The reason you shouldn’t feel guilty for your 3pm Coke Zero.

Nothing, and I mean nothing hits harder than a cheeky Coke Zero at 3 pm on a Wednesday arvo. 

Something about the cold, fizzy sensation hitting your dry throat makes all of life's problems seem small, even if just for a moment. 

For a few minutes, you get to experience total bliss... until someone walks past and says, "That's so bad for your health by the way."

Watch: Diet soda and aspartame. Post continues below.

Yes, thank you Janet from accounts, it's not like I haven't been told my whole life that a can of Coke is going to cause cancer and make my teeth disappear.

While the latter has some truth to it, drinking Coke Zero isn't all that bad overall, according to Fitness influencer James Smith and the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. According to their in-depth research, you would have to consume a monstrous amount of the soft drink's artificial sweetener aspartame, for it to cause real harm to the rest of the body.

So, if you have a Coke Zero addiction and want to feel better about it, then let me break down why everything you've ever known to be true has actually been a lie (kind of).

First of all, what is aspartame?

Image: Getty

To understand Coke Zero you need to understand what aspartame is, the most controversial ingredient in the carbonated drink.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar, yet contains no kilojoules. It is commonly used in various foods and beverages, typically listed in ingredients as additive number 951. 

You probably recognise aspartame by its more common commercial names like Equal, Nutrasweet, Candarel, and Sugar Twin.

In Australia, the acceptable daily intake is capped at 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, which equals about 60 sachets. This is in line with WHO standards. However, in America, the limit is slightly higher, at 75 sachets per day according to The Conversation.

Aspartame isn't limited to sugar-free soft drinks; it's also an ingredient found in products such as yogurt and lollies.

So, is aspartame bad for you?

According to studies conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which analysed data from observational, experimental, and animal studies, there is some evidence linking aspartame to cancer, specifically liver cancer.  

However, there's not enough research to say for sure. There have only been three studies in humans that looked into the link between liver cancer and aspartame.

While all three found a connection between diet drinks and cancer, they couldn't rule out other reasons that might be behind these findings. As a result, the IARC classified aspartame as a Group 2b "possible carcinogen". 

When something is classified as a Group 2b possible carcinogen, it means there isn't strong evidence it causes cancer in humans, but there may be some stronger evidence from animal studies. Currently, this group includes 323 substances, such as aloe vera and lead. 

So basically, unless you're a rat, you're most likely going to be okay.

Following the IARC classification, the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) conducted its own study and concluded that there is only limited evidence linking aspartame to causing cancer in people.

So, do I need to give up my Coke Zero? 

The short answer: no.

The long answer: Unless you're consuming over 14 cans of Coke Zero a day, the level of aspartame you're consuming is well below the recommended daily intake. 

Fitness influencer James Smith recently posted a video comparing sugar-free soft drinks to foods like eggs, steak, and tomato soup. Surprisingly, those everyday foods break down into similar chemicals to aspartame, and actually contain more chemicals than a can of Coke Zero.

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A post shared by James Smith (@jamessmith)

According to James, people should be more concerned about smoking, drinking alcohol or holding extra weight, than drinking Coke Zero.

"Your dentist can be concerned, but your doctor shouldn’t be," wrote James in the caption. 

So there you have it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the corner enjoying a crispy Coke Zero — without the guilt. 

Feature Image: Instagram @jamessmith.