[Image: Coke]
Carbonated Water is water which has had carbon dioxide gas under pressure dissolved into it. (The only benign ingredient.)
Caramel color is added to many soft drinks and some foods to turn them brown, it sounds harmless, even appetizing. But in no way does it resemble real caramel. Some types of this artificial coloring contain a potentially carcinogenic chemical called 4-methylimidazole.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, also referred to as Acesulfame potassium, Equal, NutraSweet, etc. and it’s used in a variety of food and wellness products like diet soda, candy, vitamins, and gum.
Phosphoric acid is a colorless and odorless inorganic mineral acid. Its chemical formula is H3PO4. Phosphoric acid is corrosive to metals as well as human tissue. Food and beverage manufacturers like it because it’s cheap, adds zest, and acts as a preservative. Known to lower bone density, and dissolve tooth enamel.
Potassium Benzoate, is a preservative that is used to keep beverages fresh and safe. It protects against yeasts, molds, and certain types of bacteria. When exposed to heat and light, some products that contain both potassium benzoate and ascorbic acid may produce benzene. This is a concern because benzene is a known carcinogen. It causes cancer in humans.
Hundreds of chemicals can be used to mimic the taste of natural flavors—so natural flavors can be anything.
Citric acid is considered to be a harmless additive by food regulating agencies all over the world. However, public concern has arisen from its erosive effects on tooth enamel.
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, and it is highly addictive.
What are all these things?
And why are we consuming them? By looking at the label we see it provides zero nutrients. I would say most of the ingredients are anti-nutrients.
Carbonated water
is really the only benign ingredient, and the only one I am not concerned about.
Aspartame scares me the most
It is a neurotoxin linked to Tinnitus, and tingling in the hands, and feet, numb tongue, and so on....
From Aspartame: 11 Dangers of This All-Too-Common Food Additive
This is just on one of the eight ingredients
Most of these side effects may not affect most of us, but why use ourselves as guinea pigs. On a tangent, I just wondered who was the first food scientist to come up with an artificial ingredient...And why? Was it for the consumer's benefit, or for the food industry's pockets?
If you just read the ingredients on the label
and didn't know that it is a soft drink... would you drink it?
P.S. Several months ago I read online that Diet Coke
(or any soda with phosphoric acid) would clean the corrosion off of the battery posts on my car, which were heavily corroded. I tried it... It foamed like crazy! CLEAN.