The invention of Diet Coke was a cloak and dagger mission. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. Coca-Cola took its sweet time entering the diet soda market, with a company history of the product revealing the idea for a sugar-free version of Coke had been "percolating" for two decades. During the 1970s, health-conscious consumers began eschewing sugar.
Sugar producers had reason to howl. Diet options comprised less than 1 percent of all soft drink sales in 1958, but Diet Rite rose to the number four soda within 18 months of its national launchMeanwhile, a can of Coke (or Coca-Cola) has 140 calories, 34 mg of caffeine, and 39 g of sugar. Sodas are extremely addictive, and in some parts of the world are consumed daily. It’s estimated that the average American consumes at least 2.6 glasses of soda per day with young adults being the highest consumer of sodas.
