At that time, many patented drugs contained coca leaves or cocaine (an alkaloid extracted from the leaves). True, there was never much cocaine in Coca-Cola - the amount was quickly reduced to virtually undetectable levels a few years later when the negative qualities of cocaine became clear. In 1929, cocaine was completely removed from Coca-Cola. The leaves are still used for flavoring, but the alkaloids have been removed completely.
According to the official website, Coca-Cola contains the following components:
- Sugar (~11%)
- Carbon dioxide
- Dye (sugar color, E150)
- Phosphoric acid (phosphorus 170 ppm)
- Caffeine (140 ppm)
- Flavoring: vanillin, cinnamon oil, clove oil, lemon oil
But there are also thousands of unofficial versions of the product's composition.
The nuances of the proportions of this drink are a trade secret and are kept in the strictest confidence by the Coca-Cola company. According to the company's charter " Coca Cola", only 3 high-ranking members of the company at the same time can know the formula of this component.
Turkey's St. Nicholas Foundation sues the company Sosa-Cola, with demands to reveal the formula of the drink being produced in order to find out whether the ingredients included in the cola are harmful.
As stated by the head of the St. Nicholas Foundation, Muammer Karabulut, the secret composition of the apothecary (pharmacist) from Atlanta John Pemberton includes:
- Sugar (10.58%)
- Phosphoric acid (0.544 g/l)
- Caffeine (150 mg/l)
- Caramel (0.11%)
- Carbon dioxide (7.5 g/l)
- Coca-Cola extract (0.015%)
Based on the results of the study, it was found that the Coca-Cola extract is the food coloring “carmine” (E120), also known as the food additive “cochineal”, extracted from cochineal scale insects - this is an extract from female insects of the species Dactylopius coccus ( cochineal worm). Cochineal is the common name for several species of insects from different families of the suborder Coccidae, the females of which are used to produce red dye - carmine. In the food industry, the same additive is known as carminic acid, which is assigned the international index E-120.
Carmine is harmless and has been used to dye fabrics since biblical times and in the food industry for over 100 years. Carmine is used to color not only soda, but also various confectionery products and some dairy products, but to obtain 1 g of carmine, a lot of insects are destroyed.
Harm
Harm of Coca-Cola to the body
The calorie content of cola is quite high due to the sugar dissolved in it, criticized by nutritionists - a 0.5 ml bottle of cola contains 10-12 tablespoons of sugar, as a result of which excessive consumption of the drink causes obesity.
For comparison - calorie content coca cola 42 kcal/100 g, and the calorie content of beer is 38 kcal/100 g, the sugar content in Coca-Cola is 11.2 g/100 g (in beer - 3.8 g/100 g). And this drink, especially among children and adolescents, is most often consumed in excessive quantities and is one of the most popular drinks.
Cola and other similar lemonades contain citric or phosphoric acid (“acidity regulators”). Acid dries out the mucous membrane, which dries out - therefore, it is quite difficult to quench your thirst with carbonated drinks, and as a result of increased fluid consumption, an additional harmful load on the kidneys occurs.
Drinking highly acidic drinks (such as cola or orange juice) can damage tooth enamel and increase the acidity of the stomach, thereby leading to the destruction of its walls and ulcers. Therefore, it is especially not recommended to drink Coca-Cola for people with gastrointestinal diseases. Also, the same acid impairs the absorption of calcium and washes it out of the body, which leads to a negative effect on the skeleton (especially in children, adolescents and women). Constant consumption of Coca-Cola will cause particular harm to a growing body, that is, children and adolescents.
The substances used to replace sugar in Diet Coke are harmful to health.
If you wash down your food with cold drinks - Pepsi or Coke with ice (and usually such drinks are served only chilled), the time the food stays in the stomach is reduced from 4-5 hours to 20 minutes. Proper saturation with food does not occur, and the feeling of hunger comes very quickly, as a result, people eat more often, which is fraught with obesity. In addition, food enters the intestines completely undigested, which causes putrefactive processes to occur in the intestines.
Cola Cola is a “highly carbonated” drink. Research by scientists from the USA and Singapore has found that drinking carbonated drinks can cause pancreatic cancer (fatal in 95% of cases).
Artificial flavors and colors contained in these drinks are harmful to health.
Benefit
It can be stored for a long time.
Does not cause allergic reactions.
Limit your consumption of Coca-Cola
It is advisable to drink synthetic drinks very limited. Excessive consumption can lead to health problems. What manufacturers do not warn consumers about.
To avoid digestive problems, try not to drink cold drinks with your meals.
Need to know!
For transporting concentrate Coca-Cola the truck must be equipped with special containers designed for highly corrosive materials.
Phosphoric acid - H3PO4 (E338) - ingredient in Coca-Cola. Phosphoric acid is used for the production of fertilizers, in the food and textile industries; phosphates - as phosphorus fertilizers, in the production of glass and enamels. In terms of its “corroding” ability, orthophosphoric acid is even superior to sulfuric acid. Its pH is 2.8. In 4 days, this acid can dissolve nails.
There is an opinion that, due to the presence of phosphoric acid, cola cleans metal objects (from scale, rust, etc.).
ADDITIONALLY
Composition of Coca-Cola Light
Several years ago, a detailed explanation of the low-calorie version of the caffeine-free Coca-Cola Light drink appeared on the Internet, which includes Aqua carbonatada, E150d, E952, E950, E951, E338, E330, Aromas, E211.
Aqua carbonatada - sparkling water.
E150d (dye) - sugar color (burnt sugar). It is obtained from sugar processed at certain temperatures, with or without the addition of chemical reagents. In this example, ammonium sulfate is added.
E952 (calorie-free sweetener)- cyclamic acid and cyclamates - its sodium, potassium and calcium salts. Cyclamate is a synthetic chemical used as an artificial sweetener. It has a particularly sweet taste - 30-50 times greater than the sweetness of sugar. Prohibited for use in human food because it is a carcinogen that causes cancer. Only about 50 countries around the world allow the use of cyclamate. Since 1969, cyclamate has been banned in the USA, Great Britain, France and a number of other countries due to suspicions that it provokes the development of kidney failure. Later, the Cancer Evaluation Committee of the US Pharmacy Center for Food Safety and Food Additives, the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Union and the World Health Organization concluded that cyclamate is not a carcinogen and is being re-admitted to the food market.
E950 (acesulfame potassium)- 200 times sweeter than sucrose. Contains methyl ester, which worsens the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and aspartic acid, which has a stimulating effect on the nervous system (can be addictive over time). Products containing this artificial sweetener are not recommended for use by children, pregnant or lactating women.
E951 (aspartame) - sweetener for diabetics. When heated or increased in temperature, aspartame breaks down into methanol and phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is contraindicated in patients with phenylketonuria. Methanol (methyl alcohol) is very dangerous. A safe dose is no more than 1 g per day. 5-10 ml can lead to the death of the optic nerve and irreversible blindness, 30 ml can lead to death in humans.
Drinking drinks with aspartame does not quench your thirst. Saliva does not remove the sweetener from the oral mucosa well, so after drinking such drinks, an unpleasant, cloying sensation remains in the mouth, which you want to remove with a new portion of the drink. As a result, drinks with aspartame become thirst-exciting drinks rather than thirst-quenching drinks. To relieve the feeling of thirst, you need to drink Coke with plain water.
E330 (citric acid)- obtained from shag, by fermentation of carbohydrates (sugar, molasses). Salts of citric acid (citrates) are used in the food industry (as acids, stabilizers, preservatives), and in medicine for blood preservation.
Aromas - aromatic additives (unknown what).
E211 (sodium benzoate or C6H5COONa)- an expectorant, used as a food preservative. It is used for canning meat and fish products, margarine, mayonnaise, ketchup, fruit and berry products, and drinks. Benzoic acid (E210), sodium benzoate (E211) and potassium benzoate (E212) are added to some foods as bactericidal and antifungal agents. It has a strong inhibitory effect on yeast and mold fungi, including aflatoxin-forming fungi, and suppresses in microbial cells the activity of enzymes responsible for redox reactions, as well as enzymes that break down fats and starch. Permitted in Russia and European countries. The concentration is no more than 150 mg/l.
Products containing sodium and calcium benzoates are not recommended for asthmatics and people sensitive to aspirin. It reacts with vitamin C to produce benzene (a strong carcinogen). The latest study, conducted by Professor Peter Piper, found that this compound causes significant damage to DNA - it does not destroy parts of the DNA, but it deactivates them. This can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.
