In this information age, it is harder than ever to know what is healthy and what is not. Scientific findings go back and forth on the value of coffee, red wine, and even chocolate. Sugar is increasingly vilified as a cause of obesity and other health problems, but artificial sweeteners – specifically designed to allow us to enjoy our sweets without all the calories that come with sugar – have recently come in for heavy criticism from scientists, as well.

One thing that many practitioners of health and nutrition have agreed on for quite some time is that regular sodas, which are very high in sugar, should not be part of the diet of anyone who wants to maintain a healthy weight. Whether it is useful, though, to replace these sugary drinks with diet sodas is increasingly a topic of debate.