We all know that soda really isn’t good for us. It’s packed full of lots and lots of sugar and all sorts of other things that humans really shouldn’t consume. This is how diet soda was born. Soda manufacturers developed a “healthier” alternative to their regular sugary beverages. But is diet soda really any better for you? Sure, it’s lower in calories: some varieties don’t have any calories at all. But is it better? The short answer to that is no, it is not. In some cases, it’s actually worse.

Ever since diet soda was popularized in the 1970s, scientists have been researching it. Here are some of the things they have found.