SubscribeThe 10 Most Caffeinated Diet Drinks
If you are moderating your caffeine intake - it's worth noting that most diet soft drinks have as much (or sometimes even more) caffeine than their sugar-filled counterparts.
Diet Coke in particular has 30% more caffeine than regular Coca-cola.
Here is a list of the most caffeinated diet soft drinks.
Diet Pepsi Max
Per 12oz can : 69mg caffeine
A can of regular Pepsi-cola contains 38mg caffeine.
Diet Sundrop
Per 12oz can: 69mg caffeine
Sun Drop is a brand of citrus soda drink from Cadbury-Schweppes. The level of caffeine in the Diet version came as a complete surprise - but then - even the regular version has 63mg in a 12oz can. Note: regular can displayed.
Diet Mountain Dew
Per 12oz can: 55mg caffeine
Mountain Dew is one of the most popular citrus soft drinks. Both diet and regular have the same amount of caffeine. In countries outside the USA - Mountain Dew has either reduced amounts of caffeine (or no caffeine at all).
Pepsi ONE
Per 12oz can: 54mg caffeine
Pepsi ONE is a very similar formulation to Diet Coke with Splenda - although Pepsi ONE contains significantly more caffeine.
Diet Cheerwine
Per 12oz can: 48.1mg caffeine
Diet RC Cola
Per 12oz can: 47.3mg caffeine
Royal Crown (RC) colas have been around for a long time and are currently owned by Cadbury Schweppes. As in the case of Diet Coke - here the diet version has more caffeine than the regular RC Cola. 2
TaB
Per 12oz can: 46.5mg caffeine
TaB (from Coca-cola) is one of the oldest diet or sugar-free soft drinks around. It has more caffeine than Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Per 12oz can: 46.5mg caffeine
Diet Coke has significantly more caffeine in it than regular coke (34.5mg).
Diet Sunkist Orange Soda
Per 12oz can: 41.5mg caffeine
Contains slightly more than the regular version of Sunkist. Who would have thought that Orange Soda was caffeinated?
Diet Dr Pepper
Per 12oz can: 41mg caffeine
Contains the same amount as regular Dr Pepper.
Reference - Instant coffee
What about Diet Coke Plus?
The new vitamin-filled Diet Coke Plus does not (yet) list caffeine, nor is it listed on the Coca-cola nutrition site, and the response to my email to coca-cola only told me that the drink contains "vitamins and minerals" - and neglected to list the caffeine amount!
Diet Pepsi?
Didn't even make it to this list. Diet Pepsi has 36mg caffeine in a 12oz can.
Sources: The Energy Fiend caffeine database and caffeine in citrus, along with PepsiCo, Coca-cola, Sundrop.
Diet Cheerwine? ...
Replywell i guess that its not as bad for you as we thought you know
ReplyThere are some sodas on this list that I've never heard of in my life. But this is good info to know. I've been cutting back on soda for about a year now, ever since I noticed that cafee sometimes give me headaches and can make me feel a little dizzy. Now I only drink it occasionally when eating out.
ReplyWow, when I took a trip to North Carolina this summer, I drank Diet Sundrop every day! Who knew?
Replyhmmm isn't it amazing how they can get so many grams of caffeine AND sugar into these cans? just amazing ....i feel sick >
ReplyI've always known that mountain dew was particularly high in caffeine (I think the regular is also 55mg) but I found out a couple years back that up here in Canada it contains none! I wonder if this is the same for the diet version. Anyone know?
ReplyWhat the heck is Diet Cheerwine? Hilarious.
ReplyCheerwine is awesome. I went to college in NC and got hooked on it. I never tried diet until this year. Now I'm up in PA but my brother lives down there so whenever he comes to visit or anyone in the family goes down there they have to get me my fix. Its awesome.
ReplyDiet Sunkist is awesome! My brother drinks the regular Sunkist and no one believes us when we tell them that it has a good jolt of caffeine. Everyone always says: "Orange soda doesn't have caffeine". Yes, except for Sunkist and Diet Sunkist.
Oh, btw...I love Diet SunDrop. That's some good stuff.
I've never tried that new Diet Pepsi Max, but I'd be curious to see what it tastes like.
ReplySo does Cheerwine taste like wine? Like cheer ... ?
ReplyCherry flavored
ReplyCrystal Light recently started selling a new version of their "On The Go" packets. It's for energy in the flavor of wild strawberry. This little packet makes 2 servings of 60mg of caffeine... And you're definately gonna use the whole packet. That's 120mg of caffeine... What a kick!!!!
ReplyMike H. I think it's the law in Canada that only dark-coloured pop can be caffeinated? I'm not too clear on that one. Barq's is caffeinated, but that's the only non-cola that has any caffeine in it.
ReplyI am surprised Jolt Cola is not on the list, they must have missed it.
ReplyMaksimir: Jolt Ultra you mean?
12oz of that has approx 77 mg caffeine.
ReplyDiet Pepsi Max is SUPPOSED to have more caffeine- hence the name MAX! Tastes really good too!
ReplyDaily drinker of Pepsi One, I like that is uses Splenda, which is like the only artificial sweetener that hasnt caused cancer in lab rats, YET.
Interesting about the Sunkist.
Replyi cannot tell you how much i LOVE pepsi max. i am a huge fan of diet pepsi (i drink it when i want a cola drink, but it's less harsh on my teeth), but pepsi max now takes that title of favorite soda. i like even more than regular pepsi! i really hope they keep it around.
ReplyThanks! Shouldn't surprise me with some of the other bizare food legislation they have here. In Quebec you aren't allowed to make margarine the same colour as butter!?
ReplyHow on EARTH does Tab have more caffeine than diet coke, but they both are listed as 46.5 grams? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?
Reply
ReplyIs the caffeine level increased across other Coke brands, such as Coke Zero, or the Splenda-sweetened Diet Coke?
You guys forgot Rockstar Zero. No carbs, no sugar, 280 mgs of Caffeine
ReplyThis list does not include anything in the Energy Drink category - but just low-calorie CSDs (Carbonated Soft Drinks).
Reduced sugar does not mean reduced caffeine.
Replythats because your an idiot
ReplyJolt Ultra is Jolt's suger-free version. From there Website (http://www.joltenergy.com/Fridge/tabid/80/Default.aspx)
Jolt Ultra
No carbs, no calories, just caffeine, Vitamin B
complex, guarana, ginseng, taurine and great
taste, so you can drink more and do more
naturally.
ReplyWhat? No Jolt?
ReplyActually, I think that *used* to be true for all of Canada (as your parentals about mixing the colour with the margarine) but it was changed a handful of years ago; we can now buy butter-coloured margarine, rather than that garishly coloured stuff.
ReplyA couple years ago, Mountain Dew figured out how to work around that here in Canada - they started selling "Mountain Dew Energy" as an energy drink, which doesn't fall under the same regulations as normal soft drinks - I believe it's classified as a "nutritional supplement", and they just have to show the caffeine in the list of "active medicinal ingredients". :-)
ReplyDiet Red Bull has 80mg caffeine in an 8.3oz can - so it's almost 70% more caffeinated than Diet Pepsi Max...
Seems like this isn't the definitive list.
ReplyYou should eventually be held responsible for all the future deaths caused by Aspartame and your promotion of this poison. Good job death dealer.
ReplyTo whom are you referring? Am I missing something here? Nobody is promoting diet drinks.
ReplyTo Christine and Cowbow_k
Those are very interesting tidbits - thanks for the enlightenment!
ReplyWow. Maybe I'll just give up soda altogether...
ReplyGet the real scoop on coffee at www.CaffeineAwareness.org
ReplyAnd if you drink decaf you wont want to miss this special FREE report on the Dangers of Decaf available at www.soyfee.com
FYI, Vault Zero has 70.5 mg of caffeine in a 12 oz. can.
ReplyYeah, cheerwine rocks!
ReplyMost of the drinks that have been mentioned in the comments (Jolt, Red Bull, etc.) fall under the energy drink label, which is not what this list is about
Reply