I've said it many times now. The new Coca Cola 'Life' is the best if, like me, you can't steer away from the fizz. I'm type 2 diabetic and I'm also asthmatic. I found that when ever I drink anything with Aspertame it narrowed my airways straight away. I suffered a lot when I was younger. R Whites lemonade was definately the worst drink. I tried drinking more water when I was diagnosed with diabetes about 6 years ago. I couldn't drink straight water so I had carbonised water with Sainsbury's High Juice. There were only about two or three flavours with no aspartame, but eventually they too had it. When Life came out last year I read the contents and immediatley took to it. They use Steviol.
Steviol glycosides are responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the stevia plant, (stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). These compounds range in sweetness from 40 to 450 times sweeter than sucrose. They heat-stable, pH-stable, and do not ferment. Additionally, they do not induce a glycemic response when ingested, thus making them attractive as a natural sweetner for diabetics and others on a carbohydrate -controlled diets.
As far as my asthma, it's never been better. I still have to keep an eye on everything else I consume as this is not available everywhere including restaurants.