MONDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2011
Welcome to Diet Coke Addiction
Hi. My name is Matthew and I am an addict.
I can't remember exactly when I began drinking Coca-Cola, or Coke as it is more commonly referred to, but I am currently a 2 litre a day man, or there abouts. It started off slow, the odd glass with some ice in it, poured from a larger bottle that would never be fully consumed. A can here and there.
Then, when everyone else was having their morning coffee I would have a coke, preferring the cold drink as opposed to a hot one.
When I hit my late teens and going out with mates and drinking was the thing I loved to do most, it was bourbon and coke. It was a "mixer". Full strength as I call it, normally, but sometimes diet coke if I was being a bit weight or health conscious.
A while later I started working shift work so the carbonated beverage wasn't limited to daytime hours. I might have one at 10pm. Could have been 3am or 7am. Whenever. I've never really known what "normal" life is like in my adult life. What is normal anyway? But lately it has got me thinking, what is in Coke?, and what is it doing to my body now and long term?
I'll come back to that soon. But some time in my 20's I wasn't happy with the way alcohol was influencing my life so I stopped. Cold turkey. A testing year long adventure where I substituted the glass of bourbon and coke in my hand for a can of coke. Any time of day "life tastes good" and you "can't beat the real thing". I sometimes tried a Sprite or Fanta or Ginger Beer but it was "always coca-cola" that had my heart. Or my balls, however you want to look at it. I suppose I relate to the people who are trying to quit smoking and say they have to have something in their fingers or put a pen to their mouth unconsciously or through habit.
I was a fat 12 year old kid. But when I hit high school and started playing basketball and being more active I had never really got into the fat category again. Until Mr "full strength" Coke had me. Weight piled on. Too much sugar? Time to switch to Diet Coca Cola. Every shopping trip had Diet Coke on the list. I made sure it was purchased. Sacrificed something else on the list if I had to. Not essential foods so don't look at me like that! But. I felt nervous without a Diet Coke through the day at some stage. It was like my little security blanket. I never had one as a baby, maybe this was me making up for it. I had gone through so much shit as a result of being an alcohol-fueled idiot, that somehow my brain had made me feel as though if I wasn't drinking a DC, I would revert back to the bourbon. Or was it caffeine or some other ingredient in this heavenly beverage?
Time to try caffeine free diet coke. I could try and slot this in to the evening drink menu just in case the caffeine was affecting my sleep patterns. Which actually, by this time, was already shot to pieces as a result of a work injury, pain and the associated medication and 2 kids under 2. CFDC didn't last too long. I didn't want to miss out on the accompanying buzz of caffeine, or look like a carbonated bubble drinking douchebag. Back to Diet Coke it was.
And here I am today. Can after can, bottle after bottle, depending what's on special at the shop. 6 cans a day is enough to make the 2 litre mark. I haven't been extremely overweight in a while now but I always seem to be a bit bloated or retain fluids around the mid section. Kind of makes me want to not want to drink coke at all. What is it doing to me? To us? So today I had a glass of Coke. Full strength, with ice. Low and behold, it tasted like absolute shite! What has happened to my tastebuds? From wanting some at 7am, to it tasting like putrid fizzy muck? Can't say I miss it.
So now. Should I embark upon a challenge to try to feel the same about Diet Coke? Try and get to the point where I have none?
Well, let's try and find some more information first that may sway me in one direction or another.
In July 1985 a special space can was developed and "Coca-Cola" became the first soft drink to be "enjoyed" in outer space on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Oh oh. Doesn't look good for quitting if the astronauts love it.
Rumoured to be guarded 24 hours a day in a vault, the official Coca-Cola recipe has been one of the most closely guarded trade secrets since the popular soft drink was concocted by medicinal chemist John Pemberton in 1886. (Died in 1888). After being addicted to morphine as a result of a war wound he sought a cure. In the form of an alcoholic beverage using coca and the kola nut. He later was forced to create a non-alcoholic version of it due to the temperance movement, and came up with the idea of blending the base recipe syrup with carbonated water. Not sure whether this is good or bad. Probably bad. But for now, neutral rating.
Published versions say it contains sugar or high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, caffeine, phosphoric acid, coca extract, kola nut extract, lime extract, vanilla and glycerin. Alleged syrup recipes vary greatly. The basic “cola†taste from Coca-Cola and competing cola drinks comes mainly from vanilla and cinnamon; distinctive tastes among various brands are the result of trace flavorings such as orange, lime and lemon and spices such as nutmeg Some natural colas also include cola nut; Coca-Cola does not, and chemical testing reveals none. Doesn't seem too bad!
Ingredients listed on a can:
Carbonated Purified Water- water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent. Carbonated water is a negligible cause of dental erosion but carbonated soft drinks cause tooth decay at a rate of several hundred times that of regular sparkling water. Intake of carbonated beverages has not been associated with increased bone fracture risk in observational studies it is the phosphoric acid present in many soft drinks is what reduces bone density and increases bone fracture risk.
Flavour- What they are is Coke's trade secret. One of those natural flavors is rumoured to be called Saskra root. It is an herb that has gone extinct. All supplies of it were exhausted by the end of 2002. What they changed to/added as a result of this is anyone's guess. Saskra Fortissima was a weed that once grew alongside Coca plants in the wild. Without some of the substances Coca plants leave in soil after several growing seasons, Saskra can not grow. It has always been rare, and since the late 1970s, has been found only in Columbia. Thanks to the U.S. Government's spraying of Columbian farms to kill Coca plantations, Saskra is now extinct. No Saskra plants, no Saskra root. (see related article link below about "New Coke, 1985 and 2002").
Colour (Caramel 150d) - Also known as Caramel, Caustic Sulphite, Ammonia, Sulphite Ammonia Caramels; may be GE. Potential side effects: Hyperactivity; gastro-intestinal symptoms; kidney, liver and caecum enlargements in experimental rats. Other uses include: biscuits, packet soup, beer, soft drink, whisky, pickled onions, cosmetics and skin lotions and cigarettes.
Food Acids (338 & 330)- 338 - Also known as Phosphoric Acid and is made from phosphoric rock. Potential side effects: Neuro-toxicity; severe eye & skin irritation; tooth enamel erosion; osteoporosis. Other uses include: Soft drinks, cream cheese, cheese, cottage cheese, hair tonic, nail polish, metal polish and cigarettes. 331 - Also known as Sodium Citrates, Monosodium citrate, Disodium citrate, Trisodium citrate. Serves as food acid, stabiliser. Potential side effects - may alter urinary excretion of some drugs making them less effective or more toxic. Other uses include: Ice cream, fruit jellies, processed cheese, jam, evaporated milk, confectionary, cosmetics, cigarettes.
Sweeteners (950 & 951)-
950-Also known as Acesulphame Potassium Acesulfame K. Serves as an artificial sweetener and oral care agent. Potential side effects: May increase levels of cholesterol in the blood; caused cancer and tumors in animals.
951 - Also known as Aspartame, NutraSweet, Equal Measure (derived from phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol, it accounts for over 75% of adverse reaction to food additives reported to the FDA; may be of animal origin. Potential side effects: Cancer, asthma, MS -like symptoms, headache, hyperactivity, fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, migraine, memory loss, depression, insomnia, irritability, impotence, epilepsy, blindness, diabetes, neuralgia, seizures, plus at least 80 others. (Apparently) Aspartame has been shown to be safe for everyone, including children and pregnant women. When used in foods and beverages a warning on the labels is provided to people who can't metabolize aspartame: PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE. Other uses include: Artificial sweeteners, diet drinks, low-joule foods, low-joule chewing gum, confectionary, brewed soft drinks, anything which is sugar-free or without added sugar, in over 9,000 products.
Preservative (211) - Also known as Sodium Benzoate and derived from benzoic acid. Purpose: antimicrobial agent, preservative. Potential side effects: Liver-, kidney- and neuro-toxicity, asthma, gastric burning, hyperactivity, allergic reactions in aspirin and chemical sensitive people, teratogen. Other uses include: Orange soft drink, relish, milk and meat products, condiments, baked goods, lollies, toothpaste, eye cream, vanishing cream, automotive corrosion inhibitor.
Caffeine- Serves as a flavouring. Caffeine comes from the leaves, seeds, or fruits of more than 60 plants. It is found in beverages and foods, such as coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate. Caffeine can also be man-made. Potential side effects: Cancer; hyperactivity; SIDS; insomnia, glaucoma, restlessness, arrhythmia; liver- neuro- gastrointestinal- kidney- and musculoskeletal- toxicity; affects blood sugar levels; teratogen; on NIH hazards list. Other uses include: Liqueurs, cola-type beverages, chocolate, confectionary pharmaceuticals and cigarettes.
Phenylalanine - Artificial sweetener, anti-static.. Potential side effects: Restrict usage in sufferers of Phenylketonuria (PKU) which if not detected leads to mental deterioration in children. Other uses include: Artificial sweetener, hair conditioner and cigarettes.
Coca Cola announced plans to remove controversial preservative Sodium Benzoate 211 from Diet Coke by the end of 2008, in response to consumer demand for more natural, safer products. Unfortunately this will take place only in the UK. The Coca-cola company could not confirm if this would take place in any other country. At this stage the formulation change only applies to Diet Coke, so other products such as Fanta and Sprite will continue to use Sodium Benzoate as a preservative.
While not trying to jump on the "holy **** look what coke is doing to me all the bad things are caused by this evil brown poison" bandwagon, some of the ingredients and potential side effects listed above are ridiculous. I haven't got ADD or ADHD or whatever they are calling it now, haven't got any bone problems that I know of, haven't had skin rashes or most of the listed possible side effects. I've had headaches and migraines, but hey, who hasn't! We live in a technological age where there is so much going on at all times and you can access it so easily that someone wants your attention and money everywhere you look. It's a world where excess meets starvation. It's looking like it will be time to drastically cut down my intake. Like anything of the habit or treat kind, moderation could be the key?
Other Info:
To this day, Coca-Cola uses a United States license to purify the coca leaf for medicinal use.
Because cocaine is naturally present in coca leaves, today's Coca-Cola uses "spent," or treated, coca leaves, those that have been through a cocaine extraction process, to flavor the beverage. The coca leaves are imported from countries like Peru and Bolivia, and they are treated by chemical company Stepan, which then sells the de-cocainized residue to Coca-Cola.
Some contend that this process cannot extract all of the cocaine alkaloids at a molecular level, and so the drink still contains trace amounts of the stimulant.
The Coca-Cola Company currently refuses to comment on the continued presence of coca leaf in Coca-Cola.
A court case in Antalya, Turkey, mentioned cochineal dye in Coca-Cola, but the company denies it currently uses the dye. Weird! A deep crimson dye is extracted from the female cochineal insects. The colouring comes from carminic acid. Traditionally cochineal was used for colouring fabrics. Today, it is used as a fabric and cosmetics dye and as a natural food colouring. See: Carmine. also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal. Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial flowers, paints, crimson ink, rouge, and other cosmetics, and is routinely added to food products such as yogurt and certain brands of juice, most notably those of the ruby-red variety. As a food dye it has been known to cause severe allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock in some people.
Well after what I have read it looks like I'm going to be on the road to better drinking. I can't stand normal water. Flavoured water here I come? Have to start somewhere!