Coca-Cola under the microscope: facts that will make you think

One of the most popular drinks today – Coca-Cola – was created in 1889 in the USA (Georgia) by pharmacist John Pemberton. The product was patented as a drug, which was attributed to a wide variety of properties. In the early years, the production of Coca-Cola was unprofitable, but over time, the product gained popularity among buyers, and already in 1902 the brand became the most famous in the States. Today, the legendary drink is known on all continents, and the corporation that produces it is one of the largest and most expensive in the world. But it is unlikely that the popularity of Coca-Cola would be so high if at least some of those who drink several cans of the drink every day knew what it contains and how this composition affects the body.

What’s in the line-up?

Initially, the composition of the drink included 3 parts of coca leaves and 1 part of kola nuts. Hence the name of the product. By the way, drinks containing coca were very common in the 1929th century and were not considered harmful to the body. Officially, coca leaf extract was part of the drink until XNUMX. ^[1]. Although according to The New York Times, the corporation continued to add coca leaves obtained from Bolivia and Peru to the drink until the 1980s, while hiding the recipe for the drink as a trade secret. ^[2]. The manufacturer continues to carefully store the recipe for the drink, but something about the composition of the product is already known. Some of the ingredients are amazing.

Cochineal

On the label of Coca-Cola, you can usually read that the composition of the drink contains a certain amount of water, sugar, caffeine, phosphoric acid, carbon dioxide, caramel and “extract”. So in 2006, Turkey filed a lawsuit against the corporation in order to find out what the drink actually consists of. It turned out that the mentioned “extract” is a substance that is obtained from cochineals – insects that live in Mexico and the Canary Islands. A pigment is obtained from bugs and their eggs, which, in fact, color the drink in its characteristic color. ^[3].

Alcohol

Despite the fact that Coca-Cola is considered a non-alcoholic product, but, as shown by the results of a study conducted by the Paris National Institute of Consumption, each liter of the drink consists of 0,001% alcohol. ^[4]. The amount is insignificant, but still it is worth considering this fact when drinking Coca-Cola in liters and offering it to children.

E-ski

Coca-Cola is a “storehouse” of all kinds of E-additives, many of which do not have the best effect on the human body. Among them:

• E952 (cyclamate) – this synthetic sweetener is 200 times sweeter than granulated sugar; was banned in many countries, since experiments showed that in rats it provokes bladder cancer, however, in 1979, WHO recognized this substance as safe, but you should not use it more than 0,8 g per day;
• E150d – dye from burnt sugar with impurities of ammonium sulfate; if not abused, the substance is considered safe;
• E950 (acesulfame potassium) – a sweetener containing aspartic acid, which causes excitation of the nervous system, and after some time it becomes addictive, as well as methyl alcohol, which has a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system; products with E950 should not be consumed by pregnant women, nursing mothers and children; for the rest, no more than 1 g of the substance per day is considered a safe dose;
• E951 (aspartame) – a sweetener that can transform into a carcinogen, causing severe poisoning with nausea, palpitations, loss of consciousness, anxiety, loss of hearing and / or vision; it is also believed that E951 can provoke brain cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, sclerosis, diabetes, epilepsy, impaired reproductive function. Up to 3 g of aspartame per day is considered safe;
• E338 (orthophosphoric acid) is an explosive and flammable substance with an acidity of 2.8, which requires specially equipped tanks with high resistance to corrosion for its transportation. This substance can cause irritation of the skin and eyes, deterioration in the absorption of iron and calcium, provokes osteoporosis;
• E330 (citric acid) – when abused, it corrodes tooth enamel and the gastric mucosa;
• E211 (sodium benzoate) is a preservative that, according to molecular biologist Peter Piper, can damage DNA and cause pro-oxidative stress. ^[5].

What processes occur in the body after drinking Coca-Cola?

According to many experts, the regular use of a drink with such an “explosive” composition does not go unnoticed for the body. And Niraj Naik, a former British pharmacist, completely traced what happens in the human body within 1 hour after drinking the advertised drink. ^[6].

After 10 minutes

Only 1 can of the drink contains 10 tsp. sugar, which is the daily norm. Under normal conditions, after such a portion of sweetness, a person should vomit. But the drink contains phosphoric acid, which inhibits this reaction. By the way, back in 2015, researchers estimated that sugar abuse is the cause of more than 180 deaths annually. ^[7].

After 20 minutes

In the blood, the level of insulin jumps sharply, and the carbohydrates obtained from the drink are converted into fats. If this condition occurs regularly, insulin resistance develops and the risk of type 2 diabetes increases many times over.

After 40 minutes

The body has absorbed the caffeine contained in the drink. Pupils dilated, blood pressure increased due to the release of sugar into the blood. Under normal conditions, drowsiness should appear, but it is not there, since the substances contained in the product block adenosine receptors.

After 45 minutes

The brain is more active in producing the hormone dopamine, which is responsible for pleasure. Something similar happens after taking heroin.

After 60 minutes

Under the influence of phosphoric acid, the metabolism of magnesium, zinc and calcium is accelerated, the latter is excreted from the body in the urine.

After 90 minutes

The liquid obtained with the drink is excreted from the body, the person becomes lethargic and irritable.

Does all this mean that you should completely abandon the use of Coca-Cola? Everyone is free to decide for themselves. But the fact that it is better to limit the amount of drink consumed is undeniable. By the way, even Sandy Douglas, president of Coca-Cola in North America, admitted that he does not consume more than 1 can of drink per day. ^[8].

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