There’s nothing like the sound of cracking open an ice cold Diet Coke first thing in the morning, right? Some people like coffee first thing in the morning, others drink boring plain old water, but the ones who get it drink a Diet Coke.
This summer, a private chef in the Hamptons shared a day in the life on TikTok, and the internet had strong opinions about the item she starts her day with — “a crisp Diet Coke.”
The video went viral on TikTok, and the people of Twitter had thoughts.
Some of the replies include:
- “The way my nose flared when she said starting the day off with a crisp Diet Coke at 7am.” — @honeybey___
- “Diet Coke at 6 am is crazy 😂 that’s like batteries for breakfast” — @fioneapple
- “Diet Coke at 7am is criminal” — @Daveszn17
Diet Coke fans argue that depriving themselves of that one shred of joy during the day is not worth the possible health benefits of abstaining from the delectable fizzy drink.
In 2002, The New York Times released a piece titled “Coke: It’s What’s for Breakfast (And Not Just Down South),” arguing why Coke or soda products should be available on more menus, especially for the noncoffee lovers.
Deseret News writer Meg Walter has touted her love for the brown beverage and how Utahns in particular have an affinity for the caffeine-laced drink.
“We were always poised to be innovators in the soda space, given that many of us adhere to a religious code for food and drink that prohibits coffee,” Walter wrote for the Deseret News. “Instead, we imbibe our caffeine cold, on the rocks and in 44-ounce styrofoam cups.”
So who’s got it right? The ones who think it’s bonkers to drink Diet Coke in the morning or the ones who swear by it?
So is it OK to drink Diet Coke in the morning?
There’s not a clear answer, but studies have revealed pluses and minuses of both.
Let’s go over the positives for Diet Coke drinkers. They can “choose diet soda so that they can enjoy a sweet and bubbly drink without consuming hundreds of calories or getting a hefty dose of sugar,” according to Medical News Today.
Another advantage of consuming Diet Coke in the morning is that getting caffeine earlier in the day will make you less likely to lie awake at night from that caffeine hit.
However, Medical News Today did point out multiple studies linking heavy drinking of diet soda to health conditions such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease. But evidence is not clear whether diet soda causes people to get or exacerbate those conditions or if it just so happens that people with those conditions tend to consume diet soda heavily.
Studies are also conflicting on how consuming diet soda affects weight loss or weight gain. Healthline says that some studies “found that replacing sugar-sweetened drinks with diet soda can result in weight loss. But other studies cite that consuming the artificially sweetened drinks can ‘cause a higher intake of sweet or calorie-dense foods.’”
If you are an avid Diet Coke or diet soda drinker, all hope is not lost. Health is all about moderation, so enjoy your Diet Coke in the morning — just try to get some water in there throughout the day, too.