And we thought that high-fructose corn syrup was as bad as it gets. Luckily for those of us who prefer regular soda over diet, new research has come out to prove that diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners that are even worse for us than high fructose corn syrup.

And which beverage is the worst offender right now? Pepsi Next. The drink claims to have 60% less sugar-and it does! But what replaces that sugar is a mixture of three artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose.

The names are scary and unnatural-sounding enough, but a dieter will be even more worried by the facts: These sweeteners can stimulate appetite, cravings for carbs, and fat storage/weight gain. In fact, they can even double one’s obesity risk. Aspertame is considered a probable carcinogenic, acesulfame potassium can create kidney problems, and sucralose can mess with digestion. For a fuller list of health risks relating to aspartame, go to mercola.com: there you will find such reactions as seizures, loss of taste, and heart palpitations.

So, it’s safe to say that these artificial sweeteners are toxic to humans-proven by the chemicals they are made up of and by the reactions humans have to them. And since consuming high fructose corn syrup is not really an alternative to these diet chemicals, what are the alternatives? Mercola suggests stevia-a sweet herb, lo han, honey (in moderation), and pure glucose. But beware of any processed versions of these products, which may be hazardous as well.

And, if nothing else, go ahead and press the button for a regular Coke next time you’re at the machine in need of a caffeine boost.

Photo Credit: All rights reserved by drinkwhat