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10 Controversial Ingredients Found In COCA-COLA by beeblah(m): 4:20pm On Nov 15, 2015 |
Coca-Cola has been at the center of controversy ever
since the fizzy drink first graced the shelves. Myths
and rumors are abound about the ingredients used to
make Coke. While some of this is either unproven, or
blown out of proportion, many of these stories are
quite true, and quite disturbing.
Let’s take a look at 10 of the most controversial
ingredients/contaminants found in Coca-Cola and
analyze what scientific studies reveal. This is not so
much to scare you into pouring all of your Coke
down the toilet , but more to encourage you to inform
yourself about what you are drinking.
10. Alcohol
According to research carried out by the French
National Institute for Consumer Affairs, more than
half of well-known colas contain tiny traces of booze .
Don’t worry though; you would have to drink
something like 13,000 cans of the stuff to even come
close to being legally drunk. Scientists tested 19
different brands and discovered levels of alcohol as
low as 10 mg/liter.
As expected, the French study sparked quite a
controversy, and divided the Muslim community into
pro- and anti-Coca-Cola campaigners. While some
Muslims believe that it is irrelevant if the product
contains 0.001% alcohol or 100% – it is haram either
way – others find it acceptable, since small traces of
alcohol can be found in a lot of things, including
many fruit-based products.
9. Citric Acid
Manufacturers commonly use citric acid as a
preservative and flavor enhancer. However, contrary
to what you might expect, 99% of the citric acid
added to drinks and foods does not come from citrus
fruits. Extracting citric acid from lemons, limes,
oranges, and grapefruits is far too expensive for the
corporations. And so we get the artificial stuff that
you consume every time you sip your Coke.
However, any concerns that the citric acid in Coke is
bad for you is both erroneous and the result of an
undeserved bad reputation. Basically, a study in the
British Dental Journal claimed to find a strong link
between carbonated beverages and tooth erosion.
Consuming at least four glasses of carbonated soft
drinks a day was associated with a 252% higher risk
of tooth problems in 12-year-olds, and a 513%
higher risk in 14-year-old children. This is almost
certainly not taking other factors into account, as
Coca Cola has a pH of 2.525 (Diet Coke has 3.289,)
and while battery acid (an actual corrosive) has a pH
very close to 1. In short, citric acid is a very weak
acid, and comparing it to something truly destructive
has nothing to do with reality.
And now we get into more harmful territory …
8. Phosphoric Acid
Phosphoric acid – also known as orthophosphoric acid
– is used as an acidifying agent to add tartness to
cola. This, combined with the huge amounts of high
fructose corn syrup mixed in, both mask and balance
the acidity of carbonated drinks.
A study was published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition , which provides reasonable evidence
to support the association between consumption of
cola and lower bone density. Some studies claim that
phosphoric acid lowers the levels of calcium.
Moreover, a team of scientists from the US National
Institutes of Health has found that drinking two or
more colas a day doubles the risk of kidney stones.
Now, Coca-Cola contains various acids but as we
discussed earlier, none are potent enough to dissolve a
nail, tooth or penny in four days.
7. Mercury
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has
discovered that 9 of 20 tested samples of commercial
high-fructose corn syrup were contaminated with
mercury. The Institute also found that 55 kid-friendly
foods and soft drinks contained total mercury, which
is any combination of inorganic, organic or metallic
mercury.
As you can see, there are plenty of products with
higher mercury levels than Coke, but the level is still
fairly high:
If you are asking yourself how the heck mercury
would have gotten into high-fructose corn syrup,
here’s a possible answer: mercury-grade caustic soda
and hydrochloric acid are primarily used to separate
corn starch from the corn kernel, and to adjust the
pH level of the process. The contamination seems to
occur when mercury-grade caustic soda and outdated
mercury cell technology are used in the production of
HFCS.
The good news is that mercury-contaminated HFCS
is a completely avoidable problem, since mercury-free
versions of the two reagents are available.
6. Sodium Benzoate
Manufacturers commonly use sodium benzoate as a
preservative, and you can find it in carbonated
drinks, pickles, soy sauce, dressings, jams and fruit
juices, cosmetics, medicines, and so on.
The International Programme on Chemical Safety,
and other regulatory bodies, found no adverse effects
in humans at doses of 650 to 830 mg. per day. The
effects of higher amounts are unknown, but almost
certainly bad, judging by the increased obesity rates
all over the world. Sodium benzoate does not occur
naturally in foods and drinks. Manufacturers try to
confuse consumers by masking these preservatives
with labels that say antimicrobial nutrients.
If processed foods are not part of your daily diet,
there are no risks, but let’s be honest, it is. We all
know what an integral part of the modern lifestyle
processed, convenient foods are. Coca-Cola is in the
process of phasing out the controversial additive in the
UK, due to consumer pressure, but fruit-juice based
products will still contain it.
5. Benzene
Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, gasoline,
and tobacco smoke, and has been classified as a class
A human carcinogen. Does that sound like something
you want in your soft drink? Probably not.
Research scientists Glen Lawrence and Lalita Gardner
described the exact chemical reaction that takes place
between ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and sodium
benzene to form benzene. The groundbreaking
research appeared in the early ‘90s in the Journal of
Agriculture and Food Chemistry .
In 2005, the FDA found that 10 samples of soft drinks
out of 200 contained benzene levels over 5 parts per
billion, which is above the legal limit. All 10 soft
drinks have either been reformulated to meet
standards, or just plain taken off the market.
The next year, the FDA released preliminary results
for 100 soft drinks. Most of them contained legal
levels of benzene, but four products exceeded 5 ppb.
Two of the drinks contained benzene 18 times higher
than permissible.
According to studies conducted by the Environmental
Working Group, there are about 5 and 138 PPB of
benzene in Coca-Cola. And, as the American
Petroleum Institute stated, “It is generally considered
that the only absolutely safe concentration for
benzene is zero.” Drink up!
4. 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI)
4-methylimidazole is a byproduct that occurs in
caramel coloring, and may also be formed in the
cooking, roasting, broiling, grilling or other processing
of some foods and beverages. The National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences has identified the
carcinogenic 2-and 4-methylimidazole as undesirable
byproducts in many foods, and no limits are
currently set on the quantities of caramel coloring
used in foods and beverages.
The roughly 130 mg of 4-methylimidazole in a 12-
ounce cola is four times higher than the NSRL-
recommended limits. Coca-Cola has agreed to change,
in some states anyway, the manufacturing process.
Mainly because not doing so would have forced them
to put a cancer warning on the label, and nobody
needs that kind of publicity.
It is, quite frankly, disturbing how companies get
away with marketing caramel-colored products as
natural. From the legal point of view, the
International Food and Agriculture Organization’s
Codex Alimentarius does not have a standard for
natural foods because it does not recognize the term
natural (probably because literally anything can be
deemed something as vague as “natural.”) Perhaps
it’s time to crack down on this.
3. Aspartame
Aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener, about
200 times sweeter than sugar. It is added to weight
control products, soft drinks, yogurt, cereal, chewing
gum, cooking sauces, desserts, sweets, etc.
Of course, just because its popular, doesn’t mean it’s
good for you. Diet Coke contains about 180 milligrams
of aspartame per 8.3-ounce serving. The bitter truth
is that weight control products ruin the body’s ability
to count calories. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame,
when combined with said diet product, mess up the
brain’s chemistry and stimulate appetite. Result:
more eating, and more weight gain.
In addition, the Ramazzini Foundation released a
three-year study confirming the link between
aspartame and leukemia. The researchers have
concluded that even a low dose (20 milligrams of
aspartame per kilogram of body weight) increases the
development of lymphomas, leukemia, and
uritogenital tumors in rats. By the way, 50
milligrams per kilo represents the current daily
acceptable dose of aspartame.
Board-certified neurologists, prominent geneticists,
cardiologists, biochemists, histologists and toxicologists
from different corners of the world have all drawn
the same conclusion: aspartame is an addictive
carcinogenic neurotoxin and teratogen, and while it
may be a great biochemical warfare agent, as
previously classified by the Pentagon, it should
certainly be kept out of our Coke. And anything else
we consume, really.
2. Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A (BPA) is described as a gender-bending
chemical because it mimics estrogen, binding to the
same receptors in a body as natural female hormones
do. Bisphenol A is also used to make polycarbonate
plastics and line tin cans. And yes, it’s in Coke.
Canada became the first jurisdiction in the world to
declare BPA a toxic substance and the French Senate
unanimously decided to suspend from January 2015
the manufacture, import and export of all food and
beverage containers which include the synthetic
hormone.
The World Health Organization said there was “very
strong evidence” in animals that endocrine-disrupting
chemicals like BPA can interfere with thyroid
hormones. This dangerous interaction could cause
brain damage, autism, decrease intelligence and
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In addition,
various studies have linked BPA exposure to obesity,
neurological issues, breast cancer , prostate cancer,
DNA methylation, reproductive system malfunctions,
and birth defects.
Coca-Cola is under a lot of pressure to do something
about this, after 26% of its shareholders demanded
more information on how the company is addressing
the risk of BPA. Thus far, they’ve rejected the call.
1. High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup was introduced to the
American market in 1967, and its consumption has
exploded ever since. It is the main ingredient in Coca
Cola, with over 18 cubes of the stuff per liter. This is
… not a good thing.
Food safety agencies from all over the world classified
high fructose corn syrup as safe, and no different
from regular old cane sugar. Problem is, both HFCS
and cane sugar can be dangerous, especially when
consumed in high doses (which Coca-Cola’s
marketing team obviously wants to be the case.) A
research team from Princeton University has
demonstrated that the long-term consumption of
HFCS leads to weight gain, abnormal increases in
body fat, and a rise in triglycerides. These are well-
known risk factors for diabetes, cancer, high blood
pressure, and coronary artery disease.
To preserve the health of its people, Venezuela banned
Coca-Cola because the so-called “liquid candy” was
simply too unhealthy. As delicious and refreshing as
Coke can be, perhaps it’s time other nations
considered the same. |
Re: 10 Controversial Ingredients Found In COCA-COLA by CharlyNick: 4:23pm On Nov 15, 2015 |
Coca Cola might sue you OP |
Re: 10 Controversial Ingredients Found In COCA-COLA by beeblah(m): 4:35pm On Nov 15, 2015 |
Re: 10 Controversial Ingredients Found In COCA-COLA by kossyablaze(m): 4:51pm On Nov 15, 2015 |
Seen |
(1) (Reply)
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