11 Quick Facts about Phosphoric Acid (Yes, that Chemical in Coca Cola)
1. Phosphoric acid is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid with a syrupy consistency.
2. Phosphoric acid is used as an acidifying agent to give colas their tangy flavor.
3. Due to the use of phosphoric acid, cola is a actually more acid than lemon juice or vinegar. The vast amount of sugar acts to mask and balance the acidity.
4. Phosphoric acid also goes by E338, orthophosphoric acid, and phosphoric(V) acid.
5. Food-grade phosphoric acid is a mass-produced chemical, available cheaply and in large quantities.
6. Phosphoric acid is commonly used for rust removal.
7. Phosphorus-containing substances occur naturally (0.1%-0.5%) in foods such as milk, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and egg yolks.
8. Phosphoric acid has been linked to lower bone density in some epidemiological studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
9. Opposing studies showed the opposite – that *low* intake of phosphorus leads to lower bone density. Guess who funded the studies? PepsiCo.
10. Aside from the risk of osteoporosis, Cola consumption has also been linked to chronic kidney disease and kidney stones.
11. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog group not affiliated with the food industry, only a small fraction of the phosphate in the American diet comes from additives in soft drinks. Most comes from meat and dairy products. So your reason for not drinking Coke should be its sugar content and artificial food colorings, not the phosphoric acid.
Just Say No to Coca Cola, in fact, just say no to all soft drinks!!!!
In a survey designed to measure the amount of phosphoric acid in twenty different soft drinks, the following were found to contain the highest amounts: Tab, Coke, Diet Coke, caffeine-free Coke, and Mr. Pibb. The formulas may have been changed for the better since this survey was conducted. Read labels. By the way, Pepsi Free, Diet Pepsi Free, Like Cola, 7-Up, and Mountain Dew had no phosphoric acid in them. This, however, does not mean that these products are free from the other problems true of soft drinks.
Tap Water
The main ingredient in bottled soft drinks is water, straight from the tap. Don’t let me talk about the nasty stuff found in tap water. To the sea of chemical additives in soda pop are added things like chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and organic pollutants found in abundance in our nation’s water supply. Not the stuff on which good health is built.
Sugar
The sweetener in regular pop, of course, is sugar. Let’s not talk about the health hazards that sugar presents as part of the standard American diet (SAD). It rots teeth, impairs the immune system, and can lead to the onset of degenerative disease.
The manufacturers of soft drinks are the largest single user of refined sugar in this country. One 12-ounce can of regular soda pop contains over an ounce of sugar (or about 7 teaspoons). “The sugar is cheap, rotten refined sugar that can only do you damage – diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and all the rest.,”
Just Say NO people, Just Say NO!!!