Healthy Soda?

            Soft drinks are not healthy, generally. However, there is a new soda in town that purports to have health benefits. Believe it or not, Pepsi Special claims to fend off fat. According to a CNN article, the drink contains a dietary fiber that dissolves in water (like those found in Benefiber) and when eaten properly, fiber-rich foods help regulate the digestive system, lower cholesterol and may lower the risk of heart disease. This soda is also said to suppress the absorption of fat. Even if these claims are true, I’m not sure we should be calling this a healthy soda. An item that contains benefits isn’t necessarily a wholly beneficial drink, as with soda there are many other negative factors such as high sugar content, empty calories, artificial flavors and colors, etc. Although I am somewhat intrigued by Pepsi Special, I will likely not try it. I rarely drink soda and when I do opt for the fizzy drink I reach for Sprite or some other non-colored, non-cola (although I was a big fan of Pepsi Clear back in the day). I would be interested in finding out how well this product performs.