Nutrition Diet: What Sodas Are Clear? And Are They Really Healthier?

October 3, 2025 •

4 min read

Despite the common misconception that clear sodas are healthier, nutrition experts confirm their color has no impact on their typically high sugar content. When considering what sodas are clear? for your nutrition diet, it's crucial to look beyond the transparent appearance and analyze the ingredients.

Quick Summary

Clear sodas such as Sprite and ginger ale are often loaded with sugar and empty calories, offering no significant nutritional advantages over their darker counterparts. Healthier beverage choices for a balanced diet include water, sparkling water, and other low-sugar options.

Key Points

Color Is Not an Indicator: The transparency of a soda, such as Sprite or Ginger Ale, does not mean it is healthier than a dark soda; both are typically high in sugar.
High Sugar Content: A standard can of regular clear soda contains a significant amount of added sugar, contributing to health risks like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Diet Versions Have Trade-offs: Zero-sugar clear sodas use artificial sweeteners, which may have their own downsides, including potential digestive issues and impacts on taste perception.
Dental Risks Remain: Clear sodas are highly acidic and can erode tooth enamel, just like their colored counterparts, leading to dull teeth and increased decay risk.
Healthier Alternatives Exist: For flavor and fizz without the health risks, opt for water, infused water, kombucha, or low-sugar prebiotic sodas.
Medical Use Only: The use of clear soda is sometimes medically advised for short-term situations like a clear liquid diet or an upset stomach, but this doesn't justify regular consumption.

The Myth of Healthier Clear Soda

Many people mistakenly believe that because a soda is clear, it must be a healthier alternative to darker beverages like cola. This is a myth. The absence of color in a beverage simply means it doesn't contain the food dyes, such as caramel coloring, found in dark sodas. However, the lack of color does not strip away the other concerning ingredients, primarily high amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners, and high acidity. Whether clear or dark, a conventional soda is still considered an energy-dense, nutrient-poor beverage.

Popular Clear Soda Examples

Several popular soda brands fit the description of being clear. These include:

Sprite and Starry (formerly Sierra Mist): Classic lemon-lime sodas known for their crisp, clear appearance.
7 Up: Another long-standing clear lemon-lime flavored soft drink.
Ginger Ale: This soda, such as Canada Dry or Schweppes, is transparent and popular for its purported soothing properties.
Fresca: A clear, citrus-flavored, zero-sugar soda.
Zevia: This brand offers a range of clear, naturally sweetened (stevia) sodas, including flavors like Ginger Ale and Lemon Lime.
Olipop and Culture Pop: Newer brands of functional, gut-health-focused sodas that are often clear and lower in sugar.

Sugar Content: The Real Nutritional Concern

For a regular, full-sugar version, a 12-ounce can of clear soda contains just as much added sugar and calories as a dark soda. A single can can easily surpass the American Heart Association's recommended daily sugar limits. High sugar intake is linked to significant health risks, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. The body does not differentiate between the sugar from high-fructose corn syrup in many sodas and regular cane sugar; sugar is sugar.

Diet Versions and Their Downsides

While zero-sugar versions like Sprite Zero and Diet Ginger Ale offer an alternative without the sugar, they rely on artificial sweeteners. While these can help reduce calorie intake, some studies suggest a potential overstimulation of sugar receptors, which might increase cravings for sweeter foods and impact taste perception. Some individuals also experience digestive discomfort, such as bloating and gas, from artificial sweeteners.

Comparative Analysis of Beverage Choices

To put the nutritional content into perspective, here's a comparison of clear soda to other common beverage options. Values are approximate for a standard 12 fl oz serving and can vary by brand.


Beverage	Calories	Added Sugar	Caffeine	Nutritional Value
Regular Clear Soda (e.g., Sprite)	~140	~38-45g	0mg	Low; empty calories
Diet Clear Soda (e.g., Sprite Zero)	~0-5	0g	0mg	Low; contains artificial sweeteners
Regular Dark Soda (e.g., Cola)	~140	~39g	~34mg	Low; empty calories
Water	0	0g	0mg	High; essential for hydration
Sparkling Water	0	0g	0mg	High; hydrating, no additives
Kombucha	~40-60	~6-8g	~10-15mg	May contain probiotics, lower sugar

Clear Sodas for Specific Circumstances

Clear sodas have limited roles in specific situations, such as medical contexts. They are commonly included in a doctor-prescribed clear liquid diet, which is used to prepare for a colonoscopy or to manage certain digestive problems like vomiting or diarrhea. For an upset stomach, non-caffeinated options like ginger ale or Sprite are sometimes recommended to help settle the stomach and prevent dehydration. However, this is for short-term use only and doesn't make them a healthy everyday drink.

Dental Health Considerations

Contrary to what one might assume, drinking clear soda does not eliminate the risk of dental damage. Clear sodas still contain acids (such as citric and phosphoric acid) that can erode tooth enamel over time. This makes teeth more susceptible to decay and can cause them to become dull, even without the color staining associated with darker beverages.

Healthier Alternatives to Clear Soda

For those looking to reduce soda consumption and improve their diet, several alternatives provide flavor and fizz without the high sugar content:

Infused Water: Add slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, or berries to plain water for a natural flavor boost without any added sugar.
Sparkling Water with a Splash of Juice: Combining sparkling water with a small amount of 100% fruit juice provides a fizzy drink with less sugar than traditional soda.
Kombucha: This fermented tea contains probiotics and is often lower in sugar than soda. Brands like Remedy Kombucha offer zero-sugar options.
Prebiotic Sodas: Brands like Olipop and Culture Pop are marketed for gut health and contain fiber, with significantly less sugar than regular soda.
Herbal Tea: A warm or iced herbal tea, especially peppermint or ginger, can be a great way to soothe an upset stomach without the added gas from carbonation.

Conclusion

In the realm of nutrition, the color of a beverage is not an indicator of its healthfulness. The claim that clear soda is healthier than dark soda is a misconception. Both are typically high in sugar and calories, contributing to potential health issues with frequent consumption. For a truly healthy diet, the best choices are water and other beverages with minimal or no added sugars. While clear sodas have a temporary place in medical or digestive situations, they should be consumed sparingly as a sugary treat rather than a staple in your daily fluid intake. Prioritizing plain water and healthier alternatives will offer far greater benefits for your overall well-being.

Limit low-calorie sodas and drinks, and stick to water instead, researchers advise

Frequently Asked Questions

Some common clear sodas include Sprite, 7 Up, Ginger Ale, Starry (formerly Sierra Mist), and Fresca.

No, clear soda is not healthier than dark soda. The color of a soda is not an indicator of its nutritional value, and most traditional clear sodas are loaded with just as much sugar and empty calories as dark ones.

Yes, clear soda can still damage your teeth. The acids used to create flavor can erode tooth enamel over time, even without the visible staining from dyes.

Diet or zero-sugar clear sodas are better than regular ones for limiting sugar intake, but they contain artificial sweeteners, which some find cause digestive issues or may influence food cravings.

Clear sodas are recommended for medical-supervised clear liquid diets because they are easily digested and leave no solid residue in the intestinal tract. This is for short-term use only, such as before a colonoscopy.

A truly healthy alternative to clear soda is plain or sparkling water, perhaps infused with natural fruit. Herbal teas and low-sugar kombuchas are also good choices.

While often used as a traditional remedy, the carbonation in ginger ale can sometimes exacerbate stomach issues. Water or herbal teas like ginger tea are generally a better choice for an upset stomach.

The best approach is to view all sodas, regardless of color, as occasional treats. For daily hydration, prioritize water and other low- or no-sugar options.