Roughly 63% of Americans drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day, according to CDC. But with high levels of sugar and potential adverse health effects from diet sodas, they can be detrimental to our health, Clare Mulroy reports for USA Today.

Why soda is unhealthy

One of the biggest issues with soda is that it provides no nutritional value, as it contains mostly added sugar, Mulroy reports.

"They add a huge chunk of that sugar that we're already overconsuming," said Chris Mohr, a registered dietician. According to CDC, sugary drinks — including soft drinks, fruit drinks, and energy drinks — are the largest source of added sugar in American diets.

CDC has also found that consuming too many sugary drinks is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and tooth decay. Sugary drink consumption is also associated with lower intakes of milk, calcium, and other nutrients.

However, Mohr notes that an occasional soda is okay. "If it's Friday night pizza and you want to have a soda, great. But I would definitely not recommend a daily soft drink by any means," he said. "I think most people who do drink sodas are drinking too much."

Is there a healthy soda?

Generally speaking, similarly sized soda between various major soda brands will contain around the same amount of sugar and caffeine, Mulroy reports. But according to Mohr, there are "healthier" ways to consume sodas.

For example, you can drink smaller amounts of soda. A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has 65 grams of sugar, for example, but a 7.5-ounce mini can has 25 grams of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends a daily sugar limit of 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women.

You can also reach for a diet soda rather than a regular soda, as diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, so they'll have less sugar and calories than a regular soda.

However, Mohr cautions that neither regular nor diet soda are great options. The World Health Organization (WHO) last week announced that aspartame, which is found in diet sodas, is a possible carcinogen. WHO said that an occasional aspartame-sweetened drink is fine, but heavy users should reduce their intake.

There are some sodas that market themselves as healthy, calling themselves "prebiotic" or "probiotic" sodas with less sugar, added fiber, and fruit juice, Mulroy reports.

According to Mohr, these sodas can be a much better swap if you really want soda but want to make a healthier choice.

"From a flavor standpoint, as someone who doesn't drink sodas, I do think they're pretty comparable and significantly better for you," Mohr said. "They're also significantly more expensive."

Mohr noted that, while they're better than traditional soda, they're "not miracle cures." Probiotics contain microorganisms that can increase the amount of beneficial microbes in the body that help fight bad bacteria, and prebiotics are infused with plant fibers that feed microorganisms in our guts, Mulroy reports.

But according to nutrition experts who spoke to the Washington Post, it's doubtful that sodas are enough to have a significant prebiotic effect and shouldn't be seen as a "shortcut" to get more fiber.

How you can cut back on soda

If you want to try and quit drinking soda, Mohr recommends you cut down on your consumption before cutting it out entirely.

"Could you try cutting back to just one less than you're drinking now?" Mohr said.

He also recommends taking a more practical approach, like filling your cup full of ice so you feel like you're drinking the normal amount of soda when you're actually drinking less.

You can also try to swap out sodas for something less sugary, but you have to figure out "the itch you want to scratch," Mohr said.

For example, if it's the flavor you want, Mohr recommends kombucha. While normal kombucha doesn't taste like soda, there are mock root beer and cream soda flavors available.

If it's the carbonation you want, you can drink seltzer water, which comes flavored and sweetened with fruit juice, or just plain and carbonated.

And if caffeine is what you need, Mohr recommends trying tea or coffee instead of soda. A cup of coffee likely has more caffeine than a can of soda as well. A 12-ounce cup of coffee will typically have around 120 to 160 milligrams of caffeine while a Pepsi will have a little less than 40 milligrams. (Mulroy, USA Today, 7/23)