WHAT'S IN MY SOFTDRINK?

Most of my friends and the public at large has an indispensable relationship with their sodas be it Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, RC or what have you. Not a meal is spared wihtout washing it off by this frizzy, gassy and saccharine liquid with a loud and proud belch thereafter.

Am I missing something? Let me enumerate and learn what this fluid made of.

1.CARBONATED WATER - is simply plain water infused with Carbon dioxide which is relatively good for the health as a stand alone drink.

2.HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS) - a sweetener made from BT corn. a cheaper alternative to table sugar.

                                            What you get: Metabolic Diseases like Obesity and Diabetes

                                             http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

3.CARAMEL COLOR - is made from 4-methylimidazole to give artificial caramel-ish color of your soda.

                                             What you get: Cancer

   http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/news-room/News-Releases/2015/Caramel-Color-in-Soft-Drinks-and-Exposure-to-4-Methylimidazole.html

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118138

4. PHOSPHORIC ACID - deliberately added to sofdrinks to give them a sharper flavor.

                                            What you get: Bone, Dental and Kidney Diseases

http://www.wnho.net/soft_drinks_hard_facts.pdf
http://www.livestrong.com/article/468217-why-is-phosphoric-acid-bad-for-you/

5. CAFFEINE - to enhance the flavor of cola beverages.

                                             What you get: Sleep pattern disruption, Increased Anxiety, Hyperactivity and Stomach problem in Children.

http://mic.com/articles/89333/what-the-ingredients-in-coca-cola-and-pepsi-actually-do-to-your-body

6. CITRIC ACID - a commonly used additive.
                                       

                                                What you get: Tooth Enamel Erosion, Irritation of the Digestive System, Heartburns, Stomach mucus membrane damage.

http://www.alive.com/health/is-citric-acid-truly-safe/

7.NATURAL FLAVORS - (kinda scary bit because its the vaguest of all the ingredients)

  According to Pepsico,  Natural Flavor: A natural flavor is a flavor that is derived from a natural substance such as a fruit or fruit juice, spice, vegetable or herb. 
Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations says:
”The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.“
               "it could be anything including "castoreum", Castoreum is the dried perineal glands of the beaver contain castoreum — a food additive usually listed as ‘natural flavoring’ in the ingredient list. This food flavoring is extracted from the castor sac scent glands, located between the anus and genitalia, of male and female adult beavers. It has been used for over 80 years in both foods and beverages as a vanilla, raspberry and strawberry flavoring. The FDA says it’s GRAS, meaning it’s “generally recognized as safe.” You won’t see this one on the food label because it’s generally listed as “natural flavoring." ”

http://www.gaiahealthblog.com/2013/07/13/is-natural-flavor-and-ingredient-in-your-healthy-product-it-could-be-literally-anything/

8. SUGAR -

What you get: 9 tbsp of sugar/can

 I guess its not totally bad to have some soda fizz but in moderation. Replacing it for water will fatten the pocket of your doctor and your premature meeting with San Pedro.