To ask why there are sweeteners in nearly all soft drinks?

[wildlifeWalker]

I've stopped drinking alcohol but would like a replacement drink to put in a wineglass.
Nearly every cordial or sparkling drink I've looked at contains sweeteners which I absolutely hate the taste of. The only thing I've found is Belvoir sparkling elderflower which is nice but pricy!
I would just mix my own with fizzy water if I could find a nice, not too sweet cordial. I thought about pure grape juice but my supermarket doesn't do it.

Agree, it's a nightmare. Even some sugared drinks have them... full fat Pepsi for example has sweeteners in it too. They give me migraines and I can taste them a mile away.

Dalston and Cawston press are my go tos for non-sweetener drinks. For something less sweet fever tree do cucumber and lime flavour drinks which are good.

Yes I've bought a few different teas to try though I'm trying to quit caffeine too as it's not agreeing with me lately.

Yorkshire decaf is my norm after 5:30 when I'm at home.

I buy smoothies and mix them one quarter to three quarters with fizzy water. Very cheap to make because if you buy a supermarket own brand smoothie it's only about £1.50 a litre and that will make you at least four litres of fizzy drink and there are no artificial sweeteners in it whatsoever

If you're on Facebook SOS Save Our Sugar is a great resource for drinks w/o sweeteners

In the eastern European section of my supermarket I found a bottle of strawberry cordial. Mixed with fizzy water it is absolutely delicious.

I have been doing alcohol abstinence testing for the last year and was told that Kombucha contains a small amount of alcohol and would have meant my test was positive.

I also hate that everything has sweetener in it. I would rather pay a little more to have real sugar as I can’t stand the taste of sweeteners.

Fevertree are still sweetener free. Dash, but they are very mild tasting. Nice and refreshingly though. Grapefruit or orange juice with 50% fizzy water are nice. You can also make your own cordials. Yes, it's really annoying. I don't like sweeteners either.

@Ladyof2022
Good idea about the smoothies and the strawberry cordial!

Brilliant thank you!

I was prescribed a calcium & vit D supplement. Mortified to find it contained aspartame. Found my own same strength on line with no artificial sweetners. Pharmacist couldn't understand my objection.

Bottle Green Lime and Mint cordial is my current favourite. I also love the Cawston Press fizzy drinks.

Another vote for Rocks blackcurrant (like Ribena used to be), Waitrose high juice pink grapefruit and Appletiser when I'm in a pub. Aspartame gives me a 3 day headache as if someone is sitting on my head & I can't open my eyes properly.
Even full fat Pepsi has been corrupted!
And watch the draught soft drinks in pubs - the soda water from them may be contaminated.

Another vote for fancy water (soda or tonic etc) and a few drops of bitters, lime or lemon and ice. Saved me from nights of excessive amounts of lemonade when pregnant!

I was seduced by Dash's alluring branding. But you'd get the very same drink by chopping up some fruit and letting it sit in a jug of sparkling water for an hour. Mint and strawberries in a jug of water makes for a very refreshing drink btw.

I think even Gaviscon has sweeteners in tit 😖

@CoffeeBeansGalore and antibiotics for a gastric infection causing diarrhea with artifical sweetners .....which cause diarrhea 🙄

I love grenadine it rivals ribena for sweetness!

I had a herbal tea in an advent calendar last year that weirdly tasted of artificial sweetener. Checked the tiny print: stevia. Why oh why would anyone add that to a tea bag?! If you wanted it, you’d add your own. For me, it made it undrinkable.

Wow didn't realise that! I prefer (or at least used to) the taste to Coke.
Haven't had any for a few years though.

I hate sweeteners too so now when I want something fizzy I go for Appletiser as it's only juice and fizzy water. No added sugar or sweeteners.

@KatyMac @Ourshoddyhouse That's dreadful.

Like others we have sparkling water & add various fruit juice. At least you know what's in it.

@Ourshoddyhouse
I wouldn't even think to check vitamins!

This is interesting. I had draught full fat pepsi the other day and had stomach cramps all day. Contaminated by the No sugar version dispensed from the same machine?
I use lemon or lime juice from the baking aisle if I can’t get a cordial.
Does anyone know if the pink Schweppes tonic is still full sugar? The Russchian I think it is? I used to love that.

What!!!