Do soft drinks have a lot of calories?
One regular soda has about 140 to 200 calories per 12-ounce can, depending on the type of soda. In general, calories aren’t the enemy when they deliver nutrients your body can use. But the calories in soda come from sugar, which is missing the vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in fruit juices and some other beverages. That’s why calories from sugar are called “empty” calories. Diet soda is a low-calorie or no-calorie alternative that uses artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Some girls who have diabetes enjoy the occasional soft drink without a problem thanks to those artificial sweeteners. They contain no (or almost no) calories. On the other hand, they do not provide your body with energy. And some people believe the sweetener called saccharin is not safe to eat in large quantities. If you drink a lot of diet soda, maybe it’s time to reach for a glass of water.
