Understanding How Diet Dr. Pepper Fits Into a Keto Lifestyle

For someone following a keto diet, it’s a legitimate concern to wonder if diet Dr Pepper is keto-friendly, especially given the negative reputation that sugary sodas, whether diet or regular, have on health.¹

There is a common myth and misconception on how the sweeteners in diet soda hurt ketosis and may compromise a keto diet even those claimed to have no sugar at all like Dr. Pepper zero which differs slightly from diet Dr. Pepper.

However, it’s important to determine whether this claim is justified and if diet Dr. Pepper is suitable for a keto diet.

How Many Net Carbs Are In Diet Dr Pepper Zero?

Dr. Pepper zero is a choice that many on a keto diet turn to maintain low sugar and carb intake due to its marketing claims of its low carb content—the nutrition information on each can states that it has a serving of net 0 grams of carbs and is therefore free from carbs. Dr Pepper Zero is undoubtedly keto-friendly due to its lack of carbs.

Is Diet Dr Pepper Suitable for a Keto Diet? Is it Okay to Drink Diet Dr Pepper on a Keto Diet?

Dr. Pepper’s diet product is meant to be a low carb alternative to its regular soda and the delightful news is that it is keto approved with 0 grams of net carbs; making it keto friendly and ideal for those on a low carb diet. You can include diet Dr Pepper in a keto diet because to maintain it, someone should consume 20-50 grams of carbs daily based on a 2000 kcal diet.²

Diet Dr Pepper is keto-friendly since it contains no carbs, making it a suitable choice for those on a keto diet. Additionally, its taste is quite similar to regular Dr Pepper, which adds to its appeal. The no carb presence increases flexibility on how many can be consumed daily but moderation should still be exercised.

Is Dr Pepper Zero Keto-Friendly?

The company’s other product, Dr. Pepper zero has no carbs as mentioned earlier making it keto friendly to those on a low carb diet. Sodas are high in carbs because of the sugar or sweeteners such as high fructose syrup that they contain which also packs on calories—regular Dr. Pepper is loaded with 40 grams of carbs which goes to show how heavily laden they are with sugar.³

Source: Christhian_Adame_Photo via Pixabay⁴

However, with diet drinks, the sugar is replaced with different sweeteners and ingredients that mimic the effects of sugar without the baggage of carbs and calories. Diet sodas like Dr. Pepper zero use sugar substitutes such as aspartame. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is low in calories used to substitute sugar and approved for use in 1981 by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USDA) making this popular beverage a potential add on for someone looking to achieve a 1000 calorie deficit in a day.⁵

Aspartame, which is among the sweeteners used, is almost 200 times sweeter than sugar. This property allows a small quantity to be used to produce a sweet taste which results in an almost negligible contribution of carbohydrates and calories. Diet Dr Pepper is keto-friendly because it uses aspartame as a sugar substitute, ensuring low consumption of carbs and calories, which can contribute to weight loss.⁶

In addition to aspartame, there are other sweeteners and ingredients blended in a concoction of chemicals that go into ensuring a keto drink—this may make some concerned if these are indeed healthy drinks.

Is Diet Dr Pepper Suitable for a Keto Diet & Is It Healthy or Bad for You?

The plethora of ingredients that go into diet soda are not conventional in the sense consisting of artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives (carbonation) which may justify fears that diet Dr. pepper or diet sodas generally are healthy—the good news is that several of these chemicals have been certified as safe when consumed in moderation.

Aspartame is a product that has been used for several decades since its approval and is an ingredient due its wide use, has received a large amount of scrutiny. In recent years, aspartame has received a bad rapport with some research inquiring about the neurologic effects that aspartame has especially due its dominating presence in the food industry; investigating issues such as brain tumors, allergies, or changes in mood and cognitive function.⁷

It is one of the most highly analyzed substances and has been tested by multiple governments all over the world and a report of the meeting on aspartame with national experts has deemed aspartame safe even for the high level consumer.⁸ It also cites the results of the studies about the possible negative neurological side effects showing it to be unsubstantiated. This report also rules out allergies being caused by the consumption of aspartame.

Aspartame has been certified as safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Health Canada, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, UK Food Standards Agency and the European Food Safety Authority. The USDA has deemed the ADI (acceptable daily intake) of aspartame to be 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight—the European Authority has the figure at 40 mg/kg.⁹

This has the implication that an average weighted individual will have to consume almost 20 cans of Dr. Pepper just to cross this threshold! An added benefit of consuming diet Dr. Pepper is that the artificial sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels which allow individuals to control their blood sugar levels.

On the downside, diet Dr. Pepper does contain over 40 mg of caffeine which may disrupt sleep cycles.¹⁰ Consuming too much diet soda may also cause tooth problems, decrease bone density, or affect heart and gut health.

Diet Dr. Pepper offers the benefit of lower calories and reduced sugar levels, making it a healthier option in those respects. However, it lacks nutritional value and can be harmful if consumed excessively. The potential drawbacks can be negated by drinking diet soda in moderation, limiting 2 cans per day should make the soda relatively safe to drink.

Diet Dr Pepper Nutrition Information & Ingredients

The list below details the nutrition information of diet Dr. Pepper including total carbs, sugars, protein and calories.

Nutrition information 1 can serving (12 fl oz.)

• Total carbs: 0 grams
• Total fat: 0 grams
• Sugar: 0 grams
• Sodium: 60 mg
• Protein: 0 grams
• Calories: 0 kcal

Diet Dr Pepper is definitely keto-friendly based on the nutritional information provided. To maintain a low carb and low calorie drink, diet Dr. Pepper has ingredients that are not found in conventional soda including substitutes for sugar such as acesulfame and aspartame outlined below.

Ingredients found in a 1 can serving (12 fl oz.)

• Carbonated water
• Caramel color
• Aspartame
• Phosphoric acid
• Natural and artificial flavors
• Sodium benzoate which is a preservative
• Caffeine

Does Aspartame Impact Ketosis? Does Acesulfame & Other Artificial Sweeteners Affect Blood Sugar?

Sugar substitutes and sweeteners used in diet sodas are used for good reason; they do not typically affect the sugar (glucose) blood levels which implies that they will not throw off ketosis. Ketosis is a state where the body, specifically the brain adapts to lower glucose levels in the body due to reduced carb intake and switches to expending ketones as fuel—these are created by the liver from body fat stores.¹¹

Source: RJA1988 via Pixabay¹²

It is imperative that blood sugar remains low when on keto which is why drinking regular soda that is packed with sugar and carbs often throws off ketosis. Diet Dr. Pepper is keto-friendly because the artificial sweeteners it contains, such as aspartame and acesulfame, do not raise blood sugar levels.¹³

These sweeteners are more potent than sugar and contain very low to no carbs, which leads to them being employed in small quantities and they can help slowly wean someone off sugar and provide a method for reducing consumption of junk food and sugar.

Artificial sweeteners like aspartame or acesulfame do not affect ketosis. Claims that the sweeteners in diet soda harm ketosis are unjustified, as research indicates otherwise.

Alternative Diet Sodas That Are Keto-friendly

For those not too keen on the taste of diet Dr. Pepper or simply want to add variety to their beverage needs, there are other options on the market that are keto friendly, including some different flavors from Dr. Pepper. These include:

• Dr. Pepper cherry zero sugar
• Dr. Pepper & cream soda zero sugar
• Diet cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper
• Sprite zero sugar
• Diet Pepsi
• Diet Pepsi wild cherry
• Diet Pepsi zero sugar
• Diet coke
• Coca cola zero sugar
• Coca cola orange vanilla zero sugar
• Diet Canada dry ginger ale
• Diet A&W root beer
• Diet A&W cream soda
• Fanta orange zero sugar
• Diet 7up
• Fresca original citrus soda
• Diet Sunkist
• Diet mountain dew
• Virgil’s soda zero sugar
• Big K Dr. KOH! zero calorie soda

For keto dieters used to satisfying their sweet cravings with soda and wondering whether diet Dr Pepper fits into a keto diet, they would be pleased to know that it indeed does, and the idea that sweeteners in diet soda hurt ketosis is really a myth debunked by credible peer-reviewed journals and research.

Frequently Asked Questions