I find many articles lump all diet sodas into one category, but there are at least three kinds of sweeteners to choose from when it comes to them:
Aspartame
Sucralose
Stevia
The health risks involved with
aspartame have long been debated. I'm guessing 95% of all diet sodas and likely 99% of diet fountain sodas are sweetened with it, including Diet Coke.
Some believe that
sucralose is a healthier alternative, some think it's worse. Some simply have a taste preference of one over the other, and many don't know there's any difference at al.
Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from a plant. If I've read my history correctly, for years it was only approved as a supplement, and only recently has it been approved as a food additive/sweetener here in the states.
I personally stay away from
aspartame, as I learned the hard way that it gives me excruciating migraines and other health issues once it has a chance to build up in my system. I have to read labels on
everything, including juice, canned fruit, gum (even the kind that's made with sugar!), toothpaste, even medicine. It took me ages to figure out where my problems stemmed from so I'm thankful I finally learned to avoid it.
I do enjoy sodas made with either
sucralose or
stevia in moderation, but they're harder to find and tend to be more expensive. Coke does make a "Diet Coke with Splenda" (the brand name for sucralose) in the yellow label, which is a different formula than the Diet Coke that's more more well known and widely available. Diet Rite is also made with sucralose, as well as any diet variety of Hansen's soda. Zevia is a more expensive soda that's sweetened with stevia.
Some believe that they must cut out soda entirely in order to get healthier, others seem to do alright with it. I'd say it's different for every person and it'll take some time to figure out what's right for you.