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Coca Cola’s Low Calorie Beverages Will Kill You Before They Solve Obesity

When I saw Coca-Cola’s new anti-obesity ad, my jaw dropped wide open. Yes, you read that right… Coca-Cola is on a new mission to fight the obesity epidemic now, in what I call a desperate attempt to prevent declining sales. The sad part is that some people will actually believe their nonsense. In the advertisement they try to make a case that there is room for Coca-Cola products in people’s “healthy” diets.

Coca-Cola is promoting the introduction of new low calorie beverages and using the failed logic of “a calorie is a calorie” to convince people who need to lose weight to keep Coca-Cola products around in their diet. But you know what? A calorie isn’t a calorie – when it’s made up of chemicals that affect how much you eat and the way your body metabolizes those chemicals.

So I’m here to break that down for you and detail out why Coca-Cola’s low calorie beverages will not fight obesity – and if anything – the reliance on low calorie chemical-filled drinks just perpetuates the problem even more. Proving in fact, that these drinks will continue to be linked to the increase in obesity.

If you want to see the full advertisement video…it is at the bottom of this post…but I don’t recommend watching it (unless you want to get a good laugh) because it deserves no more attention and I want you to focus on the truth that I am about to share with you now.

(And when you see this advertisement being played during the Super Bowl coming up – I suggest you yell loudly at the TV, like I plan on doing.)

Quotes from Coca-Cola’s Anti Obesity Advertisement:

“For over 125 years, we have been bringing people together” 

Really?? How? By selling a products to adults and children that are linked to diabetes, heart disease and obesity? Hmmm…. What do you call spending millions of dollars against the consumer’s right to know – i.e. GMO labeling – Is this bringing people together?  If anything – it makes you an enemy company people should boycott.

“We’ve created smaller portion control sizes for our most popular drinks and we’ll have then in about 90% of the country by the end of this year”

A smaller can of poison will not solve obesity. Thank you.

“No matter where they come from, including Coca-Cola and everything else with caloriesAnd if you eat and drink more calories than you burn off, you’ll gain weight”

This is faulty logic and I’ll show you why in just a minute…

Across our portfolio of more than 650 beverages we now offer over 180 low and no calorie choices and most of our full calorie beverages now have low or no calorie versions. Over the last 15 years, this has helped reduce the average calories per serving across our industries products in the US by about 22%”

This is where I want to take a closer look at exactly which low calorie beverages Coca-Cola is referring to… here are some examples and the ingredients these low calorie beverages include:

Slide03

Artificial Sugars – Linked to Obesity and a Myriad of Diseases

Sure you can save some calories drinking beverages with artificial sugars, but you won’t reduce your risk of obesity or getting a tumor.

If someone is trying to lose weight, the consumption of artificial sweeteners is not the solution and will not work as long term strategy. Artificial Sweeteners are proven to stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and promote fat storage and weight gain.

That’s right – consuming artificial sweeteners actually increases your appetite. Think about it – when someone consumes something that is sweet, but it has little to no calories – their brain receives a signal to want more calories because their body is not actually getting any energy (i.e. enough calories) to get satisfied.  So that person keeps looking for gratification elsewhere and ends up craving more.

The fact that Coca-Cola and other food industry giants are getting away with this “orchestrated deception” is unbelievable and then to say developing low calorie beverages using these artificial sweeteners is actually going to help the obesity epidemic? Seriously? Who are they kidding?

Furthermore, there are more dangerous side effects from artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, which is considered one the most dangerous substances allowed in our food supply. Aspartame is found in Powerade, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper, Fanta Light, Fuze, Minute Maid Light, etc.

Over 10,000 complaints have been filed with the FDA on this substance since 1980 and has actually never been proven to be safe before it was approved for use in our food supply. Aspartame is linked to diabetes, auto-immune disorders, depression (which can cause you to eat more – once again), birth defects, and several forms of cancer.

“Erythritol” found in Vitamin Water Zero is a sugar alcohol the body does not easily digest and is linked to diarrhea, headache and other intestinal disorders.

Acesulfame Potassium or acesulfame K is the one of main sweeteners in Minute Maid Fruit Falls – which is a low calorie beverage aimed at kids – and Monster Zero for example. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) it is anything but safe. CSPI reported the safety tests of acesulfame-K that were conducted in the 1970s were inadequate. Specifically, two rat studies suggest that the additive might cause cancer, but these studies were never addressed by the FDA before they approved the substance to also be used unregulated in soft drinks. In addition it is mentioned that large doses of acetoacetamide (a breakdown product of this sugar) have been shown to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits, and dogs. As you might know – the thyroid gland – regulates the endocrine system, which is responsible the metabolism.

If Coca-Cola wanted to really improve their offerings – they would immediately eliminate artificial sugars from their products.

Natural Flavors – Trick Consumers To Drink More

By producing zero or low calorie drinks that taste like the “real thing,” Coca-Cola is “hijacking” your taste buds one by one. Food scientists can engineer natural flavors to cause the inability to stop eating or drinking. All of the Coca-Cola products listed above have added natural flavors. These flavors scientists synthesize trick your mind into wanting more and more. They don’t want you to have the full essence of the strawberry or real coconut – they want you to only experience the best 1 millionth part of the taste – so you get “addicted” and keep having to go back for more and more, searching continuously for gratification – eating more of that product which in turns fills Coca-Cola’s pocket, as well as other big food companies.

This is an industry trick that is used in so many products – beyond drinks – but is the most prevalent in low calorie beverages. In a few versions of Coca-Cola’s product Zico – a coconut water – they have to use natural flavors to cover up the fact that they are getting coconuts from all over the world, that taste different, which they then process into “concentrate.” The coconut water is heated down to syrup and then reconstituted with water. To keep the flavor consistent – they have to add back in natural flavors and what you end up with is an inferior product that is a mix of several different species of coconuts that have lost their original integrity, taste and nutrition.

Artificial Colors – Attract Adults and Children to Unhealthy Drinks 

Adding artificial colors into food, actually contributes to the obesity epidemic by attracting children (and adults) to fake sweetened drinks that provide almost zero nutrition. This is another marketing ploy by Coca-Cola to target more people to get addicted to their products.

Additionally – it’s important to note – the caramel coloring that Coca-Cola and other soda giants like Pepsi use – is completely artificial – not the stuff you make at home by cooking sugar. This caramel color is manufactured by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, which creates carcinogenic compounds. A high dose of this known carcinogen is proven to cause liver tumors, lung tumors, and thyroid tumors in rats and mice.

When The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a study last year found dangerous levels of caramel coloring could be contributing to thousands of cancers in the US, it prompted Coca-Cola and Pepsi to quickly change their formulas so they didn’t have to include the cancer warning label on their products in California.

Regardless of the reformulation – many of Coca-Cola’s products still contain this caramel coloring – even if it’s in a lesser amount. How small of a dose of poison are you willing to take on a regular basis?

Slide02

Overconsumption of Caffeine – Causes Addiction and Adrenal Fatique

The reason why so many of Coca-Cola’s low calorie drinks contain caffeine – is because they want you to become addicted. The stimulation you get from the caffeine, along with the taste of something sweet – keeps you coming back for more and more. One of the most alarming drinks on the market is “Monster Zero” which can directly affect how your adrenal glands function and lead to persistent exhaustion. What happens when people are exhausted all the time? They stop moving… and likely gain weight.

Right now, Monster energy drinks is being sued by multiple families because it is suspected to have caused death of their loved ones. Despite these lawsuits and the recent FDA report about the dangers of energy drinks, Monster continues to be on the market.

Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s – Linked to Obesity

Every single one of Coca-Cola’s products here are likely to have GMO’s. That’s because they have a hidden corn based product – like sorbitol, fructose, aspartame, maltodextrin, or citric acid. And why in the world would they have spent millions fighting GMO-labeling in California, if their products weren’t full of them!

A study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences shows that GM food is indeed contributing to the obesity epidemic. The study found that GM corn fed to mice led to an increase in overall body weight of about 3.7 percent, while also increasing the weight of the liver by up to 11 percent.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), reported studies that show GMOs responsible for faulty insulin regulation and therefore advise their patients to have GMO-free diets.

Preservatives – Accelerate Aging and Acidify The Body

Preservatives like sodium benzoate are in almost all of Coca-Cola’s products. The Mayo Clinic reported that this preservative may increase hyperactivity in children. Also, when sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) benzene can form a carcinogen and kill DNA cells, and accelerate aging.

Preservatives cause accelerated aging because they acidify the body. Dr. Jameth Sheridan (D.H.M.) Doctor of Holistic Medicine, states that it takes 36 glasses of water to re-alkaline your body after drinking just one diet soda. 36 glasses! Wow.

When your body is in an alkaline state your chances of developing disease is significantly lower than a body in an acidic state. This is because our bodies are made of up of billions of cells that are naturally alkaline according to it’s ph balance. When we consume more acidic foods (i.e. many of Coca-Cola’s low calorie drinks) vs. alkaline foods this upsets the balance and leads to all sorts of trouble for our bodies and the organs that regulate our metabolism and weight.

Bisphenol A (aka BPA) in Cans – Linked to Obesity

After reviewing the results of over 3,000 children and teens who had high urine BPA levels and high body mass index, a very recent study determined that BPA is linked to childhood obesity. BPA has already been banned in baby bottles – however, kids across the country are still drinking Coca-Cola products tainted with this environmental toxin.

Coca-Cola has downright refused to eliminate BPA from it’s products and even defends the use of this metabolism destroying compound on their website.

Fructose & Fruit Juice From Concentrate – Too Much Sugar For the Body To Process

You’ll find crystalline fructose in Vitamin Water Zero, which is made from (genetically modified) corn starch which is 20% sweeter than sugar. Fructose is processed by the body differently than other sugars – and is linked to fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, coronary arterial disease and obesity.

Coca-Cola claims that they have helped remove soda from schools by replacing them with juices. (This not entirely true – they actually fought the removal of vending machines in schools). Nonetheless, these juices are mainly comprised of fruit juice concentrates and do little if anything to solve the problem of obesity.

Consuming fruit juice concentrate on a regular basis actually overloads sugar in the liver, which increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

For instance, Minute Maid fruit juice might contain several ounces of straight fructose, with none of the fiber, pulp, or living enzymes that help the body properly digest the sugar.

A Cola Cola sponsored smoothie bar using real whole fruit in schools would be a MUCH better solution – just a thought.

____________________________________________________

In summary, at the end of Coca Coca’s advertisement they invite you to….

To learn more, and visit coke.com/comingtogether”

Ha! That’s funny. When pigs fly! That’s the last place anyone should go to learn about solving obesity.

If you know a friend or family member who still consumes Coca-Cola products – especially these “low or zero calorie” beverages – please share this article with them.

You could be their hero!

Wishing you lots love, health and a longer life than this tortoise.

Food Babe

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295 responses to “Coca Cola’s Low Calorie Beverages Will Kill You Before They Solve Obesity

  1. Funny you should bring this up. The hubby and I just finished watching “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” one night and this was the first commerical we saw afterwards! We were shocked and saddened, not only for them (for promoting such a hypocritical message) but for those who are uninformed about their food. Thank you for everything you do! I am a longtime lucker but I KNEW that commerical would not get pass you. 😉

      1. After trying so many ways to lower my sugar,even Gatorade makes that Propel zero I thought I had it made than I did research and yes the fake sugar is worse. Orange juice is a killer I finally think I solved my liquid problems sugar is my and the worlds enemy but you do get the old I need some carbonation so I started drinking small bottles of crystal giyzer they come flavored just a spash of lemon real or just plain bubbly water it really is satisfying 0 calories 0 fake stuff and bubbly good. If not than I drink brita filter water every thing else is pure junk. Hope this helps p.s Im on FB Carla Lovins

      2. buy a soda stream. You can make your own sodas and control ingredients. Economical over gallon, expensive startup

      3. Actually a soda stream is not a good idea at all… the phosphorus turns the water highly acidic, which is almost the same as drinking regular soda minus the sugar. This depletes your body and especially your bones of calcium in its process to restore the Ph balance. Spring water with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime has a completely opposite “alkalizing” effect on your body. It’s a much healthier option!

      4. Not sure how to reply on my own, so replying here. Just wanted to say thanks for reminding us all what poison this is and lets not forget the WATER WASTE involved in making this junk. Anyone see Tapped? These companies are draining entire lakes, without compensation, ruining our ecosystem, all so poison can be consumed- yuck! You truly are a food BABE, btw, so I believe you know what you’re talking about. You don’t get THAT beautiful, fit, healthy and glow with ill health.

      5. Absolutely…LOVE YOUR WORK “FOOD BABE”. Thank You forever!!! sb xoxo

    1. The people who make and star in movies and documentaries don’t get to choose or even have very much influence over who promotes their work. Production companies do that and they are usually only interested in money. Commercials do not reflect personal endorsements and it doesn’t take away from any message in a film.

      1. Sorry, I should have been more clear. We were shocked by the Coke commerical in itself, not by the documentary (which we thoroughly enjoyed). The commerical came on when we switched back to our TV (we were watching FS&ND on NetFlix). The commerical was in no way tied to the documentary.

  2. Thank you for posting this. I try to tell people who consume these fake sugars.. and fake anything and everything. My doctor (holistic) is currently trying to solve what is going on with my health and he has put me on a alkaline balance diet http://twixmixy.com/blog/2013/photo-of-the-day-january-23-2013/

    Thank you for the great presentation last night at the Let Me Decide meeting! I look forward to working with everyone. I specialize in social media, graphic design and website development. Please let me know if there are any ways that I can help you spread healthy information. You’ve been a great resource to me!

    1. You are welcome Janet – I hope we get to talk more at the next event. Thanks for all you do!

  3. I was surprised to see Zico on here. I have been drinking Zico for awhile..the plain not the flavored and the ingredients lists 100%natural coconut water. I also had no idea this was a coke product and that alone will have me switching to another brand. I am also pretty good at reading labels and staying away from the bad stuff but I honestly thought this was ok. Please shed some light on this for me and can you also recommend a good coconut water? I love it in my smoothies!

    1. Does the bottle say – not from concentrate? They are not legally obligated to say anything about that. I prefer Harmless Harvest – because it is completely unaltered and raw.

      FYI – Zico has a few versions of their coconut water… there are some worse than others.

      1. It does not 🙁 So disgusted with the lack of truth about our foods….we should be able to know what is and isn’t in our food/drinks. Looking at the bottle, this looks totally ok but I guess when you do some digging you find otherwise…sigh…

        Thank you for your quick reply and for all the great info you pass along!

      2. I recently stop drinking zico coconut water because for some reason i didnt read the ingredients (i always do) and a few weeks ago i was going to make a green smoothie when i grab the bottle and noticed it said coconut water and natural flavor!!……what!! i screamed. i had 3 bottles and thankfully store returned them and got my $ back.

    1. Pick one that isn’t make from concentrate – I like Harmless Harvest since it is completely raw.

      1. Heather, unfortunately we can’t get Harmless Harvest in my area so we drink either Vita Coco or Taste Nirvana Coconut water, but if you can get Harmless Harvest go for it, it’s the best!

        Food Babe, how do you change the minds of the people that say “oh who cares, we’re all going to die of something.”? It is so disheartening when I try to be encouraging and nicely explain these things to my friends or loved ones. Some people just really don’t care. :o(

        Thank you for all that you do in the world of natural and clean living and eating!!!! I love your blog and advice!

      2. Lisa and Heather, I just recently discovered that Wholefoods carries the Harmless Harvest Raw coconut water! I was so relieved since I just can’t handle cracking open the baby Thai coconuts any longer. All of the brands in boxes and in cans are pasteurized (heated) so it no longer has it’s enzymes and is rendered acidic which is not an ingrediant for an alkalizing smoothie. Ask at your local Wholefoods, it’s in the refridgerator section next to the kombucha and Kevita.

      3. Thanks! I don’t live near a Wholefoods, but I might ask my local health food store if they are willing to start carrying it. It’s worth a shot, otherwise I’ll just keep drinking my not from concentrate kind because I like the hydrating and electrolyte balancing benefits of it after my morning run!

      4. Lisa,
        In my opinion, some people can’t and don’t want to be “saved” (and that is ok).
        I recommend you focus your energy on those who are more open to living a healthier and happier life.

  4. I cut back my Coke Zero consumption about a year ago, mainly just a mixer for a rum and coke, but I decided just a couple weeks ago to stop 100%, no excuses. I knew about a lot of the points you brought up, but somehow you were able to find even more gross stuff that I hadn’t seen yet. So thanks for writing this up and helping reinforce my decision to no longer drink any of these products! And now I am going to go throw up.

  5. i just think its so sad in this country that so many people equate healthly eating with a reduction in calories
    and sometimes you can’t blame them, its shoved down our throats with every glossy magazine & newspaper article, fancy ads with celebrity endorsements and 10 minuted news snippet that don’t tell the whole truth
    my “aha” momemt was when i had to visit a food lab for work and saw all the toxic, dangerous chemicals in use – i just stood there thinking – wait we can’t touch them but they are experimenting with them for mainstream food i find in MY grocery store that MY family eats- this can’t be right – such common sense i wish i had years ago – thank you for continuing to educate us all on this journey

  6. Thanks for all your work and exposing the companies that promote these harmful products.

    I just mix a few ounces of OJ, grapefruit or pom juice in a big class of homemade club soda. And I haven’t had or missed a commercial poison soda in years.

    1. Just watched the commercial. I love the earnest tone. Coca-cola is so concerned about us. How can you doubt them? I’m buying a case of 2 liters immediately!

  7. Thank you for this info! I learn so much from you. My dr. said I was deyhdrated and I should drink coconut water. I had no idea Zico is not safe! I have drank it before but I have coco water in fridge. What do you recommend my son bring to school? I give me vitamin water power c but I am guessing thats not safe?

    1. No! Vitamin water is just pure sugar…. try coconut water that is 100% not from concentrate like Harmless Harvest. Good Luck!

    2. Melissa…. I have 2 kids in school. They take plain water or raw milk to school for their lunches and snacks. At first it was a struggle…mainly because they see other kids bringing Gatorade or Capri Suns or other full of junk juice boxes. I ask them each day which they want, water or milk, and they are happy with either now. You have to explain to them, as they can understand it, why you’re changing what you send them. My daughter says that she has comments made all the time by kids about her “weird” lunches because she’s bringing raw veggies and water instead of lunchables & Gatorade…. but she understands WHY we pack those lunches and is good with it. :o)

  8. This is just terrifying. The idea that people are seeing this and BELIEVING this garbage is just so sad and such a scary thought to me. It just tears me up. Thank you for providing such good information and spreading the word about these harmful chemicals! You are amazing.

  9. Darn – I just bought some Zico coconut water to make coconut water kefir from. 🙁 Thank you for posting this!! I really appreciate all of the knowledge you have and that you then share it with the world. I only hope that by reading this, some family members will be convinced to ditch the “Coke” habit.

  10. Fabulous article, and so disturbing that people actually believe this nonsense. Time and time again I see friends go for a diet Coke or high sugar drink. What a waste of money, calories, and energy. Sharing this on Facebook and my blog. Thanks again!!!

  11. This is really good information. I have been thinking of cutting out these drinks. This may be the catalyst for me to do so. Hope all is well.

  12. Thank you for posting this! I switched to Zevia soda last year, but you have me worried. What are your thoughts on Zevia?

    1. I also drink Zevia everyday after I drink all of my water. I don’t like coffee or tea, so it’s the one thing I have so I’m not bored with water all of the time.

  13. I am glad you wrote this article. The sad thing is that most of my family and friends know that these beverages are bad for them no matter what commercials say, but they choose to still drink them because they are addicted to the taste and caffeine. It makes me so sad every time I see them ordering a diet coke when we go out to eat. I am glad that these commercials make someone else as upset as they do me. Thank you for all you do.

    1. I hear ya Brittany – my friends and family members too – I just want to pull it out from their hands.

  14. One word to describe this: DESPERATE! If anything, this gives me hope that Coca Cola is so desperate to spin this calorie nonsense due to people finally waking up and cutting back on this poison.

    Thank you for continuing to educate the public. I have learned so much from your site and continue to share what I learn with others. My own health has been greatly damaged by the Standard American diet and I have healed immensely through the right DIET!

    Keep up the great work!
    Amy

  15. Awesome article, Food Babe!! I cut out soft drinks about a year & half ago…now I do admit to an occasional Real Coke as a treat (probably 3 times in the last year), but this article has pushed me over & I’m not drinking them ever again. It’s so gross to think about all the crap people put in their bodies. It amazes me how our country allows these nasty additives, yet many European countries have banned them! Thanks for all of your efforts & research!! You’re really making a difference in so many lives!

    1. And one more thing….when I had those 3 Cokes, I have had to chase them with 1 to 2 bottles of water because they made me so thirsty!! So gross!!

  16. Thanks for posting this. I feel like I’m usually savvy about parent companies and such, but I had no idea that Honest Kids had been bought by Coke. Ugh! Soooooo frustrating! That was the one concession to convenience food that I let my kids have, and only felt guilty for the packaging waste. Sometimes I feel like this is such an uphill struggle, especially when the majority of my friends and acquaintances already think I’m the Crazy Food Mom 🙁 not that I’m willing to back down when my kids’ health is at risk, but I really just wanna cry right now.

    1. I am right there with you, Michelle! My family & friends think I’m a freak, but I just can’t justify letting children put this garbage in their little bodies. It’s poisoning them! And it’s a total uphill struggle. I get so frustrated….just when I think I’m doing good, I find out that one of my favorite products isn’t as good as I thought it was. It’s so disappointing. At least we can say we’re trying, and we care. That’s more than alot of other people are doing.

      1. Thanks Susanne. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one out there, even though it does feel like it at times. My hubby’s mostly supportive (haha, after ambushing him with countless food documentaries), but he’s more of the 80/20 mindset. I always feel like I’m compromising my values when we’re at a party or play date and I give in – actually, if we’re out with friends and it’s not a bring-your-own type event, I go into knowing they’re eating crap and I feel like such a fraud. I end up offering to host play date more often than not since then I can control what’s being served. It really sucks though.

      2. My husband is the same way! I think of it were all up to him, my kids would be eating Doritos, Frozen Pizzas & Hamburger Helper all the time. Lol! He does try to find healthier things to eat now though. If he goes to the grocery store, he will find things he knows I ‘approve’ but he will still sneak in some junk every once in a while. Last week, he brought home Cheetos. I was like, “SERIOUSLY?!” Haha…of course my kids were thrilled. I stopped buying crap like that a long, long time ago. An yes, we do end up grabbing stuff on the go, but the absolutes least I settle for is Chick fil A. (Food Babe is going to yell at me). I don’t like to compromise either, so I always try to have Organic juice boxes, healthy snacks & other ‘on-the-go’ foods in the car….that way I don’t have to stop and get something. If we just keep up what we’re doing, our kids our going to thank us one day. They are probably eating more healthy than most, and we can keep our values in place knowing we are trying our best to put only healthy foods in their bodies.

  17. Now I’m wondering about these new Almond Milks and Coconut Milks. I hope they are ok because I love them. I prefer the ones without sweetening.

    1. the only commercial almond milk I’ve found that doesn’t contain carrageenan is the Whole Foods 365 Organic brand, and at that, you have to get the one from the refrigerated case and not the shelf-stable one. Food Babe has a great recipe to make your own, but my toddler drinks 2L/day so it’s tough to keep up with that on my own. Good luck though!

  18. I saw this too and it was just comical! A sweet voice explaining it all…Healthy my butt! If they wanted to help bring people together, they’d create a product without artificial anything and with nutritional value…not something that contains toxic ingredients. Craziness!!

  19. I was never allowed “soft drinks” as a child and have never bought them for my kids and grandkids. The smell of coke makes me nauseous…But when I see all my children and grandchildren drinking these carbonated, mostly lo-cal beverages, I want to cry. Perhaps this article will make them think anew! Demand labels on GMOs, and extended more rigorous testing. Thanks so much.

  20. My kids are water drinkers for the most part, but on occasion, I stash a box of Honest Kids for a special treat, just went and threw the stupid box away! Unbelievable! Do you think they really haveGMOs? I guess it is Coca Cola, so w
    hy am I surprised?

  21. Because of recently discovered food allergies, I’ve recently been doing a lot of food research. I’m happy that you are now one of my resources 🙂 I’m so disappointed that money is king in our political process, and that all these companies lobby to keep America sick and dying. Thanks for the information and I hope you continue to reach more and more people – I’ll be sure to pass the word 🙂

  22. Thank you so much for sharing! I am passing it on… I have “quit” sodas numerous times and each time for several days I have massive headaches and fatigue! Reading this, I am sticking to water!!! Thanks again 🙂

  23. Hey Food Babe,

    I already have diabetes and don’t want to drink my carbs. I am drinking Propel Zero. What do you recommend for sugar that I could add to an unsweetened drink?

  24. What’s even worse to me is when people are aware of how bad a specific food/drink can be to your health and yet they offer it to their kids!

    I would love to hear your feedback on beauty products containing coloring such as yellow and red.

  25. Thank you for sharing & so straight forward. It is so frustrating to not know exactly what is in certain foods. We make most of our food from scratch for that reason. I do have one question though, I am a little confused about the “concentrate” ingredient….when, if I ever buy juice (which is very rare) I want it “not from concentrate” right? 100% juice

  26. Right on Food Babe!
    This all makes me angry as well, not to mention the fact that CocaCola is responsible for drying up aquifers where poor farmers and people depend on underground water to survive ( such as in India), as the factory needs huge amounts of water to produce their product…something like 4 liters of water to make 1 liter of Coke – despicable! i have never liked Coke and don’t drink it, but try to encourage people to boycott them…not an easy task!

  27. Great post! I was an occasional diet soda (mainly diet pepsi) drinker and could never, fully, eliminate it from my diet. I finally started keeping carbonated water around the house and that’s what did the trick (my husband will shrivel up & stop functioning without Pepsi, so it’s usually around). I stopped drinking all diet soda and have seen two really positive results. My sweet tooth has been curbed. Also, the horrid acne that I had been suffering from for the past year has GONE! I had tried juicing & elminating so many things from my diet (except the soda b/c I didn’t think that was causing the acne).
    Anyway…just wanted to share in case anyone was experiencing similar frustrations! 😉

  28. I just saw that the honest kids juice pouches contain GMOs. I was under the impression that food items or juices containing the USDA organic stamp are free of GMOs. I’m confused. Also, I read above about a 5% loop hole. What does that mean. Please elaborate.

  29. I always tell people I don’t eat right – don’t sleep right – don’t work rights . . nothing – I don’t do anything right…lately I’m learning I don’t do that much wrong………I take the right vitamins – snack on some of the right foods…..and as averyone work too hard. A couple years back I dis-located my shoulder – the Dr. at the hospital told me I’ld be out of there in an hour…..but the first shot didn’t work….lucky me the second didn’t work either – – the third one I would have just as soon skipped……I was miserable for a couple of days……
    but back to the article I really don’t drink soda – – rarely – so I’m one ahead of the game.
    Maybe I’m not as dumb as I think I as at times because your articles are teaching me the wisdoms of my ways
    Hopefully your articles will help to keep me one step ahead . . . THANKS

  30. I am astonished at their commercial. That’s disgusting and sad they are knowingly putting people health at risk. What a joke!

  31. vani, along the lines of commercials…..have you seen the new mcdonald’s commercial? it’s for their fish sandwich. it starts out with the most beautiful landscapes and waters and then it introduces you to a fisherman that catches fish that make up mcdonald’s fish sandwiches. you’d be appalled.

  32. Coca cola needs to perfect a stevia-sweetened cola. I don’t like the ones I’ve tasted n I bet coke can do it right. I heard a while back that they bought up as many stevia fields as they could get their hands on n I was heartened by that news. I grow stevia n it is deliciously sweet off the plant but I don’t enjoy the taste in the powdered form. Come on Coke! U can do it!

  33. As a former fast food eater and former coke drinker, I am proud to say that I now eat organic vegetables and drink purified water using a gravity purifier. I have given up any soda and do not eat at fast foods. Now I make juice from fruits and vegetables.

    Fast foods have too many GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and other byproducts which are attributable to cholestral and cancer producing. Soda companies such as Coca Cola are done enticing me with their cutesie commercials and jingles that used to lure me and then hook me with their aspartame and corn syrup laced sweeteners.

    In part my education came from watching YouTube videos by Charlotte Gershon and the Gershon Clinic which encourages juicing instead of red meats. Also, a documentary I saw on Netflix called “Forks Over Knives” further put light on the subject of eating healthy and what is not healthy.

    Sodas, water, red meats, fish, and vegetables were all contaminated in some way, and I had to find alternatives. Its often not cheap or readily available to get organic foods or safe foods, but the alternative to not eating healthy foods is you will pay more dearly for the medical treatments these foods will cause you.

    If you are new to this subject, I urge you to research like never before. If it was researching what house to buy or what car to buy or even what school to go to, you would do your best, and now you need to put this effort to your health.

  34. Just awful….it brings me to the McDonalds commercial with the great colorful farm characters and they are promoting a “healthy” happy meal!! GAG Really?

  35. Thank you SO much for this article. I don’t have cable (just stream Netflix and Hulu) so I might have never seen this new ad – and therefore wouldn’t have been prepared to warn my loved ones that it’s exactly as you said, ALL LIES! So thank you for bringing it to everyone’s attention and for writing a such a clear and well thought-out rebuttal. I’ve posted a link on facebook, urging everyone I know to read and share it. I have so many people in my life who still drink these horrible products, and my warnings fall on deaf ears. I’m hoping that this easy-to-read, ingredient-by-ingredient article will help me reach them and change their lives for the better.

  36. I just wanted to inquire about the expression from concentrate, does that imply for all products which state this that they are heated and turned into a syrup? Doe that mean that all products which state this are not healthy as they are not in natural forms?! I believe it does, just wanted to hear your thoughts..

  37. What coca cola said is totallyTrue!!!! They ARE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER!!!
    We’ll all be together in the hospital!! It’s sad we are being tricked! Thanks for the education FB!

  38. I don’t understand all the comments about people who “need” a substitute for their sweet drink. Why do we “need” sweet drinks at all, whatever they happen to be sweetened with? Drink water.

  39. I find it appalling that only slim, healthy looking actors were used in the ad. Not one obese person was featured in the entire ad even though that was what they were discussing. I guess it is much like how you never see morbidly obese actors in fast food advertising. So deceptive!

  40. I am a former diet coke addict and have switched to Ocean Spray 5 calorie Cranberry juice. Is this okay? I find that I will not drink anything at all if I don’t have something besides water. Please advise!

  41. While I agree almost entirely with this article, there is some faulty logic here as well. Practically every food that you consume is genetically modified or made from something genetically modified. Just because it is organic does not mean that it is not GM. Coca-cola is by far not alone in utilizing GM food for its products, just go to your grocery store and try to buy some flour that is guaranteed not to be GM and you will see that it is almost impossible.

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