The regular and diet juices have health drawbacks, given the content of sugar or sweeteners, or in the case of Coke, phosphoric acid, which according to some studies, can damage bones.
Regular juice
Cons: It is full of added sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, which is more harmful than table sugar. High intake of sugar is associated with hypertension and high levels of triglycerides (a form of fat in the blood) which are risk factors for heart disease. That’s why American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that the daily intake should not exceed six teaspoons of sugar in women, or nine teaspoons, in men, according to eatingwell.com.
A 350 ml cola contains 8 teaspoons of sugar, the equivalent of about 130 calories. So a juice is not the end of the diet, especially if you reduce calorie intake at meals; too much juice can provide a significant increase in weight.
Pros: regular juice does not contain sugar substitutes. On the other hand, some believe that high-fructose corn syrup is as harmful as the artificial sweeteners in diet soda. So if you want to drink a soda, opt for the one sweetened with cane sugar.
Diet Juice
Cons: Contains sugar substitutes, which some people prefer to avoid. Some studies show that intake of calorie-free sweeteners could enhance your feeling of hunger, others contradict this hypothesis.
Pros: Juices with no calorie sweeteners could be better for teeth, since the bacteria harmful to teeth need sugar to develop.