Many people love to drink soda, but more and more people are realizing the negative effects it has on their health. In this list, we will go over three different tiers of soda based on how healthy they are for you. The first tier is the most unhealthy while the third tier is the healthiest!
Tier One: Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew
The first tier is the most unhealthy. These sodas have a high sugar and calorie content which can lead to obesity or other problems when consumed in excess. They also contain ingredients that are bad for your health like phosphoric acid. The only redeeming quality of this tier is the high caffeine content.
Tier Two: Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper
The second tier of soda has a lower sugar and calorie content than Tier One so it’s healthier to drink in moderation with meals or snacks. These sodas contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame which can be bad for your health when consumed excessively. The only redeeming quality of this tier is the low calories and sugars.
Tier Three: Diet Coke, Sprite Zero
The third tier has a very low sugar content which makes it healthier to drink than sodas in Tier One or Two. The only downside to these drinks is that they contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame which can be bad for your health when consumed excessively.
Tier Four: Sprite, Mug Root Beer
The fourth tier contains more sugar than the third tier so it’s not as healthy to drink in moderation with meals or snacks. There are also unhealthy ingredients like high fructose corn syrup which can lead to weight gain and obesity. This category of soda is best saved for mindless drinking games like beer pong or flip cup.
Tier Five: Root Beer, Dr Pepper
This tier has more calories and sugar than the third and fourth-tiers but not as many unhealthy ingredients. It’s still best to drink these on occasion with meals or snacks because they can cause weight gain when consumed excessively especially if you’re dieting or satiating a sweet tooth.
Tier Six: Ginger Beer, Fanta Orange
The sixth tier has more calories and sugar than the fifth tier but less than the third or fourth tiers so it’s not as unhealthy for you when consumed in moderation with meals or snacks. This category of soda is best saved for mindless drinking games like beer pong or flip cup.
Tier seven: Coke, Pepsi
The seventh and final tier has the most calories and sugar while loaded with artificial ingredients that are known as ‘the four horsemen of death.’ It’s best to avoid sodas in this category on a regular basis.
Tier eight: Mountain Dew, A&W Root Beer
The eighth and final tier is the most unhealthy for you when consumed in excess. These sodas are full of sugar which leads to weight gain with added caffeine that can cause a variety of different health issues.
I’m going to start this list off at tier six because it’s not as bad as the others.
Tier nine: Coke Zero, Diet Pepsi
Tier ten: Dr Pepper Ten
Tier eleven: Brisk Iced Tea
If you’re looking for a calorie-free alternative then try the other nine soda tiers. If not, then it’s probably best to avoid this category of sodas as much as possible and stick with water or milk which is always a good choice.
Tier twelve: Coca-Cola, Pepsi
Tier thirteen: Mountain Dew Code Red (Diet), A&W Diet Root Beer
The thirteenth and final tier is the least amount of sugar in these sodas. They still have a lot of caffeine but are much less likely to contain other added sugars that can lead up to health issues like obesity.
Tier fourteen: Dr. Pepper, Coke Zero
Tier fifteen: Pepsi Max (Diet), Diet Dr Pepper
The next two tiers are the most sugar-free sodas that not only offer less of a caloric intake but also have more caffeine than their counterparts. The last thing you want is to drink these if your main goal is weight loss because it’ll make you more hyper and won’t satisfy your sugar craving.
Tier Sixteen: Diet Mountain Dew Code Red, Diet A&W Root Beer
This is the first tier of “diet” sodas which have fewer artificial sugars like aspartame but still can contain caffeine. I personally don’t recommend drinking these due to high levels of artificial sweeteners which can lead to health issues.
Tier Seventeen: Diet Squirt, Diet Dew
The last two tiers are the most diet sodas that have fewer calories and caffeine than their counterparts but also contain a higher amount of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or artificial sugar substitutes like sucralose.
Tier eighteen: Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke
These are the most popular sodas that a majority of people drink on a regular basis due to them containing caffeine. The main difference between these two is that diet coke has more sugar than diet Pepsi and therefore can be less satisfying for those who want something sweet
Tier nineteen: Dr Pepper, Sprite Zero
These are less popular but still contain caffeine and have a lower amount of calories.
Tier twenty: Coca-Cola Zero, Pepsi Max
These two sodas are the newest on the market to offer minimal sugar with artificial sweeteners. They both also contain caffeine as well which make them good substitutes for people who want a caffeinated soda without the sugar.
