|
Cola
Drinks
The following is an extract
from a United States government bulletin. We would believe, therefore, that it
is accurate.
`The popular cola drink is a
strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, coloring and flavoring
matter. The amount of phosphoric acid is 55%, giving cola drinks an acidity of
pH 2.6, or about the same as vinegar. Why doesn't cola drink taste like vinegar?
Because of the sugar added.
`But why so much phosphoric acid? Evidently to
keep the water sterile, as no bacteria can live in such acid solutions. The
solution of phosphoric acid in cola drinks is so strong as to cause human teeth
to become soft within 2 days. In fact, it is strong enough to dissolve nails and
limestone, and the very substantial amount of caffeine in the cola drinks,
without doubt has a direct bearing on the prevalence of gastric ulcers.'
Food Products, pp.87-96,
U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington D.C., 1951
One can only wonder whether the
friendly bacteria in our intestines are able to survive in such strong acid
solutions?
Here is another report that
confirms the above.
`In 1951, a doctor who had been
in charge of nutritional research for the U.S. Navy during World War II
testified before a congressional committee. (When the Navy discovered the amount
of money their men were spending on Coca-Cola, all cola beverages were studied.
It was found they contained about 10 percent sugar.) The soft drink industry was
given sugar rationing certificates so they could collect on all sugar sold to
the armed forces. The Navy nutritionist, Dr. McCay, began studying these
certificates: "I was amazed to learn," he testified, "that the beverage
contained substantial amounts of phosphoric acid.... At the Naval Medical
Research Institute, we put human teeth in a cola beverage and found they
softened and started to dissolve within a short period." While the congressmen
gaped, the doctor went on: "The acidity of cola beverages... is about the same
as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize
they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine,
colouring, and flavouring matter."
`A congressman asked the doctor
what government bureau had charge of passing on the contents of soft drinks.
`"So far as I know, no one passes
upon it or pays any attention to it," the doctor replied.
`"No one passes on the contents
of soft drinks?" asked the congressman.
`"So far as I know, no one."
`Another congressman asked if the
doctor had made any tests of the effect of cola beverages on metal and iron.
When the doctor said he hadn’t, the congressman volunteered: "A friend of mine
told me once that he dropped three tenpenny nails into one of the cola bottles,
and in forty-eight hours the nails had completely dissolved."
`"Sure," the doctor answered.
"Phosphoric acid there would dissolve iron or limestone. You might drop it on
the steps, and it would erode the steps coming up here....Try it."
William Dufty, Sugar
Blues, p.177-8
---------------------
Cola
drinks and many other soft drinks contain caffeine.
Click
here for more information on the psychological effects
of caffeine. Click here to read about the harmful
effects of other products that contain caffeine - such as tea, coffee, and chocolate.
|
