SOFTDRINKS: diet soft drink

The equation among soft drink competition was almost balanced, Coke competed against Pepsi, Tab against Diet Pepsi, Sprite against Mountain Dew, and so on.

The company’s diet cola Tab sold well, but its once rapid growth rate had flattened by early 1980s. When Coca-Cola introduced Diet Coke in 1982, its aspirations were high. The launch of Diet Coke, was the first brand extension of Coca-Cola in its history.

After only one year in the market it grew to become the largest selling, low-calories soft drink in the United States.

It aimed not being content with just outselling Diet Pepsi; the company wanted Diet Coke to be number two soft drink of any kind. Since its inception, Diet Coke has expanded its product line by introducing many other flavors, including Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Vanilla Coke, Diet Coke with Lemon and Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke.

Coca-Cola promoted Diet Coke heavily, so much so that during some quarters it spent more on Diet Coke advertising than on its flagship Coke Classic. Diet Coke advertising campaigns have been associated with memorable themes and celebrities.

By 1986, Diet Coke was the most popular low-calorie beverage in the world.
Diet Coke by Coca-Cola

A huge U.S. study of middle-aged adults has found that drinking more than one soft drink a day — even a sugar-free diet brand — may be associated with an elevated risk for metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that significantly boosts the chance of having a heart attack or stroke and developing diabetes.

Scientists found that one or more sodas per day increases risk of new-onset metabolic syndrome by about 45 per cent, and it did not seem to matter if it was regular or diet. That’s what senior investigator for the Framingham Heart Study from Boston said.

Because the corn syrup that sweetens most regular soft drinks can cause weight gain and lead to insulin resistance and diabetes, people would expect to see an association with regular soft drinks — but not diet soft drinks. The findings suggest that this is not the case.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with five specific health indicators: excess abdominal fat; high blood sugar; high triglycerides; low levels of the good cholesterol HDL; and elevated blood pressure.

The study included nearly 9,000 observations of middle-aged men and women over four years at three different times. The study looked at how many 355-millilitre cans of cola or other soft drinks a participant consumed each day.

The researchers found that compared to those who drank less than one can per day, subjects who downed one or more soft drinks daily had a:

#31 per cent greater risk of becoming obese (with a body mass index of 30 or more).

#30 per cent increased risk of adding on belly fat.

#25 per cent higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar.

#32 per cent higher risk of having low HDL levels. But the scientists whose study was published Monday in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, are unsure what it is about soft drinks that ratchets up the risk of metabolic syndrome. Researchers have found that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — even a sugar-free diet brand — may boost a person's risk of becoming obese.

Scientists don’t know soda consumption may be a marker for a particular dietary pattern or lifestyle. Individuals who drink one or more sodas per day tend to be people who have greater caloric intake. They tend to have more of saturated fats and trans fats in their diet, they tend to be more sedentary, they seem to have lower consumption of fibre." Caramel, used to colour colas, is an ingredient that goes through a chemical reaction that has been shown in studies to "be quite toxic". It's possible that [such products] increase insulin resistance and cause oxidative stress and damage and all the other things we don't want."

Source: Canadian press