Do diet sodas contain less calories?

Diet sodas contain less calories than regular sodas. Sugar is the main contributor to the calorie content of regular sodas. In diet sodas, sugar is substituted with low-calorie sweeteners, which in turn reduces the calorie content of the end product.

Common low-calorie sweeteners used in diet sodas include aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, sucralose and stevia, all of which are significantly sweeter than sugar. Due to the intense sweetening power of these sweeteners, only a small amount is required to achieve the desired results. Consumers can check the ingredients list on the product label to find out the sweeteners that are used in a particular soda.