Is sparkling water with squash better than Coke Zero?

[EnglishRain]

I've gotten into drinking Coke Zero, maybe two cans a day at times

I think it's the 'fizz' that I enjoy, so I'm thinking of swapping to sparkling water and adding a no added sugar squash to start with if the sparkling water on its own is too bland.

I know it won't be good for me, but am I right to think it's got to be better than Coke as there isn't so many random things in it?

It will cut down on the caffeine

If it's no added sugar squash, it still has nasty artificial sweeteners in.

Plus sparkling water is acidic so bad for teeth.

No caffeine, but otherwise still not great for you.

It's best to limit your intake of artificial sweeteners. Check what's in your no-added-sugar squash - you might find it contains some.

Another option which avoids added ingredients is to use pure fruit juice but heavily diluted (to avoid excessive sugar). Diluted in squad proportions, natural fruit juice gives you a flavoured water rather than a very sweet drink and personally I find this more thirst-quenching than fruit juice on its own.

squash proportions, not 'squad proportions'.

Coke Zero ingredients:
Water, Colour (Caramel E150d), Phosphoric Acid, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Natural Flavourings Including Caffeine, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate).

Robinson's Orange Squash ingredients:
Water, Orange Fruit from Concentrate (10%), Acid (Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Natural Flavouring, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Saccharin), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Stabilisers (Cellulose Gum, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate), Emulsifier (Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins), Natural Colour (Carotenes)

Ah I could do fruit juice, when I googled people seemed to think the constant sugar highs even from a small amount of juice added was exceptionally bad?

I drink fizzy stuff through a straw so my teeth aren't exposed to much of it.

These are the sweeteners in what I've been looking at.

Sucralose, Acesulfame K

@NotDavidTennant maybe I should stick with the coke! Everyone always says Coke is horrendous, but I guess anything except water isn't great for you.

Artificial sweeteners don't really bother me. I tend to drink tea during the day and have fizzy diet drinks with my dinner/in the evening. Some of them have caffeine (coke, irn bru) but some don't (Fanta, lemonade,etc).

Could you get used to drinking sparkling water as it is? It’s pretty much my main drink. Maybe add fresh mint to it or lemon slices?

Try unsweetened fruit flavoured sparkling water, what would be called seltzer in the US. We buy it by the case in Costco. I don't know why it isn't common here, I got addicted while living in the US where it is everywhere. I drink one a day, otherwise I just drink water, but I do love fizzy drinks.

Ah I could do fruit juice, when I googled people seemed to think the constant sugar highs even from a small amount of juice added was exceptionally bad?

A small amount of naturally occurring sugar from fruit isn't half as bad as all the nasties in the squash ingredients NotDavidTennant has listed.

If you want a cold drink that is completely free of both sugar and artificial sweetener/flavourings, your only real option is water on its own.

@Chemenger

Try unsweetened fruit flavoured sparkling water, what would be called seltzer in the US. We buy it by the case in Costco. I don't know why it isn't common here, I got addicted while living in the US where it is everywhere. I drink one a day, otherwise I just drink water, but I do love fizzy drinks.

M&S do a nice lemon and ginger one, which is bizarrely cheaper for a big bottle near the tonic water than a small bottle with the sandwiches, but I suppose it would also be easy enough to make your own.

The thing is, refined sugar is not really any more 'natural' than artificial sweeteners, it's just been around for longer so people don't question it as much.

Also, sugar is a familiar ingredient that everyone's heard of, whereas sucralose and acesulfame K are unfamiliar ingredients with scary, chemical sounding names and therefore automatically assumed to be 'nasties'. Even though refined sugar can be just as much of a 'nasty'.

I was addicted to cherry coke - I've swapped to fizzy water, cold is lovely! Sometimes I squeeze lemon or lime in but usually just have the water - been having it about 10 years and not affected my teeth

@NotDavidTennant

Also, sugar is a familiar ingredient that everyone's heard of, whereas sucralose and acesulfame K are unfamiliar ingredients with scary, chemical sounding names and therefore automatically assumed to be 'nasties'. Even though refined sugar can be just as much of a 'nasty'.

But I don't think the OP is considering drinks with added sugar.

OP was talking about the sugar in pure fruit juice, which is the unrefined sugar naturally occurring in the fruit.

Kombucha. The fermentation process uses the sugar so it's usually almost sugar free, low calorie, and the fermentation process also makes it fizzy. I really like tangy things, though, so kombucha can be a bit vinegary. I've acquired the taste now so it doesn't taste that way to me now. There are lots of different flavours about, too.

Have you tried those cold brew fruit teas if you want to flavour your water without the sugar or sweeteners?

Ever just chill plain water in the fridge? It's very refreshing.

I make sparkling water with ice and a slice, usually lime but sometimes lemon.
If I have it I'll put fresh mint in a water jug in the fridge too. That's lovely.

The big win of swapping from coke to cordial and water is not taking in phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid has been associated with bone density loss (did you ever do the disappearing tooth experiment at school?).

Was also going to say kombucha. Fizzy and if you get a nice flavour, sweet without being an issue because as Magda says, the fermentation uses the sugar. The Nexba brand I've found is the best - some can taste weird but their lemon and elderflower just tastes like lemonade to me. The raspberry and peach is great too. You can find it in Sainsburys

You can boil water and make fruit tea. Let it cool and add sparkling water and ice. No artificial nasties and no sugar (or negligible).
Berries generally have less sugar than tropical juice, if you do decide to dilute 100% natural juice. You can also get a sodastream to cut down on plastic and aluminium waste. There is sometimes an offer of sodastream with cartridge for £60.

This is quite interesting:

www.bbc.com/future/article/20150911-is-sparkling-water-really-bad-for-you

As far as I am aware there has never been any confirmed negative health finding linked to any of the ingredients in sugar free drinks (apart from caffeine). Conversely, the evidence against sugary drinks is overwhelming. Drink what you like OP, as long as it doesn’t have sugar in it, but be careful on caffeine.