Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: editor's picks

Versus Magazine Online [Image based format]

You can't help but be amazed by the plethora of "different" Diet Cokes when you are at a convenience store. Behind the beads of condensation sits the C2 beverage: a Coke with half sugar and half aspartame. Ergo, it has half diet and half original flavor as well as half the calories of a normal Coke. The next row displays Coke Zero: a new drink purported to have zero carbohydrates and zero calories. Perusing the remaining rows and shelves, one is sure to see Diet Coke with aspartame, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke with aspartame, Diet Coke with Splenda, Diet Coke with lime, Diet Coke with vanilla, and Diet Coke with cherry. All of these diet sodas seem to conform to Coke Zero's description as a carbohydrate-free, calorie-free, carbonated cola. What distinguishes Coke Zero from her brethren Diet Cokes? What magic ingredient sweetened Coke Zero that was not in the aspartame, Splenda, or C2 Diet Cokes? After trying to decide between all of these, one leaves Eckerd's with a headache, not a diet soda. If you find yourself wanting a glass of plain water (not sparkling, fruit- flavored, or enriched, mind you), you are not alone. However, an ice-cold, real Coca-Cola Classic (with high fructose corn syrup) should have a place in every diet regimen.

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