Great Info Tips

Alex asked me to read over a blog post he found on this site regarding diet sodas. We don’t normally consume a lot, but I did buy a few cases of Coke over the holidays and we still have some left. I found this site rather disturbing and decided to check further into the information and the comments that were left on it. In reality, I have made myself read over the information gathered (from Wikipedia) and decided to really wean myself off diet sodas.

First of all, take a good look at the ingredients on each can or bottle. Carbonated water, caramel color, Aspartame, Phosphoric acid, Potassium benzdate, natural flavors, citric acid and caffeine. The can I have also states  the following: contains Phenylalanine. Now I know for a fact that the primary ingredients of any food or drink product are the ones that have the most in that container. So my can of Diet Coke is mainly water and caramel color. Fine! From here it goes down hill for me. Asparitame is a sweetener. Hmmm! Phosphoric acid can be used to remove rust. What? Did I really mean that? Yes, I did. It’s also a component in a gel (think navel jelly). Phosphoric acid is also used in cosmetics and skin care products. It’s low cost and bulk availability make it cheap to use in diet drinks where it provides the tangy or sour taste. Yes, and we are drinking this stuff! Potassium benzdate is in there to provide the taste along with the natural flavors. Did you know citric acid is fermented from Aspergilles niger MOLD from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysatis and phosphoric acid. This turned me off completely! I’m drinking MOLD? The caffeine in the soda is not a problem. Phenylalanine is sold as “Nutra Sweet” or “Equal” and is used in diet drinks and gum.

Having now read all this information about that wonderful can of Diet Coke sitting in front of me, I am wondering just what I’ve been dumping into my body over the last 20 years. If you think I am making this stuff up, check it out yourself. It didn’t take me long to find the information online. Did you also know that phosphoric acid has been linked to lower bone density? Chronic kidney disease? Kidney stones? I have learned today that I have put my body, the holy temple of myself, into jeopardy after consuming all those diet sodas all those years. Kind of makes you think really hard about the cold can of Diet Coke….do I really want to drink it now?

I would love to hear your comments on this article. There has to be more research out there I haven’t found yet, but would like to hear about.