Health Experts Break Down The Best And Worst Soda Pop Brands
If the bitter, decades-spanning rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi wasn't enough of an indication of its own, the soda market is a competitive one. As such, each successful brand is represented by scores of die-hard fans, all of whom are convinced that theirs is the best one. So how does one determine the best and worst brand?
From a taste perspective, it's not possible because there's no accounting for taste. And at first, ranking them from a health perspective seems silly because soda products almost never have any nutritional value to speak of. However, that reality isn't quite as simple as it seems.
BEST: Sierra Mist
Although no regular soda is even remotely healthy, Sierra Mist has the distinction of being the major brand with the least sugar and the fewest calories. The difference between it and other brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi is negligible, but it deserves at least a little recognition for that.
For those who are curious, Men's Journal described a 12-ounce Sierra Mist can as containing 130 calories and 37 grams of sugar. If that sounds like a lot, just know that everything that isn't a diet soda, sparkling water, or probiotic is technically worse.
WORST: Fanta
Although there are many flavors of Fanta, the brand is best known for its signature orange soda. And that was exactly what Men's Journal examined when they compared its value to the body (or lack thereof) to other soda brands.
Unfortunately, Fanta is near the top of the list of unhealthy sodas. That's because just one 12-ounce can contains 160 calories and 44 grams of sugar. It's technically possible to get a less healthy soda than that, but Fanta comes in a close second place.
BEST: Olipop Root Beer
Specifically marketed as a healthy alternative to regular sodas, Olipop produces a line of beverages (like its popular root beer) that are known for containing just two grams of added sugar. According to Eat This, Not That, it also has 25 milligrams of sodium and 35 calories.
However, that's not Olipop's true value. As dietitian Lauren Manaker told the outlet, "Plus, it is made with nothing artificial (no artificial colors or flavors) and it contains a whopping nine grams of prebiotic fiber. Prebiotics act as 'fuel' for live probiotics, ultimately helping support gut health."
WORST: Sunkist
Even by the standards of regular soda, Sunkist's nutritional facts indicate a hefty load of unhealthy ingredients. Although Eat This, Not That noted that Sunkist soda have about 100 milligrams of sodium, their other drawbacks are bigger than even Mountain Dew's excesses.
That's because one 20-ounce bottle contains about 80 grams of sugar. For reference, a similarly sized Mountain Dew bottle has about 77 grams. That goes a long way to explain why a bottle of Sunkist has 300 calories, while a Mountain Dew of that size has 290.
BEST: Culture Pop
Those who are used to a sweet-tasting soda may be thrown by the taste of Culture Pop, as it doesn't contain any added sugar. Still, its natural ingredients ensure it's no less satisfying than other sodas, especially considering it has just 45 calories. It also has eight grams of fiber.
However, its real strength comes from its probiotic properties. As dietitian Lauren Manaker told Eat This, Not That, "Culture Pop is packed with live probiotics that help support gut health, and instead of being made with questionable ingredients, this soda is made with organic fruit juice and real rosemary."
WORST: Pibb Xtra
Most Mr. Pibb soda available in stores has been rebranded as "Pibb Xtra," which is supposed to suggest that its spicy cherry taste makes it "extra bold" and "extra good." Although this may be true, it also seems to mean they dumped extra sugar into it.
According to Eat This, Not That, Pibb Xtra has 64 grams of sugar for each 20-ounce bottle. Add that to the 65 milligrams of sodium in that bottle and it's not so hard to see how each one is 230 calories.
BEST: New Wave Soda
Some of those who try New Wave Soda compare it to sparkling water and that underscores its difference from other soda brands. Although it doesn't have the probiotic properties that other specialty soda brands are famous for, it's significantly healthier to drink than regular soda.
According to Men's Journal, that's because it's 85% sparkling water and 15% fruit juice with 42 milligrams of natural caffeine. It doesn't have any artificial additives or added sugar, which puts it between two to ten grams of sugar and 15 to 40 calories, depending on the flavor.
WORST: Sun Drop
Although regular soda is about as unhealthy as it gets, citrus sodas tend to be on the lower end on the scale for sugar and calories. However, one major exception is the regional favorite, Sun Drop.
According to Eat This, Not That, that's because a 20-ounce bottle features about 75 grams of added sugar and and 290 calories. Although part of the gulf between this and other sodas is because of the size difference in containers, it's worth noting that an equivalent bottle of Sprite has 63 grams of sugar and 230 calories.
BEST: Mayawell
Mayawell is a probiotic soda that mixes its gut health benefits with all-natural ingredients and a low calories profile at 40 per can and no sodium. It also has only four grams of sugar — derived from natural agave — and five grams of fiber.
However, Eat This, Not That added that buying Mayawell's drinks has its own benefits. That's because it donates its surplus agave to artists in Oaxaca, Mexico and a portion of the company's proceeds also go to an organization supporting indigenous families there called Hermano Maguey.
WORST: Crush
The Crush line of sodas is essential to that arena but none of them are anywhere near essential for the human body. That's generally true of regular sodas but Crush manages to reach heights of unhealthiness too ambitious even for most of the garden variety.
According to Eat This, Not That, that's because a 20-ounce bottle of one of their sodas can contain between 71 and 76 grams of sugar. That plus the soda's high sodium content (115 milligrams per bottle) explains the 270 to 290 caloric range.
BEST: United Sodas Of America
Reportedly, these taste more like a sweeter version of flavored sparkling water than a regular soda, which is reflected in the contents of the company's product line. The cans the drinks come in are decidedly no-frills and that matches the soda.
According to Men's Journal, the drinks are organically sweetened with no artificial ingredients and feature no added sugar. As a result, each of them are low in sugar and all of them have 30 calories or less.
WORST: Pepsi
For decades, Pepsi and Coca-Cola have duked it out over which soda tastes better. That's obviously a matter of personal preference but considering that it would be pretty absurd for either company to claim their product is healthier than the other, taste is their battleground.
However, if they were to fight over the healthier soda, Pepsi would technically lose that fight. Both sodas are seriously unhealthy but Men's Journal describes a 12-ounce can of Pepsi as containing slightly more sugar and calories at a respective 41 grams and 150 calories.
BEST: Live Soda
Live Soda is firm that separates itself from other probiotic soda makers by sweetening their drinks with monk fruits. Apparently, this makes it taste like it has Stevia in it but the ingredients in it are more natural than that description implies.
According to Men's Journal, the drink's probiotic properties bolster the gut health of customers with no caffeine, sugar, or calories to get in the way. The drink line comes in five different flavors.
WORST: Mello Yello
Although it's not as commonly seen as it used to be, Mello Yello is still around. It's often been compared to Mountain Dew and it's lack of nutritional content and unhealthy contents likely won't do much to dispel those comparisons.
As Eat This, Not That reported, it's not just that the 77 grams of sugar and 290 calories found in a 20-ounce bottle of Mello Yello makes it similarly unhealthy to Mountain Dew. It's that it has almost exactly the same nutritional properties as its competitor (it's just slightly lower in sodium.)
BEST: Corsa Co.
Although it's similar enough to a soda, the Corsa company tends to describe their drinks as hydrating tonics. While that may sound pretentious, the difference in naming indicates that its contents are different from the average soda.
As Men's Journal explained, that's not just because its ingredients are sourced directly from farmers and include west African nuts, citrus, spices, and beets (from which it derives its five grams of sugar.) Instead, it's a reference to the 350 milligrams of hydrating minerals the company included to give the drink electrolytes.
WORST: A&W Root Beer
Although A&W's iconic root beer is delicious enough to have launched an entire restaurant chain, its great taste is pretty much all it has going for it. Although Keurig Dr. Pepper's website marks the root beer as low sodium, this is a bit misleading as one can still contains 4% of a person's daily recommended value at 85 milligrams.
However, the root beer's implications for health get significantly worse when its sugar content is considered, as one 12-ounce can has 43 grams of added sugar and 160 calories. That's on the high end for sure.
BEST: Bubly
As this photo shows, the Bubly line of flavored sparkling waters has a wide selection of flavors. But as Eat This, Not That noted, those flavors aren't derived from any artificial sweeteners and they're not influenced by any added sugars.
Although Bubly doesn't have any real nutritional value, it also doesn't add anything unneeded to the body. There's no sugar content, no calories, and no sodium. Those who need caffeine may be interested in Bubly Bounce, which has 35 milligrams of it.
WORST: 7Up
In fairness, there are many regular sodas that are far worse for the body than any version of 7Up that has ever been made. However, that doesn't suddenly make it healthy or even the best of the worst in that respect, like Sierra Mist.
According to the company behind the drink, a 12-ounce can of 7Up contains 45 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of sugar, and 140 calories. A health-conscious soda drinker could do a lot worse, but they could also do better.
BEST: Recess Mood
According to Men's Journal, Recess is like other health-conscious soda makers in that their drinks have only five grams of sugar and fewer than 20 calories while being sweetened with real fruit. However, the difference lies in what else their Mood line can offer.
It's more nutritious than usual, as Recess includes magnesium, L-theanine, lemon balm, ginseng, and vitamin B6. It's worth noting that the main Recess line of drinks is infused with CBD, so those wishing to avoid any such content should stick to their Mood line.
WORST: Faygo
Not to offend any Juggalos out there, but their soda of choice isn't any more healthy than most other drinks like it. In fact, it's probably one of the least healthy sodas on the market. Granted, part of this comes from the fact that a standard bottle is 24 ounces instead of 20.
Nonetheless, the nutritional facts of that bottle's contents speak for themselves. It has 65 milligrams of sodium, but is on the higher end of sugar content with about 82 grams added to each bottle. According to Extreme Snacks, these factors amount to 300 calories.
BEST: Diet Pepsi
As dietitian Amy Goodson told Eat This, Not That, it's a little misleading to consider diet sodas good for the body. They don't have any more nutritional value than regular sodas do. However, they're typically considered a better option because they don't carry the harms that regular sodas do.
Although the effect of the artificial sweeteners in Diet Pepsi on the body remains inconclusive, Goodson's tentative recommendation to pick it over other options comes from the fact that it has no calories and no sugar content. Although it has 35 milligrams of sodium, it also has eight grams of fiber to make the body feel fuller.
WORST: Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew may be one of the world's more widely enjoyed soda brands, but that's likely because more sugar is dumped in it than in any other popular drink of its kind. Although no regular soda has any nutritional value, this is probably the least healthy one available.
According to Men's Journal, just one 12-ounce can of the stuff has 46 grams of sugar and 170 calories. No wonder it's usually advertised with extreme sports. It takes an extreme workout to undo what it does.
BEST: La Croix
Although it's often criticized for tasting like water that rubbed up against a fruit once, the company behind La Croix would have a lot of explaining to do if its relative flavorlessness came at a cost to its customers' health.
Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case for this sparkling water brand. According to Eat This, Not That, none of their drinks have any sugar, any sodium, or any calories. They are cola and coffee flavors available but they're likely about as muted.
WORST: Dr. Pepper
This delicious dark horse soda may have the word "doctor" in its name, but that doesn't mean that a doctor is likely to recommend drinking it. Although there are regular sodas that are technically worse for the body, there are also ones that are a little better.
According to Men's Journal, a 12-ounce can of Dr. Pepper contains about 39 grams of sugar and 150 calories. Although that amounts to slightly less sugar than a can of Pepsi, Dr. Pepper also contains more sodium.
BEST: Diet Coke
Again, diet sodas aren't known for having any nutritional value and some people have concerns about their artificial contents. However, they're nonetheless among the best soda options a person can have if they're factoring in any quality besides taste.
As dietitian Trista Best told Eat This, Not That, "They can help reduce calorie intake and the risk of weight gain, obesity, and related health issues." Although that applies to Diet Coke, it's also true that its bitter rival may have the better diet soda. That's because Diet Coke has more sodium at 40 milligrams and none of Diet Pepsi's fiber.
WORST: Mug
Although Mug is primarily known for root beer, the company also makes cream soda and neither of these drinks are really doing the body any favors. That said, the cream soda seems to have worse health implications than the root beer.
That's because Giant Food Stores described a 12-ounce can of the root beer as having 65 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of added sugars, and 160 calories. By contrast, Pepsico stated that the cream soda has 60 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of sugar, and 180 calories.
BEST: AHA
According to Eat This, Not That, AHA is a sparkling water manufacturer that's known to give its drinks unusual flavor combinations. For instance, the ones pictured here are peach and honey, orange and grapefruit, apple and ginger, and strawberry and cucumber.
If those sound like good combinations, it may also be comforting to know that none of these drinks have any calories, sodium, artificial sweeteners, or sugar content. It may also interest some to learn that they have caffeinated drinks that can include white, green, or black tea.
WORST: Coca-Cola
Often the first name people think of when soda comes to mind, the standard that Coca-Cola set in the industry hasn't been a very healthy one. Although it's undoubtedly better for the body than the original version that featured a now-controlled substance, that's not saying much.
According to Men's Journal, a 12-ounce can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories. Although that means it has less sugar than Pepsi and fewer calories than Dr. Pepper despite have the same sugar content, that also isn't saying much.
BEST: Poppi
Although most sodas are loaded with sugar, Poppi was created to be different from the rest of the pack. According to Men's Journal, it contains just five grams of sugar and fewer than 25 calories. Like similarly health-conscious sodas, however, Poppi has a secret ingredient.
In this case, Poppi makes apple cider vinegar the defining ingredient among its all-natural contents. This is important because it's a probiotic intended to improve the gut health and immune systems of customers. It's not a magic ingredient but it can be very helpful.
WORST: Sprite
Similarly to 7Up, Sprite is probably one of the better regular sodas options one could have. But since those options have no nutritional value and only slow down any health journey, that keeps Sprite out of reach of even the begrudging respect offered to Sierra Mist.
According to Men's Journal, a 12-ounce can of Sprite has 28 grams of sugar and 140 calories. That may be only a gram more than Sierra Mist, but since its on par with 7Up, it doesn't quite get the same brownie points as Sierra Mist.
BEST: Kin Euphorics
According to Men's Journal, Kin Euphorics emphasizes the presence of nootropics in its drinks, which are supposed to improve memory, alertness, and concentration. Although the jury's still out on whether they actually do anything, Kin is nonetheless is pretty wholesome soda made with citrus, hibiscus, ginger, a little caffeine, and various spices.
As The New Bar reported, each eight-ounce can contains 40 calories, 15 milligrams of sodium, and just seven grams of sugar with none added to the recipe. It's also gluten free and friendly to vegan customers.
WORST: Warheads
Some may not be aware that the makers of Warheads sour candies even manufactured a soda line, but this photo shows some of the available flavors. But while those who love the candy may also be satisfied with the soda, that doesn't mean their bodies will feel the same way.
According to Eat This, Not That, each 12-ounce can of Warheads soda adds about 150 calories to the body. And while some sodas have more sodium than the ten milligrams found in this product line, it's hard to ignore the 35 grams of sugar in each can.
BEST: Mighty Pop
According to Men's Journal, Mighty Pop is a brand that specializes in probiotic sodas intended to promote gut health. The company's pretty thorough about this too, as their drinks contain prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic ingredients. It also lacks the drawbacks of many other sodas.
That's because this organic soda only has about 30 calories and boasts just three grams of sugar, with two of those grams consisting of added sugar. There are soda with none at all, but this one maintains a little sweetness.
WORST: Starry
Although there are no shortage of lemon-lime sodas on the market, Starry seems to be one of the hot new brands aggressively competing in this market. However, it's clear that it's not trying to compete with Sprite and 7Up by being healthier than them because it simply isn't.
According to Eat This, Not That, one 12-ounce can of Starry has about 150 calories. It also contains about 35 milligrams of sodium and 39 grams of sugar. There are worse sodas for these issues, but that's still a lot of sugar.
BEST: Spindrift
According to Eat This, Not That, Spindrift flavors their sparkling water beverages with small amounts of fruit juice. That results in a drink that isn't quite as light on taste as La Croix but isn't overly sweet like many sodas.
Some of their inventive flavors include lime and mint, as well pink lemonade. As for how much a person can expect to absorb from each 12-ounce can, the news is promising. With only four calories, one gram of sugar, and no sodium, this has a neutral effect on the body.
WORST: Jarritos
In terms of taste, the Jarritos brands makes some of the best sodas available on the market right now. Yet, while the variety of flavors and the company's use of cane sugar may taste more wholesome than sodas made from high-fructose corn syrup, it's sadly delusional to think Jarritos makes healthier drinks than other brands.
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According to Food Co., each 12-and-a-half-ounce bottle of Jarritos has 170 calories, 44 milligrams of sodium, and 44 grams of sugar. No matter how good they taste, there's no denying that these are some bad signs of the drinks' effects on health.
BEST: Waterloo
According to Eat This, Not That, Waterloo is committed to its slogan, "water down nothing." In this case, it suggests that their line of sparkling water products won't leave customers with more than what they came for. That's certainly true from a health perspective.
That's because Waterloo's drinks have no calories, no sugar, no sodium, and no carbohydrates. Liquid calories and hidden sugar concentrations are a huge health problem with other sodas, but they're not applicable to this one at all.