Drinking Diet Coke can be bad for your teeth, lead to weight gain and be extremely addictive, studies have shown.
Seen as a staple in many homes across the UK, the sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink actually comes with a handful of side effects that not many people know about.
In fact, many of these side effects start to kick in within one hour of taking a sip.
In the first 10 minutes, the acid starts to harm your teeth and can can chip away at enamel.
According to dentists who spoke to The Sun, this can leave you with erosion, cavities and sensitivity over time.
After 20 minutes, some dentists have claimed that bodies switch on the "fat storage mode". It's said sipping Diet Coke triggers your body to produce insulin, the hormone that normally breaks down sugar in the blood.
However Douglas Twenefour, head of care at Diabetes UK, says this is not always the case and often depends on the type of drink being consumed as well as the person drinking it.
"Studies on the effects of artificial sweeteners on insulin production have varying results, with some showing more insulin produced," he said. "The results can differ depending on the artificial sweetener used and on whether test subjects had diabetes."
After 40 minutes of drinking a Diet Coke, your body can experience a short, addictive high, according to Dr Raj Juneja.
He explained: “The potentially deadly combination of caffeine and aspartame creates a short addictive high similar to the way cocaine works. Excitotoxins are released which may exhaust your brain by overstimulating its neuroreceptors, especially if consumed on a regular basis.”
There is around 42mg of caffeine per 330ml Diet Coke can, according to Coca-Cola, and this along with aspartame can trigger the brain’s reward system, causing addiction in some people.
The fourth side effect you may experience is thirst and hunger.
After around an hour of taking the first sip you may feel like you are thirstier than you were before and need to eat something.
This is because the caffeine in the drink causes dehydration. "While Diet Coke contains less caffeine than regular Coke, it still contains a moderate amount," Dr Juneja said.
“Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it can contribute to dehydration.”
A Coca-Cola spokesperson told The Sun: “Diet Coke has been enjoyed by millions of people around the world for more than 30 years.
“As with all the drinks we sell, its ingredients are perfectly safe and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle.”
