Sugarfree cola.

Sugarfree Cola.

As far as I'm concerned there are only 2 players in the sugarfree cola market. For legal reasons, I will use fake names to represent each. Let's call the first one "Coco-Koalla Zoro" and the second one "Poopsie-Mix".

Firstly, for those who think there isn't a difference between the two and that they are actually the same product and that the companies are pulling the wool over our eyes in an attempt to produce a false sense of diversity, I can say without hesitation that they are in fact different. Regardless of whether they taste the same, there must be something in one of them that isn't present in the other, or is in differing quantity than the other. How do I know? Well, apart from the labeling on the side of the can, I get a neck ache from drinking the Zoro which I don't from drinking the Mix. This neck ache is unpleasant, so you can probably guess which one I prefer.
It might also interest you to know that the poopsie is usually the cheaper of the two, and also cheaper on a regular basis including sale times.
Due to fridge size restrictions at my place of work, large bottles (bigger than 600ml) are not able to be chilled without the threat of theft (we have a mini fridge at work next to my desk and the main building fridge is ages away and gets stuff stolen out of it sometimes). The only option is therefor cans. There is no difference in the quality and construction of the cans from both producers. They are equally able to contain the liquid within for approximately 7-10 years before the contents chew through the aluminium. I found this out the hard way (goodbye Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace themed cans. Goodbye).

The good:
- Stealth. For a quick pick-me-up or a refreshing beverage, nothing is stereotypically better than a cold can of cola. No one will judge you for cracking one open halfway through an intense keyboard workout session at the office.

The bad:
- Addictive. The caffeine present in these in on par with a cup of coffee, but whereas coffee has a tendency to leave one satisfied for the good part of the morning, I find a can of cola gets downed fast, and immediately induce a craving for more. Currently I'm running about 2-3 cans a day, up to 4 on a hectic or overly long day. This is bad. I can feel it eating away at my soul.

- Lies. The fact that these are sugarfree may lead one to believe that they will not contribute to you putting on weight. This is not always true. If you only drink the cola, then you aren't adding more sugar into your system. However, the increased stimulation from the caffeine may cause you to crave sugar. Adding a small 15g-30g chocolate bar to the can of 'diet' cola is defeating the purpose. Plus, the artificial sweeteners are thought to cause cancer. I'm not sure if this is true, but given the choice, I'd prefer to have a sugar loaded drink and no need for anything extra, than a drink and a chocolate and get cancer. Unfortunately, being a pig I would eat the chocolate bar anyway, so I'm sticking with the sugarfree.

Conclusion:
Sugarfree cola is like anything else. Use it in moderation. Unfortunately, it's been specifically designed to avert moderated usage. My suggestion: Switch to a skinny latte in the morning. This should get you past the halfway mark and curb any cravings. If you still find yourself needing a boost later in the day, drink a glass of water first. You may find what you're actually needing is hydration. Am I going to follow my own advice? Hell no. Should you? I don't care.

Score: 6/10. The only reason I drink this instead of coffee is because I can't fit a small barrista next to my feet where I work and even if I could, they probably wouldn't enjoy me chilling cheese and sliced meats inside them. Probably...