Tab, one of the first diet colas to hit supermarket shelves in the 1960s, was billed as a soft drink “for beautiful people.” But the original Tab was sweetened with saccharin, which was found to cause bladder cancer in rodents.

So the company reformulated the soda with the artificial sweetener aspartame. But some studies indicate aspartame is associated with changes in microbiome that increase insulin resistance and inflammation.

That leads to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

People love to think that no-calorie sweeteners are better for them than drinking sweetened beverages. But humans are hardwired to think sweet flavors signal that calories are coming.

When, repeatedly, they don't arrive, it disrupts the brain and body's ability to know when you're full, making you crave real sugar and disrupting glucose-regulating insulin secretion. That can trigger overeating and weight gain.

A recent study in the journal BMJ found limited evidence that artificial sweeteners provide any health benefits. In the review of 56 studies, the researchers didn't find statistical evidence that consuming non-sugar sweeteners improved health.

In another review of 37 studies — which was published in a journal of the Canadian Medical Association — those drinking artificially sweetened beverages had higher incidences of weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Your best move: Get real. If you want sweetened beverages, add berries (whole or pureed), orange slices, or pineapple to seltzer water.

For sweets, enjoy one ounce of 70 percent cacao dark chocolate, along with a handful of nuts. Pecans, cashews, and roasted walnuts are all naturally sweet.