteners instead of fructose.

Why Is the Fructose in Soda Bad for You?

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a central ingredient in many traditional soft drinks, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Sprite. It’s what gives the drink a sweet taste, but it’s also what accounts for the majority of its calorie load.

Foods containing HFCS are often highly processed, meaning they provide empty calories — excess energy without a good amount of accompanying vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and other nutrients.

Is Soda Without HFCS Actually Good for You?

Producers market certain types of HFCS-free soda as being healthier than their traditional counterparts.

• Type 2 diabetes
• Increased waist circumference
• Heart issues
• Issues with child brain and nervous system development
• Adverse heart changes
• Worsening retinal damage in people with diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis in females
• Bone and tooth issues
• Mental health issues
• Cells that age faster

Artificial sweeteners are intensely sweet. They produce a similar flavor to sugar with a fraction of the amount, meaning they can overstimulate the parts of the tongue that detect sweet flavors.

Plus, artificial sweeteners can trick the brain into detaching sweetness from consuming calories, potentially leading to cravings for sweets over nutritious food and weight gain.

Companies market certain sweeteners, such as stevia, as being healthy alternatives to sugar. But is stevia soda really that different from regular soda?

It doesn’t spike your blood sugar, and producers make it using the leaves of a tropical herb. In small quantities, stevia is likely fine, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has marked it as “generally regarded as safe.”

What Can You Drink Instead of Soda?

If you’re hoping to cut down on calories, sugar-free soda alternatives might be better for you than sodas with HFCS. But like most processed foods, it’s better to avoid consuming them in excess.

Alternatively, try quenching your thirst with the following:

• If you’re after a burst of energy, drink coffee or tea without a whole bunch of sugar or creamer.
• Freeze fruit, such as lemon, lime, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, or mint, and add them to drinks for extra flavor.
• If it’s the bubbles you’re after, drink seltzer water or sparkling water.
• Try other beverages, like kombucha or coconut water.

Talk to your doctor if you’re concerned that diet soda could be having a negative effect on your health goals.