Every kid knows cola isn’t exactly the picture of health. With eight teaspoons of sugar per can, caffeine, and artificial coloring, it’s easy to see why. For years, cola has been considered a guilty pleasure to be enjoyed in moderation. But what about those who don’t want to moderate?
They often switch to Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, or other sugar-free versions of the world’s most famous fizzy drink. The common assumption is that the “diet” label removes all health risk, making it perfectly okay to drink as much as you want, all day long.
That’s why when I host guests at home, I make sure to add a few bottles of Diet Coke to my shopping list. As soon as they walk in, right after a hug, I happily announce, “There’s Diet Coke in the fridge,” and they smile in relief and thank me. Diet cola, or its equivalents, has become a staple in many Israeli homes. Is it an addiction? That depends s who you ask.
“I got used to drinking so much, I’m at 3.75 liters a day.”
Noa Levi, 49, from Holon, has been drinking diet sodas for decades. “My fizzy drink journey began as a teenager on a diet, trying to find a calorie-free alternative. I started with Diet Coke. Even in the army, I didn’t drink water—it just seemed tasteless. After my service, I switched to sugar-free concentrates. Eventually, I went back to Diet Coke, and now I drink Pepsi Max and other diet sodas.”
How much does she drink?
“Generally, I’ve trained myself to drink a lot. I’ve reached about two and a half 1.5-liter bottles a day. I checked the amount of aspartame I was consuming, and it was still below the recommended daily limit. Some days, I drink so much that the taste starts to change—Diet Coke can suddenly taste sour, or like nothing at all. So I mix it up with other sugar-free fizzy drinks. After my morning Pepsi, I move on to Apple Fanta Zero, Diet Sprite, Diet Orange Fanta, Diet Schweppes, and then after work, back to Pepsi.”
But even in the world of diet drinks, there are drawbacks: “It’s expensive, it’s heavy, and the taste becomes disgusting if you leave the crate in the car during summer. And I’m sure it’s making my dentist rich.”
How do people respond to your “thing” with cola?
“My family accepts it as part of who I am. At work, they’re used to me arriving with bottles and stashing them in drawers. Everyone there is super healthy and always lectures me about switching to water. There’s always someone who decides to be the ‘health cop’ and tells me how bad it is, but I think they’ve given up by now.”
Have you ever tried to quit?
“No. Why should I suffer? I don’t drink alcohol at all, I don’t smoke, and I eat relatively healthy. This is my one bad habit. All my blood tests are perfectly normal.”
So, no, she hasn’t quit—but something has shifted over the years: “Four years ago I went on a diet and lost 25 kilos. I kept the weight off for three years, but this past year I gained a kilo or two. That annoyed me, so I tried a few different diets. One well-known program requires drinking two glasses of water before each meal in the first week and reducing diet soda consumption to half a liter a day. Since my issue isn’t the quantity but the taste, I gave it a try.”
“I started drinking a liter of water before breakfast, brought a liter bottle to work, and finished it by lunch. The diet didn’t work out—I slowly dropped it and went back to diet soda, but I stuck with the water. I discovered that water makes me feel full and curbs my sweet cravings. Now I drink two liters of water a day alongside fizzy drinks. On weekends, I let myself have only soda.”
No plans to give up Pepsi, then?
“Every time I read about a woman who lived past 100 even though she drank and smoked her whole life, I think—maybe I’ll be the Pepsi version of that in 50 years. Sometimes I just want to scream: ‘Leave our Pepsi alone!’ We’re adults. We know what we’re doing and understand the consequences. You can stop treating cola drinkers like children who need to be taught how the world works. I don’t comment on anyone’s whiskey or wine at the end of the week, or their beers with friends, or their smoke breaks, or even their joints. So leave our cola alone.”
“No chance I’m switching to water.”
Mirit Malul, 48, from Ashdod, has been drinking diet sodas for as long as she can remember. “I mainly drink Pepsi Max and Coke Zero. It started as a way to get something tasty without sugar and turned into a habit. I drink several glasses a day—finish one bottle, open another. The biggest advantage is the taste. It refreshes me and gives me energy. It’s an indulgence without the guilt of sugar and calories.”
Any side effects from drinking that much diet soda?
“First of all, the comments from people around me. A lot of people say, ‘Again with that Zero?’ but most have gotten used to it. I also feel it affects my skin and energy levels. When I tried to stop, I lasted about 10 minutes. But when I have a stomachache, I don’t need medicine—I just drink Zero, and it goes away.”
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Eyal Cohen (a pseudonym), 50, from Herzliya, also drinks Diet Coke daily. “I drank regular Coke for years, s—since I was a kid. I loved the taste and couldn’t stop. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes, and my dietitian told me I had to change my diet immediately. So I switched to a diet, and now I pretty much live on it. I go through bottle after bottle. At lunch alone, I’ll finish half a bottle. My family knows that wherever I go, they need to have a stock of cold Zero or Diet bottles ready.”
How does it feel to drink that much every day?
“I’m aware of everything they say—about teeth, skin, stomach acid—but I focus on the diabetes. Diet drinks solve that problem for me. I’ve lost a lot of weight, I feel energetic most of the time, and there’s no way I’m switching to water. I don’t like the taste, and it’s not satisfying. I tell myself that since I don’t have sugar or sweets in my diet anymore, this is the only sweet thing I allow myself, so it’s fine.”
Have you tried quitting?
“Yes—and I couldn’t do it. Water has no taste, and soda water doesn’t help either. But I’ve come up with a new method: every evening, I mix Diet Coke with lemon soda water. It helps cut down a bit. Does it work? Not really. But at least I’m trying.”
One day is considered moderate.
“Diet drinks are preferable to regular sugary sodas, but they’re not the healthiest choice,” says Chen Bar-Gil, a clinical dietitian at the Nutrition and Dietetics Unit at Beilinson Hospital. “When choosing between a sugar-laden soda and its diet version, the diet option is usually the lesser evil. Regular sodas contain large amounts of sugar that lead to weight gain, diabetes, cavities, and heart problems. Diet drinks, on the other hand, use artificial sweeteners that don’t raise blood sugar levels. In moderation, they aren’t harmful for most people. But regular, high-volume consumption can affect your health.”
How exactly?
“First, there’s tooth damage. While diet sodas don’t contain sugar, they are acidic (low pH) and can erode tooth enamel. Many also contain about 40mg of caffeine per can. High caffeine intake can lead to restlessness, insomnia, increased heart rate, and headaches. There’s also an effect on gut microbiota—some artificial sweeteners have been linked in studies to changes in gut bacteria, potentially impacting digestion, immunity, and blood sugar regulation. Plus, constant exposure to sweet flavors—even without calories—can reinforce a preference for strong sweetness, making it harder to enjoy natural flavors like vegetables, fruits, or water.”
What’s considered a reasonable amount?
“One to two cans, or a half-liter bottle per day, is moderate. More than that, especially daily over time, can increase health risks. If someone feels addicted, like they need it to wake up or feel refreshed, can’t cut back despite trying, or gets headaches or cranky without it—that’s a sign it might be time to make a change.”
How can people reduce their intake?
“Start gradually—cut half a can every few days. Make smart swaps—try water with mint, sparkling water, or cold herbal tea. Ask yourself why you’re drinking habit? Boredom? Emotional need?—and offer yourself a healthier alternative. Keep options varied—having other tasty drinks at home reduces the temptation to reach for the usual can. Set ‘soda days’—instead of every day, limit it to two or three times a week. That gives structure without feeling like you’re being deprived. And seek support—working with a clinical dietitian can help you understand the root of the habit and find healthier substitutes.”