Perhaps one of the most popular carbonated drinks today is Coca-Cola, which has a very bright and memorable taste, has a tonic effect on the body and also perfectly quenches thirst. True, disputes over how safe it is for the human body are still being conducted. In order to determine whether Coca-Cola can be drunk at all, and in which cases it can cause serious health problems, one must first find out what it is made of.
Composition of Coca-Cola
Even in an age of intensive development of the chemical industry most of the ingredients that make up this drink are natural. These are the essential oils of neroli, orange, lemon, coriander, lime and nutmeg, which form the basis of the Coca-Cola aromatic palette. Of course, it is extremely difficult to catch their presence in the drink, as they are added to it in the minimum amount. Nevertheless, it is thanks to them that Coca-Cola can boast of its taste, which is difficult to confuse with anything else. But some aromatic oils for the preparation of this drink is clearly not enough, so it consists of caffeine citrate, vanilla extract and phosphoric acid, as well as a huge amount of sugar. All this is diluted with previously purified water, after which it is richly saturated with carbon dioxide, which is used to carbonate beverages. As a result, we all get the well-known Coca-Cola, which contains only 42 kilocalories in 100 g, although the taste of that drink may seem too cloying to many people. There are practically no proteins and fats in Coca-Cola, but 10, 4 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of product. Thus, this drink could rightly be considered dietary, if not the results of scientific research, according to which the much-loved "soda" can cause serious health problems.
What is harmful and to whom Coca-Cola is contra-indicated
To begin with, any carbonated drinks, regardless of the composition, negatively affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract due to the carbon dioxide content. This substance irritates the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, provoking the development of various diseases, ranging from innocent gastritis, and ending with cancer. Well, if a person already has problems with the digestive system, then any carbonated drinks, including Coca-Cola, pose an increased threat to their health, as they can provoke an exacerbation of the disease. However, Coca-Cola also contains another harmful substance, called orthophosphoric acid, due to which the drink boasts a high acidity. For people with an ulcer or gastritis on the background of increased activity of the glands of secretion of gastric juice, this drink is simply dangerous. Plus, orthophosphoric acid has a very negative effect on tooth enamel. Therefore, people who regularly use Coca-Cola, are frequent guests in dental clinics. By the way, the property of eating away organics has long been appreciated by many craftsmen, who use Coca-Cola to clean dishes from scale, and pipes - from rust. Indeed, in its adsorbent properties, this drink is in no way inferior to modern cleaning products. And this is an additional reason to think about what we drink in everyday life.
However, if you do not abuse Coca-Cola, then you can easily avoid problems with the stomach and teeth, as well as prevent the development of pancreatitis, which is a loyal companion to fans of this drink. Due to the high sugar content (approximately 50 g per 200 ml) Coca-Cola is strictly forbidden for people with diabetes. However, the figure of those who want to get rid of excess weight, the love of this drink does not reflect, and this is its little secret. The thing is that the ingredients that make up Coca-Cola in combination with sugar completely discourage appetite. It is enough to drink 100-150 ml of this pleasant drink to get rid of a sharp feeling of hunger for several hours. Therefore, some to the detriment of their own health still risk losing weight with the help of Coca-Cola and achieve good results in the fight against overweight. However, if you do not abuse this drink, drinking no more than 100 ml of Coca-Cola a day, then you can not be afraid of the negative consequences. Moreover, this “soda” can be used with certain benefits, as it contains caffeine, which has a tonic and stimulating effect on the body. Therefore, if in the heat you do not want to pour in invigorating hot coffee, you can replace it with a can of Coca-Cola, which will help relieve fatigue, provide a surge of strength and increase efficiency.
