Q.  Are diet sodas and snacks with artificial sweeteners safe for children?

A.  There is probably not much direct harm; no study has yet shown medical disease of any sort in children to be caused by artificial sweeteners, except for an occasional allergic reaction.  But I don’t think kids need them, unless they have a medical condition such as diabetes or obesity.

Although an occasional diet soda is probably fine, I’m not comfortable with kids having lots of artificial sweetener, for two reasons:

1) Even though there’s no studies showing actual harm, I’m concerned about the unknown effects of large amounts of these chemicals.

2) Even though artificial sweeteners have no calories, I worry that kids will get used to drinking sweetened drinks; if this becomes a habit, their learned preference for sweetened drinks may translate into excess calorie intake as older kids or adults.

People asK: “Which is best for kids, regular soda or diet?” But the question frames a false choice: to offer sugary drinks and snacks, or chemically sweetened ones.  There is a third choice, which is the one I recommend: unsweetened drinks such as milk, water, or unsweetened ice tea and flavored waters, and snacks (such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and crackers) which have no additional sweetener.

–  David Epstein, MD