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3 Proven Strategies To Quit Soda For Good!

If there is one thing that you should ditch from your diet today, this is it. When you drink soda, you’re ingesting a slurry of controversial chemicals that are screwing with your weight, your health, and your life. I probably don’t need to remind you how unhealthy soda is (most people tend to realize that Coke and Pepsi aren’t healthy) but let me drop some quick facts here to help encourage you to put on the brakes and get these drinks out of your diet for good – including 3 proven strategies to quit soda for good!  

3 quit soda

  • The amount of sugar in sodas is wreaking your insides.  Take a teaspoon of sugar and dump it on your kitchen table. Do this 10 times. What do you have? Yes, you’ve got a mess, and no, I’m not cleaning it up for you. But you also have the amount of sugar found in one 12-ounce can of soda. Obviously, if you’re hooked on soda, you’re swilling down a huge amount of sugar and calories (around 140 calories in each can). A sugary habit like that is the doorway to poor nutrition, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health complications. 
  • Diet sodas are not any better for you. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ve been “good” by drinking diet sodas. The artificial sweeteners in these drinks have been proven to stimulate your appetite, increase sugar cravings, and promote fat storage and weight gain. Researchers from the University of Texas discovered that drinking diet sodas will expand your waist girth (translation: bigger belly), which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. When you eat something sweet—even when it has no calories—your brain is tricked into wanting more calories because your body is not getting enough energy (i.e. calories) to be satisfied. So you keep craving sweets, eating sweets, and gaining weight. This is why a lot of people never reach their full health potential or weight loss goals, because they are constantly being pushed around by these chemical artificial sweeteners that trick the brain and body. 
  • They’re colored with hazardous chemicals. Most sodas use “caramel color” to give them that dark, delicious look. Not to be confused with real caramel! It is created by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure – a process that produces a cancerous substance called 4-methylimidazole (4-Mel). Although there are no FDA limits on the amount of 4-Mel that can be present in soft drinks, a federal study in 2007 concluded that 4-Mel ingestion led to cancer in mice, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined the chemical to be “possibly carcinogenic” to humans. In January 2014, Consumer Reports published a long list of soft drinks tested for 4-MeI. A sample of regular Pepsi they purchased in New York contained as much as 174 micrograms of 4-MeI. Other soda brands contained as much as 352.5 micrograms. These findings concern me. We are being unnecessarily exposed to a potential carcinogen just because companies want their beverages to look brown. Ask yourself: How small of a dose of poison are you willing to consume on a regular basis?
  • Soft drinks are laced with GMOs. If you try to avoid GMOs, beware that the main ingredients in soft drinks are almost always made from GMO crops. Besides the sugar itself, additives derived from GMOs such as citric acid, erythorbic acid, fructose, aspartame, and sodium citrate are within many of these drinks. This is why Coca-Cola has opted to use a QR code vs. a real GMO label on their packaging – to continue to try to hide the fact that their drinks are FULL of GMOs. 
  • Sodas acidify your body and destroy tooth enamel. The ingredient phosphoric acid in sodas is known to dramatically acidify your body and erodes your teeth. Dr. Jameth Sheridan, Doctor of Holistic Medicine (D.H.M.), states that it takes 36 glasses of water to re-alkaline your body after drinking just one diet soda. 36 glasses!
  • The preservatives in soda create carcinogenic benzene. Potassium benzoate and sodium benzoate are other soda preservatives that when combined with either ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or erythorbic acid produce benzene, a known carcinogen. This toxic combo is found in some sodas.

The list above goes for pretty much all bottled sweetened drinks in stores – Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Monster Energy, and even sweetened iced teas. 

Although these sweet drinks are literally some of the worst things in the American diet, people keep buying them and sales are in the billions! There is even an entire aisle dedicated to them in most grocery stores. What I find even more staggering is statistics that show 56% of 8-year olds drink at least one soda per day, and 60% of schools sell them. Is it any wonder why childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing? It doesn’t have to be this way and we need to be the change we want to see in this world. It starts with each one of us. 

Three Steps To Stop Your Soda Habit:

1. Take a hard look at what you’re really drinking. 

For starters, look at the back of the can and see how many controversial chemicals you are drinking – that alone should steer you in another direction. Then, be honest about how many sodas you drink in a week. Add them up by keeping a food diary for seven days. For sticker shock, use a calculator to add up how many calories and sugar grams you’re guzzling in that period. Take some time to think about the negative health consequences that you suffer from drinking soda and really take it to heart. Unless you really want to quit, you will not succeed. Create a strong desire in your heart and mind to stop drinking soda and sweetened drinks – this is the first very important step! 

Take-a-hard-look-at-what-you-are-drinking-sodaSoda-3Soda-4

2. Ease off soda slowly.

Can’t go cold turkey? You don’t need to. Try cutting back by a fourth the first week, half the second week, and so on until you can quit soda completely. Each week you will be one step closer to meeting your goal and steadily improving your health as a result! 

3. Replace soda with delicious alternatives so you don’t miss it.

Drink lots of clean, filtered water instead of soda. Purchase a refillable water bottle and keep it with you at home, at work, and in your car. Plus, find other fizz! Miss the refreshment and mouth feel of sodas? Don’t worry, you can still drink fizzy drinks that taste refreshing, and that are not loaded up with crappy chemicals. Just stay away from most store-bought versions (even those sweetened with stevia extract) and make your own drinks instead. 

Refreshing & healthy drink alternatives to soda:

  • Organic Raw Kombucha
  • Sparkling or Soda Water + Lime Juice + Organic Cranberry Juice (with no added sugar)
  • Filtered Water + Fresh Cucumbers + Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
  • Sparkling or Soda Water + Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice + Grated Ginger. Consider adding melon, cucumbers, or berries for different flavors! 
  • 100% Raw Coconut Water 
  • Organic Unsweetened Green and Herbal Tea (iced or hot). Peppermint and ginger teas are great for satisfying cravings for something sweet.
  • Fresh Pressed Green Juice. Keep it low on the fruit, carrots, or beets.
  • Unsweetened Coconut, Cashew, or Almond Milk.
  • Coffee (iced or hot, with no sugar). See this post for options to sweeten your coffee without refined sugar!

These strategies really work and are easier than you may think. 

My friend Derek used these effective strategies to put his soda cravings to bed. This just goes to show that you can do it too! 

“I was so addicted to soft drinks that I drank soda five times a day. I rarely drank anything else. My friends would say, “Just drink water.” But replacing soda with water? Impossible! I LOVED soda. My weight climbed to 190 pounds – 40 pounds higher than I should be for my height and frame. I was so fat that my shirts stretched apart at the buttons so far that you could see my BFB (that’s short for Big Fat Belly). My ballooning weight was a “smack in the face” that forced me to take action.

I knew that the soft drinks were making me fatter. I had to do something. Whenever I felt thirsty, I realized I’d open my refrigerator and mindlessly grab a can of soda. That’s the behavior I wanted to interrupt. For starters, I decided to put a roadblock between me and my refrigerator. A scale! I made the rule, “Before I open the refrigerator, I must weigh myself.” Any weight gain was another “smack in the face” to keep me from drinking soda. Being familiar with psychology, I knew that I couldn’t just stop or start doing a bad habit; I had to replace it with something. I replaced soda with sparkling, lemon-flavored water.

All of this worked. I dropped 10 pounds right away, without increasing my workouts or changing what I was eating. All I did was stop drinking five soft drinks a day. Now I have a sparkling water habit… and a shirt that fits.

Let’s break down why this works and how you can use it to hack your behaviors. First, smack yourself in the face. Not literally, but you need a trigger to remind yourself that you want to make a change. For me, the smack was my weight. Second, create a rule to interrupt your usual behavior. My rule was to weigh myself before opening the refrigerator. And finally, replace your behavior with a better behavior. Follow that 3-step strategy and bam! You’re set.” – Derek

This is a preview of the type of health tips & advice that you’ll get from me when you join the Food Babe 7-Day Sugar Detox Program

This program takes ditching soda to the next level and trains your body to thrive without refined sugar. When we first released the program last spring, a large group of us did it together and reported back AMAZING results. That is why I am more confident than ever that this system really works and is changing lives!

“I have lost almost 5 pounds. I have eaten more delicious food this week than I have in my entire life. I have found the recipes so very delicious.” ~ Glenna

“I thought it would be impossible but it wasn’t and we succeeded! We feel so much better after doing the detox and now know that we have self control and that sugar does not run our lives.” ~ Lia

“I completed the 7-Day Sugar Detox and the sugar cravings actually got better after day 4….The best part of it all is I lost 5 pounds!” ~ JaNette

“My husband and I are absolutely loving it! We never feel hungry and the sugar cravings have virtually vanished! The recipes are amazing and the plan is so easy to follow! We are going to continue eating this way forever!” ~ Lori

This program will provide you with the plan, the support, and the community you need to ditch refined sugar in a way that makes it practically impossible to fail!

September-Sugar-Detox-Program_SODA_2

Here’s what you get instantly when you join:

Quick Start Guide – Know how to avoid sugar pitfalls and get the keys to success to create a healthy relationship with your body and food cravings.

7-Day Sugar Detox Plan – This will break down exactly how you are going to be eating, where to find strategies to reduce your sugar cravings, and where to spot all the hidden sugars that might be lurking in your pantry and life.

7-Day Sugar Detox Recipe Guides – Two sets of Sugar Detox recipes for 7 days. Whether you are a vegan, gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian or a meat eater, I’ve got you covered. Delicious real-food breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipes that are free of grains and refined sugar, along with shopping lists. These recipes are simple, straightforward, and will have you in and out of the kitchen in no time!

Private Sugar Detox Community Forum – Interact with other people on the 7 Day Detox plan just like you. This is a place where we can support and cheer each other on! When you surround yourself with people who share the same goals and help to keep you accountable, you will be successful! I also love that this is a place where we can privately share our experiences without judgement – since a lot of us are all facing the same type of struggles!

Detailed Journal – The ultimate tool to measure your progress and keep yourself on track.

Exclusive Instructional Videos I personally walk you through the program,  give you advice for when nighttime sugar cravings hit, and provide info on healthier sugar swaps to make your detox a piece of cake.

Maintaining Your Success After The Detox GuideA detailed game plan for long-term success following your detox.

I invite you to join us here now.

If you have any friends or family members that struggle with a soda addiction, please share this post with them. 

Hope to chat with you in the Sugar Detox Community Forum this week! There will be no Diet Cokes allowed!

Xo,

Vani

 

 

 

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225 responses to “3 Proven Strategies To Quit Soda For Good!

    1. Won’t touch soda again, stopped drinking it over 15 years ago. Coffee is my next challenge, tho I find organic, fair trade brands. I keep a flow of kombucha for daily use. There is nothing good about soda. It is an addiction that we can over come. 🙂

    2. Just think about that: do you want to feed yourself or the parasites inside of you. We can give inspiration but at the end this is a choice that only you can make!

  1. Beans way to quit drinking the poisonous soda brands (worst brands will have phosphoric acid in it):

    1. DON’T DRINK IT

    Now get a glass of clean water (throw some fruit in it for flavor if you can’t drink it bland) and start enjoying your life!!!!

    🙂

    1. At my honestly, I really experience nightmare in my sleep every night as I have “night sweating” and restlessness that is diffucult to get asleep easily in good night; I investigate to discover that all of cola sodas including Pepsi-cola cause the bad psychological impacts among me as I have my long history of psychiatric disorders since I was 14 yrs. old. Finally, I have resolved a problem– Making the fresh, clean, and filtered water with either fresh lemon slices or fresh lime slices–they’re delicious! Christa D’Auria

      1. Me too! I used to call them “Circus Dreams” because with soda/sugar before bed I’d always get their dreams of being up on a tight wire in the circus!!!! Those stopped when I cut the sugar.

  2. My all time new favorite drink is distilled water infused with mint. I got these really cute glass bottles of water with cucumber and mint at Sweet Tomatoes. I like the refreshing taste of cucumber with the mint, but the cucumber doesn’t really last after a few refills. The mint will last for several days and many refills, and when it’s time for a new batch, I just walk outside and cut a few bunches of mint, rinse them, toss them in the bottles, fill with distilled water, refrigerate and viola! the best tasting water that makes me want to drink, drink, drink.

    1. You might try a pinch of Himalayan salt to put the minerals back in,especially if exercising or a hot day.

  3. Thank you Dear Sister Vanii,
    I personally do not drink Soda never have thankfully ,
    However I have people close to me that do I get buggy on them for Drinking Soda Its so wicked it wreaks havoc on the Digestive system It destroys there ability to digest foods properly Destroys the digestive enzymes
    Its just bad news any angle you look at it besides creating Leaky gut My friend when he drinks soda his stomach bloats as if he pregnant and he gets red spots on his face .Its so sad because I have taught him its his body crying for Fruit reach for a piece of Fruit Organic grapes will do or make and take some Organic Fruit infused water on the road with you
    Seriously I do not know what it is going to take . I taught him about GMO’s and the dangers and such Its a choice he makes and its out of my control
    I’ve had to learn to not let it effect me But please do not do it in my presences. It’s what I ask . I know I don’t want people telling me this is wrong that is right Fact is he’s going to have to come to his on conclusion .here’s how wicked I am I say if you end up in the hospital Sick I’m not coming
    I don’t go visit people in the Hospital unless of course its an accident a physical accident otherwise have a back up plan I keep my word That I’m very serious about Its wicked but it my stance And I can live with my decision People create there own sickness
    .On a really good note He is drinking his Fresh Pressed Wheatgrass dailey.
    Its a saving grace That’s very positive . Keep doing what your doing
    Big Hugs BJ Life in UP ==Blessings and Joy in UNITY and PEACE

    1. I hear your pain. My daughter is addicted to them and I cannot get her to stop. She’s in college and is a great kid – no drugs no drinking except her coke zero. I’ve told her til I’m blue in the face that it’s not good for her and she cannot seem to stay away. I’ve even tried lowering the amount, but she’s not home anymore so I can only do so much while she’s here. She has digestive problems and always has and I know it’s due to the soda. I had a coworker die from blood cancer because of his diet soda habit so I’ve seen how it affects people’s health. Sigh – I feel your pain. I can only hope as a mom that she realizes things on her own.

  4. What about non-alcoholic beer. Taste like coke without any sugar added to it. Use to like O’Douls but can’t find it anymore.

    Which usually means it was good for you. 🙂

    There is also Ice-tea. Sure it has lots of sugar, (if sugared, also has lemon, if lemon ice-tea) but its still got to be a 100x better than soda.

  5. Today, there are a wide variety of beverages available in the marketplace so that consumers may choose the products they prefer and that align with their individual lifestyle. Water is certainly key to hydration, and our member companies offer many portable options. That said, sugar sweetened beverages, which come in an array of calorie counts and portion sizes, can certainly be enjoyed as a part of a healthy balance. Contrary to the sensationalistic claims here, these beverages and their ingredients are safe, as world-renowned toxicologists and regulatory agencies around the globe have repeatedly reaffirmed. Readers may also be interested to know that diet soda is 99% water and research shows this beverage is an effective weight loss tool: http://bit.ly/Ik4zjC. In sum, there is no need to eliminate soft drinks from one’s diet. It’s overall calorie and activity balance that matters.

    1. For God’s sake and for the sake of the health of America , Stop the killing of Americans with soda(sugar/ sugar substitute tainted soda water) – switch to real flavored soda water as my whole family has done

    2. Ameribev, your statement sounds like the same thing this group was saying that was funded by Coca-Cola:
      http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/coca-cola-funds-scientists-who-shift-blame-for-obesity-away-from-bad-diets/

      “Coca-Cola, the world’s largest producer of sugary beverages, is backing a new “science-based” solution to the obesity crisis: To maintain a healthy weight, get more exercise and worry less about cutting calories. …
      To help the scientists get the word out, Coke has provided financial and logistical support to a new nonprofit organization called the Global Energy Balance Network, which promotes the argument that weight-conscious Americans are overly fixated on how much they eat and drink while not paying enough attention to exercise….
      Coke has made a substantial investment in the new nonprofit. In response to requests based on state open-records laws, two universities that employ leaders of the Global Energy Balance Network disclosed that Coke had donated $1.5 million last year to start the organization.”

    3. Sensationalistic claims? LMFAO You want the truth? Follow the money. And if people aren’t drinking it…You ain’t making it!

      1. Awesome reply, Bill! These companies don’t care that they are killing us. All they care about is lining their pockets. The Army will prevail!!!

      2. We as consumers are not as dumb as the soda companies think we are. Just addicted to the sugar. I quit soda a ling time ago. My health has greatly inproved. Sounds like they are using “healthy balance” as a marketing gimik to sell more soda. It’s all about the money for them. They do not care that it is harmful and attributes to obesity and disease.

    4. @amerbev
      That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You don’t give consumers enough credit. Your sugary, chemical laden beverages have ZERO benefit and no place in a healthy diet. You aren’t fooling anyone. It’s obvious that you, and other companies like you are scrambling as profits continue to decline. Our families deserve so much better.

    5. Sodas are NOT part of a balanced diet! Sorry to say, soda companies, consumers are becoming more savvy to the harmful ingredients in your products. Sodas contain empty calories & the harmful ingredients in sodas destroy developing children’s bodies & minds & lead to diabetes, obesity & other health problems. So yes, your bottom line will shrink when people decide not to buy soda. Maybe you should be in the organic, herbal tea business instead!

      1. @Brigitte: They ARE in the organic herbal tea business. Coca-Cola owns Honest Tea. Of course, most if not all flavors of Honest Tea have sugar added.

      2. Amen, Brigitte! Americans are getting smart, and are very concerned about the ingredients in our food and beverages. When you learn what those ingredient do to your body, it’s not hard at all to resist the temptation to consume those products. Coke or Pepsi? NEITHER!

    6. Soda drinks that have high fructose corn syrup are NOT part of a balanced diet. A typical can of regular soda has over 30 grams of sugar/serving. That is more than half of the amount of sugar a human should consume in one day. And Diet soda, with aspartame as the sugar substitute, does not help in weight loss – it actually counters any attempts at avoiding sweets. Not sure where you are getting your facts and studies from – would be nice to see if these studies have been compared with independent research, but it sounds like a Monsanto funded lab, in the basement of a McDonalds trying to bring doubt to an army of free minds, who have taken the time to see for themselves how terrible your sodas have been to society as a whole.

      1. Not sure where you are taking your sugar nutrition from, but on average an adult woman should consume no more than 25 grams a day of sugar. 30 grams is over a whole days worth of sugar!

    7. This statement is absolutely false. Do you know how many diabetics are drinking diet sodas and what it does to their health? I don’t know who conducts your ‘studies’, but they are absolutely a lie. Here is the truth. Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688

      http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/08/05/soda-diabetes-link.aspx

      You should be sued for promoting diet sodas as a health drink and form of weight loss. The chemicals in them are horrific for health.

    8. I can’t believe that in this day and time anyone would believe that sodas are part of a healthy diet! What a ludicrous comment. Your processed sugar sodas are very harmful, and your artificially sweetened ones are worse. Not even the water you sell is safe because of the plastic bottles. No one that follows The Food Babe is likely to buy what you are selling.

    9. Dear American Beverage, just want you to know it has been over five (5) years since I drank soda, pop, coke, carbonated beverages – what ever you want to call it. And I don’t miss it. I have not purchased any for our household since I quit drinking it nor do I allow any to be brought into our home. If my family wants to drink any, they must consume it away from the house. I don’t miss it and neither do our waistlines. The health benefits of water are so much better. I also like the fact that I am putting my money to better sources of hydration.

    10. Dear American Beverage, you could spend time and money leading the way in helping Americans become the healthiest along with transitioning our current beverage companies into health leaders. Or you could spend you time and money supporting slowly eroding markets that will most likely be shown as a villain in later history books. America is best off with your help in becoming healthy and more productive, but will at a far greater cost (health-wise and dollar-wise) transition to better beverages without you if needed. Please be part of our success, Thank you!

    11. I read your comment on the Food Babe Blog about soda’s being part of a healthy diet….come on! NO ONE believes that! Even people who DRINK them know that they are damaging their stomachs and that sodas are the same as eating cupfulls of sugar! Who are you trying to fool? Sugar water (sodas) are bad for your stomach, teeth, weight and overall health. Everyone knows this, so wake up and stop trying to put a bow on a pig.

    12. It’s not the 99% water that is the problem in diet sodas. It’s the other 1% that is slowing killing us. If industries like you cared about the health of America, you would not be touting diet soda as a healthy drink. And if you drink soda, just try to give it up for one month and see how you feel. That may be all the evidence one needs to give it up for good.

      1. Hi I have been drinking diet.soda since. I was ten .im.68 .now numerous medical conditions because of my horrible addiction and l hope by my 69th birthday in October I will.finally succed in giving it up. So tired of bring so sick. I drink a 6 pack a day .horrible.

    13. I haven’t had a soda in over a year and I feel so much better, and I’ve never seen the big deal with diet sodas, they taste horrible! What coke is saying about sugary crap being part of a balanced diet is crazy, just like when they said diet soda is healthier than water. I don’t believe anything that comes from someone like pepsi and coca cola. They are trying poison us, especially kids, and it has to stop! If I can quit sodas, anyone can.

    14. @AmeriBev “Contrary to the sensationalistic claims here, these beverages and their ingredients are safe, as world-renowned toxicologists and regulatory agencies around the globe have repeatedly reaffirmed.” Are you serious! Do you really think people who read Food Babe’s blog are that stupid? It would have been better if you had stayed quiet or not have replied at all! Of course you have toxicologists and regulatory agencies who will claim sodas are safe! They are either paid well by you, or their jobs depend on it, or maybe they really are stupid!! I haven’t had a soda for 18 years and I don’t miss it. The worst are the diet sodas! I am 73 and no longer have any health problems… of ANY kind! I take no meds and would never again drink a soda! My mother died young of breast cancer and lived on diet soda! My siblings have diabetes, IBS, blood pressure problems, liver disease (not from alcohol), obesity, and other problems… and I am the oldest… in one case 18 years older… and I have NO health problems. They all drink soda, but I no longer do! I had high blood pressure, blood sugar problems, IBS, migraines, headaches, UTIs, and was overweight 18 years ago… when I too drink soda… but only diet soda (HA to helping with weight loss!!!). I gave up ALL soda and processed foods with additives, preservatives, etc. 18 years ago and have not been sick with ANYTHING since… and I’m no longer overweight!

      I don’t need the confirmation of your paid scientists. I have enough common sense to know that highly acid forming foods are the cause of poor health! So, don’t give me your lies… fortunately I am no longer naive enough to believe the government and the FDA are looking out for me. When I was younger I believed hat since I didn’t hear from them that sodas were unhealthy, they must be OK. LOL! Yeah, like cigarettes were OK all those years!

    15. Coca Cola and similar beverages have no redeeming qualities that I know of. But I do know that they are not healthy for anyone. This implies that soda manufacturers care nothing for their customers other than getting their money.

    16. Respectfully, I am much healthier being far removed from the toxicity from the beverages that are pushed to Americans and others around the world. I rarely allow my kids to have soda as I value them maintaining a very healthy BMI. I just wish others would begin to do the same.

    17. To say drink soda for health is like saying have a cigarette for your asthma attack !
      And how many HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS were ‘dontated’ by the Beverage Association, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, ETC. to stop GMO labeling. My 2 1/2 year old has NEVER had a soda! Always an ice water in a kids cup, and she has no sugar brain. Just Boycott these products !! 🙂

    18. This study only tracked about 200 people over 6 months’ time. It is laughable to cite this finding as conclusive proof that diet soda is an effective weight loss tool.

    19. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Soda has no place in anybody’s diet, healthy or not. Many ingredients in soda have in fact been proven harmful. For example, several studies are currently looking at the link between aspartame and the activation of dormant MS genes. Soda should be taken out of all pharmacies and eventually off all grocery store shelves. They are just as dangerous as cigarettes and alcohol and should be treated that way!

    20. Hmmmm, to whomever at American Beverage Association that wrote this message, I would be interested to hear how often you combine soda as a part of your daily diet & how well that’s working out for you & your waistline. If you think that drinking soda & sugary drinks as part of a healthy lifestyle, as opposed to water, then you are surely diluted. Well done, Vani, on taking the high road & letting the Food Babe Army respond to such nonsense.

    21. Dear AmeriBev,

      So if your statement is true: “Readers may also be interested to know that diet soda is 99% water and research shows this beverage is an effective weight loss tool” then why is everyone who drinks diet soda such a blimp!!! I am not buying it. Go sell stupid somewhere else!

    22. This statement is a blatant lie and we who are of free minds and healthy bodies know that…..we would all be starving if we ate the lies you feed!!

      Use soda for cleaning your batteries folks!!!

      1. That is so ironic you mention cleaning the batteries. Yesterday, the battery died in my car. My husband met me to jump start it. The battery was so corroded it wouldn’t connect to the jumper cable. Lo and Behold- he went into a store, bought a Coca-Cola, poured it over the corrosion and we watched it melt away. Pretty scary that people put that in their bodies. (BTW- that is the 1st Coke we have purchased in years).

    23. Soda is literally poisoning our population. Shame on consumers in this day and age for not even trying to inform themselves; double shame on producers, as they know just how they are harming the population, but chose to continue for monetary gain.

    24. It is obvious that most food and beverage companies put profit(greed) with zero regard for the health of their consumers. We should have a right to know what we are consuming. Thanks to Foodbabe, Health Ranger and all the others out there that are doing their best to keep us informed because they do care.

    25. to AmeriBev….you have as much creditably and honesty as all the old cigarette
      makers….telling the lies..repeating the lies….that ….the product is safe. When in actual fact..it is only safe according your own …paid for…studies.
      Truth…the real truth is…you only carer about…. MONEY… and certainly not the health and safety of your consumers. You have …deliberately…lied…and tried to mislead the public….While we know…..the emporor is naked

    26. People with little common sense will know how bad coke and Pepsi is. Stop luring and attracting kids with unhealthy stuff.

    27. I agree that soda can have a place in a healthy diet…IF it is made of clean, carbonated water and no-sugar-added, fresh, non-genertically engineered fruit juice. C’mon, why spend millions “spinning” trash instead of pushing healthy food? Try making an actual contribution to the future….

    28. None of the readers on this blog nor most anywhere else there is news on health topics will ever fall for the far fetched idea that soda pops are part of a healthy diet.
      Let’s see…about 60years ago Drs. recommended menthol cigarettes to sooth hot dry throats and coughs as well as telling the public in magazine ads that cigarettes were calming , good for relaxing and dulled the “over active appetite” —your comments are as inane and stupid as those of the Drs. statements above only now the public is wise to the “gaming” your company attempts; which is so desperate and silly the public is embarrassed for you!

    29. Nonsense. What I find interesting is that companies continue to market their unhealthy products as healthy and lack the innovation to create healthy ones. Why is that? If these companies can plainly see what the consumers prefer, why not produce something healthy? Is the food industry going to be the next General Motors because they are too late to the party in making quality products? I also find it interesting the companies that make soda and other unhealthy products talk about calories instead of ingredients. People will continue to vote with their dollars and unfortunately for coke, pepsi, and others mfrs of unhealthy drinks, the dollars will not follow.

    30. In March after listening to a Cola rep. say how things were not that bad with soda’s, I started researching more. WOW was I amazed at how the industries treat us like fools. Dumbing down America it is called.I believe was the old term.

      I have not bought a single case of soda, I have had maybe 6 singles since that meeting with the cola rep,

      Last month it finally was zero.

      Done with the corporate lies

      Mike in Raleigh

    31. COKE AND SIMILAR PRODUCTS, ONE OF THE WORST THINGS YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR BODY (IF YOU CARE ABOUT HEALTH ) SINCE I HAVE QUIT THAT CRAP, NO MORE LOWER BACK PAIN, FEEL SO MUCH BETTER. YOU GUYS KEEP SELLING YOUR PRODUCT SO YOU CAN PAY THE BILLS , FOR ME I WONT GIVE YOU A NICKLE FOR THAT STUFF, IM ONE OF THE SMART ONES, THAT GOT SMART…

      1. Amen. I quit in 2011. I lost 70 pounds that year, while quitting Type 2 Diabetes.

    32. I am so furious with all those who purport to inform us and hand us lie after lie after lie INSTEAD. DIET SODA —- TRUTH IS IT IS HARMFUL FOR HUMANS…… AND UNHEALTHY FOR YOU……. AND GREATEST OF ALL IT IS FILLED WITH LIES AND THERE ISN’T A THIN PERSON WHO DRINKS DIET SODA……THE WEIGHT CHALLENGED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WATCH A COMMERCIAL FOR DIET SODA AND WANT TO LOOK LIKE THIN MODEL A OF THE AD. YOU KNOW THE AD IS A LIE BUT YOU MAKE MONEY……………. INFORMED INDIVIDUALS RISE UP AND FORCE THE FOOD INDUSTRY TO SUPPY HEALTHY FOOD. A FOOD COMPANY WITH A CONSCIENCE COMMITED TO HEALTHY FOOD WILL PROSPER FROM THE INFORMED HUMAN BEING AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE GROWING RAPIDLY. MAKE OUR POPULATION HEALTHY AGAIN.

    33. You are the cause of drought conditions around the world, obesity, and contribute directly to climate change and environmental destruction.

      You should be ashamed of yourselves and what you stand for. Until you and your ilk are not allowed to market your dangerous products to the world at large, we, the people, will not be safe from your lies and machinations. In twenty years, I suspect you will pay for your crimes, but it will be too late.

      One day, the governments of this world will decide that profits aren’t important–people are. I’d wish you luck, but I’m rooting for you to fail.

    34. When I married my husband he was drinking several sodas a day and on a beta blocker for heart palpitations. Once I convinced him to stop drinking the sodas, he was able to STOP taking the medication completely, with his DR’s approval. THAT is how dangerous they are.

    35. You are willingly killing people with the products you manufacture. As a scientist and physician I see the adverse effects your products do my patients. It is sad and irresponsible that large corporations such as CocaCola promote and sell these debilitating, disease causing products. You should be ashamed.

    36. The amount of sugar in soda is reprehensible and the amount of chemicals in diet soda is just as bad.

    37. When we buy a new car we would NOT pour crap gas into it. Then when the car breaks down we can go buy a new one. THIS IS NOT SO WITH OUR BODIES. We can’t go buy a new one. So don’t pour crap like soda in to your bodies. Drink lots of fresh filtered water with spearmint, cucumbers, strawberries and pineapple. Supply your body with nutrition not an emotional “feeling”!

    38. Soda is not part of a healthy diet if one consumes more of it than non-sugared liquid. No one needs to consume high sugar quantities on a daily basis. If these sugars were good for us , we would not be a nation of highly over weight people. Too many children are diabetic from drinking high sugar content drinks.

    39. I will NEVER buy or drink sodas again. All I have o do when I think I want one is to remember that “natural flavorings” are made from aborted baby fetal cells!@#$%^ That’s enough to kill it for me forever. I tell everybody near me who is buying them this and they then don’t want them, either. Not to mention the carcinogens and GMOs and …! I grew up when foods and drinks and … were not so polluted, still our family never had sodas around and drank them only one for Fourth of July, one for a birthday party, etc. Thank God!

    40. This is great I’m hope you do enough to alert people that get Coca Cola Pepsi to change. Thanks so much Gos bless keep it up.

    41. A Day of “Brainstorming” at Ameribev…

      Marketing Director: “So how can we get people to buy this concoction that is completely de-void of nutritional value?”

      Marketing minion #1: oh, oh, I have an idea!…”let’s make a commercial with children who love puppies!”

      Marketing minion#2: “What do puppies have to do with this artificially flavored blue drink?”

      Marketing minion#1: “Nothing, doesn’t that sound awesome?!!” We’ll just make it seem like drinking this beverage is just as exciting as getting a new puppy?”

      Marketing minion#2: “Gee Bob, I think you are on to something, while we’re at it, why don’t we fabricate our own scientific study to say this beverage will turn you into a blue Smurf , publish it, then mark-up the price by about 150%?”

      Marketing minion #1: “Holy Crap”, that’s the best bunch of garbage I’ve ever heard, let’s get it on the air before the Olympics start!”

      1. Well let’s face it. They obtain water for next to nothing and sell it at a tremendous mark up ….oh don’t get me started on the plastic bottles. People do have to wake up to what gets stuck in front of them. Love your scenario!

    42. Because of your ultra-sweet beverages, people now expect that same level of sweetness in ALL their beverages and crave it in their desserts. Once a person overcomes an initial revulsion at how GOD-AWFULLY SWEET your beverages are and starts “enjoying” sugary sodas to fit in with the crowd (or because your ads on TV are too damn compelling, promising friends and fun when he buys and consumes the stuff), he soon becomes habituated to that level of sweetness. Healthy drinks like water and foods like blueberries and other fruits just don’t do it for him anymore, driving this new sugar-addict to snack on unhealthy empty caloric “foods” like candy and guzzle Gator-ade and colas. But if he were to take a long enough break from sugar in ALL its forms, he would be amazed at how sweet and satisfying a blueberry is! It is absolutely appalling that you say your overly-sweet drinks should be a part of a healthy diet, meanwhile knowing (and COUNTING ON) how damned addictive they are.

    43. There is nothing healthy about refined gmo sugar. Artificial sweeteners actually cause weight gain in addition to ingesting nasty chemicals. Soda is just empty calories with no health benefits. I suggest you start making healthy products that consumers want . You might actually increase your profits

    44. AmeriBev, have you considered producing healthy, probiotic beverages like water kefir, kombucha etc? Those are the soft drinks in my household ever since I beat a decades-long 2-liter bottle a day addiction to diet cola two years ago.

    45. I don’t drink soda. I see no value in soda. I don’t allow my 5 kids to drink it either. Soda should b banned.

    46. I used to drink diet pepsi all day every day. When I finally wised up and quit drinking it, all of my MS – like symptoms magically disappeared. I also lost about 30 pounds. If, as you claim. “these beverages and their ingredients are safe, as world-renowned toxicologists and regulatory agencies around the globe have repeatedly reaffirmed”, they why do people feel so much better when they don’t drink it? I am not the only one who has noticed this. It’s not just some fluke. It may taste good at the time, but it is not doing your health any good to drink this stuff. And the worst part is, your company know this and yet you keep telling people it’s safe! It’s all about the money, not about health!

    47. Soda is bad for you anyway you dissect it. The companies with deep pockets will always try to fool you until you research for yourself. Don’t believe these wise guys, they are only interested in money not health. Get smarter about what you ingest, your body will tell you the truth!

    48. I am shocked that you can honestly say there is a healthy component to soda. There is nothing redeeming in it and it’s an outright lie. You are consciously hurting the American people. You need to come clean and take responsibility for you caring more about the mighty dollar and not about humanity. You are playing with children lives. There are more diabetes in children than not. It’s partially your fault getting them hooked on sugar and chemicals. Wake up and have a heart!!!!

      1. Plain carbonated water is ok for you. All it takes to make water fizzy is to add carbon dioxide which does no harm to your health. You can add a bit of juice for taste. But all these commercial drink concoctions (not just soda) are terrible for you. So if you like the feel of fizz there is a healthy alternative. Buy a Sodastream and make your own carbonated water and add your own flavorings.

    49. Dear AmeriBev:

      Please stop lying to us and hiding the truth from us. We all know that soda is bad for you, so stop trying to cover it up!

    50. It breaks my heart to see innocent families believe the lies of organizations like AmeriBev and have to endure the stress and hardship of disease and death that has come with consuming these products that are pressed on them merely to make a profit. AmeriBev you have no human’s best interest at heart, and are a sold out organization purely born out of an incessant greed for profit. You should be sued and locked away. I hope these huge corporations that are brainwashing and manipulating the American population will get what they deserve. It is time for America to rise agaisnt all the lies and schemes. We are taking our health back, therefore we are taking our freedom back. So AmeriBev you better watch your back.

    51. It saddens me when people make money and power their god. There are some twisted powerful people in this world who have no interest in us ‘common’ people or what is happening to the health of our nation… and other nations for that matter. As long as these individuals are lining their pockets, they do not care about anything else that is actually important…the health of our world environment and it’s people among many other things. And yes, we all can make our own choices, and people can choose to eat and drink products that decline their health. And, parents can choose to raise their children to be wise and stay away from these products or to let them indulge… but do not try to twist the truth and make it seem like these products are balanced and healthy or will do no harm in a balanced diet. Do not throw government funded ‘studies’ with vested interest in making a dollar in our faces. Do not try to target our children and the generations to come with happy Ads and smiling faces, making it look appealing to destroy our bodies and become addicted to additives and harmful chemicals. This is down right sick and really horrible. I would like to bet that the people at AmeriBev and those powerful people in-charge of pushing these products on us do not consume these products themselves. And, if they do, they have their own health problems and definitely don’t look like the picture of health.
      I say a huge Thank You to people like Food Babe and all the other people out there, willing to dedicate their lives to showing us the truth and helping us become activists in our own right. If we all stand up to the nonsense of AmeriBev and these other powerful companies, we can change things. And, these companies are getting scared because I’m sure this is something they have feared for a while, hoping we would not wake up and decide to take a stand. Well, it is finally happening and we can be strong if we stand together!
      Blessings to you all and I pray that the people working at AmeriBev will wake up and see that LOVE and the TRUTH is more important than anything money can buy.

    52. to AmeriBev – Do ;you really think you are so high and mighty that people will believe your remarks about soft drinks? You are thinking that people are stupid and will believe all of your twisted words. Do you really believe everyone is so stupid? I think your mentality is ‘stupid’. Really now. Just wait and see what kind of response you get.

    53. The claim that soda is part of a “balanced” diet is the same garbage that McDonald’s and other processed food companies try to peddle. If you talk to a nutritionist, they say that if you eat truly healthy 80% of the time, then the body is able to heal and manage the other 20% of cheating and eating unhealthy. 80% is NOT BALANCED! Being healthy requires a tremendous majority of our eating to be healthy. When people hear the term “balanced” they think that means 50/50 and it doesn’t. Eating 50/50 will lead to cancer, diabetes, and other rising degenerative diseases. So, please stop perpetuating this lie.

    54. Why do dark sodas still use “caramel coloring” which is another name for some nasty toxic chemicals and has NOTHING to do with caramel . Why don’t you care enou b to stop putting poisons into food?

    55. Diet soda is ratt poison, Period
      Anyone that sells it is a criminal, anyone that drinks it is a fool!

    56. Let’s face it, it’s all about $$$ and volume of product sold. The health and well being of consumers is not a consideration.

    57. AmeriBev! All research about Cancer show that sugar is what cancerous cells thrives on sugar which is one of the main ingredients in Soda! Soda companies have just gotten americans hooked on sugar! It is in a lot of our products in stores. Drinking soda is one way to gain weight. It is the main ingrediant.

    58. Absolutely demonstrated, the soda’s industry do not have decency, and on top of that they are insulting our intelligence with their “healthy” claims. It had been shown that since the discovery of carbonated beverages the curve of degenerative diseases follow exactly the same pattern of the soda consumption in the USA.
      Good Try! Shame on you all!

    59. I think you need to be re-educated on the dangers of soda. Sugar is not the only problem, but at least if they reduced the level substantially, it would help people quite a bit.

    60. Please stop poisining people – you have an ethical responsibility to do so. Everyone know sugar is bad for you and adding 11 spoons of sugar in one can with all the other hazardous chemicals!!! How can you sleep at night knowing that you are somehow responsible for affecting the health of millions. Saying that people have a choice does NOT relieve you of your responsibility.

    61. Wow!! You insult intelligent people…, “part of a balanced diet”?!
      IT TRULY IS ALL ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR FOR YOUR COMPANY!! And I desperately hope that this incredulous information gets out to a huge population of people! No longer are we, the consumer, the lab rats of yesterday! Thanks to people like the Food Babe!

    62. I was thinking of getting a cherry coca-cola for the caffeine boost today, but thought of how bad I felt after the last one along with the fact that the phosphate and caramel coloring I just can’t get past anymore. Decided on iced tea instead.

    63. HAHAHAHAHA!!! Coke and Pepsi are loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup* as well as sodium benzoate and other unhealthy additives. Mountain Dew and Sprite have bromate chemicals added to give a light phony citrus color. Of course the diet versions have poisonous aspartame and sucralose.

      *HFCS is metabolized into waistline FAT to a greater extent than other sugar. Waistline FAT is a serious marker for present or future cardiovascular disease.
      NOTHING about ANY of CocaCola and Pepsi’s products is healthy for people of any age.

    64. Soda drinks that have high fructose corn syrup are NOT part of a balanced diet. A typical can of regular soda has over 30 grams of sugar/serving. That is more than half of the amount of sugar a human should consume in one day. And Diet soda, with aspartame as the sugar substitute, does not help in weight loss – it actually counters any attempts at avoiding sweets. Not sure where you are getting your facts and studies from – would be nice to see if these studies have been compared with independent research, but it sounds like a Monsanto funded lab, in the basement of a McDonalds trying to bring doubt to an army of free minds, who have taken the time to see for themselves how terrible your sodas have been to society as a whole.

    65. Insanity

      Look around you and the condition our overall youth and country’s health is in.

      You are so scared of the truth. Just be honest about what a soda is and let those who still wish to consume do so.

    66. Regarding your claim about soda drinks being healthy or can be in a heathy lifestyle: That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You don’t give consumers enough credit. Your sugary, chemical laden beverages have ZERO benefit and no place in a healthy diet. You aren’t fooling anyone. It’s obvious that you, and other companies like you are scrambling as profits continue to decline. Our families deserve so much better.

    67. Your beverages are the “Elixirs of Death” I used to be addicted to Diet Pepsi and Crystal Lite. It’s all I would drink. I felt like death and wondered why? It was only after I purged these toxic drinks and ingredients out of my life that I started to feel better. I’m not kidding when I tell you I dropped 30 lbs by doing nothing, and I mean nothing, but counting/Eliminating CHEMICALS not calories. I had horrible headaches all the time, along with many other aliments, that I am still correcting to this day thanks for my American diet for the last 31 years. You must be drinking the Kool Aid to think these Beverages that you stand behind can be described as “healthy” in any way, shape or form. I’ll just continue to vote with my dollar and boycott your products. Nice Try though!

    68. Why do you poison our children ? Shame on you ! Karma will come to you . Vladimir Putin is right . Have you no morals or ethics ? Remember your children drink this sludge also .

    69. Sounds just like the manipulative rhetoric I was given when I wrote to complain about the new Mist Twist soda that replaced Sierra Mist. I cut out high fructose corn syrup two years ago and the size of my waist reduced dramatically. No more “spare tire” that I had even though I only weighed 145 lbs. Even better, I have now gone down to 125 lbs. simply by no longer eating the chemical filled crap I was putting into my body. Keep peddling your rhetoric. Many of us are too smart to be fooled by it any longer.

    70. SODA IS NOT PART OF ANY HEALTHY DIET. INDUSTRY FUNDED ATTEMPTS TO SAY OTHERWISE IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. INDEPENDENT SCIENCE SHOWS THE CONTENTS ARE NOT HEALTHY, ESPECIALLY ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS FOUND IN “DIET” DRINKS, AND HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. IN CONSUMPTION, SUGARS, SWEETENERS, ARTIFICIAL COLORINGS AND FLAVORINGS FACILITATE AND EXACERBATE ALLERGIC RESPONSES AND FURTHER THE EPIDEMIC OF OBESITY AND DIABETES. MANY OF THESE SUBSTANCES ARE ADDICTING, WHAT A TIDY CIRCLE OF PROFIT.

      IN MY OPINION, THIS INDUSTRY IS A DEATH TRAP.

    71. How can you think soda is a positive nutritional component of anyone’s diet. I can’t understand how you simply lie to us. Lol

    72. I am going to make it simple, going to petition all the Congress that if they don’t do to the Beverage Industry what they did to the Tobacco Companies then they will not get re-elected

    73. I use to drink a 6 pak of soda a day but ever since I had children and went to their school science fair competitions where kids had soaked pennies and meat in soda, the results were astounding and I quickly changed my ways. I’m no Dr or scientist, nor do I feel the need to be, just as a concerned citizen and advocate for health and well being – just reading ingredient labels nowadays is enough for me to say “no” to a lot of this overly processed food and drink. I’m constantly clueing people in to what sick ingredients are being put in our food. Take a look at photos before big ag came along- people never had the body shapes that they do now- it’s sickening and no pun intended they are being sickened by these drinks and highly processed stuff- I wouldn’t even call it food cause it’s not real food. If you ever wonder what happened to the dinosaurs I’ll bet Monsanto and Coke had something to do with it? along with all the pharmaceutical companies! Basically they are going to lessen the population one by one and then years from now others will wonder, “what happened to all the people”?!

    74. Do you actually believe the lies you wrote? If you do, you are a blithering idiot. There is zero nutritional value to soda. You must believe that consumers are completely ignorant of a “healthy” diet. I have copied and pasted your stupid comments on my FaceBook page as well as on Instagram for everyone to see. Not only are you a complete laughing stock, now, but your company is seen as a complete joke. You sound just like the “experts” who used to extol the health value of cigarettes. Congratulations on being a complete imbecile!!!!

    75. Ha! Studies show just the opposite with regard to artificial sweeteners-people gain more weight using them. How low can you go!! More people are becoming more educated today and this type of propaganda doesn’t fly.

    76. I grew up drinking diet soda’s. Not only did I gain weight, but I also gained an appetite where I wanted to eat and eat and eat! You can try and pull the wool over some people’s eye with (your paid for) regulatory agencies and scientist say it’s healthy, but my eyes are Wide Open! You can lie all,you,want about how natural all the Unnatural chemicals are but Beware the Label readers. Even if you wrote disclosed the ingredients in microscopic size on the container, we, as consumers, would just get magnifying glasses to read all the Unnatural chemicals in your drinks. Remember, you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time. Also, one of my favorites, “What goes around, comes around.” Good luck trying to continue pulling the wool over people’s eyes! You pitiful sheep (in wolves clothing, no doubt”.

    77. In regard to your post on food babe’s blog, it absolutely astounds me that you make products that poison people slowly then when you are called out on it you continue to defend it…..depression, thinking errors, obesity, hyperactivity just to name a few ailments from your poisonous products….. God sees your ways and He Knows your crimes……you may think that you are getting away with it yet one day you will stand before the Universe and God and God Will Judge you on the Truth of The Matter, which as you know will be worse than what Foodbabe knows…….if I were you I would ask for forgiveness then I would make a product that is so healthful that God Can Bless you even more in this life. ..and in the Next
      …..blessings with all of this

    78. That’s the craziest thing ever written. Soda is NOT part of a healthy and balanced nutritional plan. Soda is a TREAT that probably won’t hurt you if consume it VERY sparingly. The problem with it is if you do consume it, you want more of it… it’s addictive by design to keep people coming back for more. It has no nutritional value and simply turns to fat. Look to the American people for proof. Americans are sicker and fatter than ever. Enough said. I prefer to get my sugar from Mother Nature in fruits and vegetables. (Don’t get me started on sugar-free sodas laced with chemicals. Chemicals have no place in a healthy and balanced diet.)

    79. How do you even sleep at night. If you took some of the money you spend as a corporation trying to put up a good appearance and just eliminated your products that are literally slowly killing people you’d be a much better corporate citizen!

    80. AmeriBev, Although I agree that exercise is important, sugary, chemical-laden soda pops are not part of a healthy diet for anyone. They certainly do not help a person to be healthy. They hinder health and create yet one more issue for a person to overcome who is trying to be healthy. It’s not so much the quantity or calories that are consumed, but he quality of the food and beverages that matter, along with exercise of course. There is so much hidden sugar in other non-sweet foods, there is no reason to add any more sugar to a person’s diet. Especially the type of sugar found in mainstream soda pops – high fructose corn syrup and GMO suguar. Synthetic sweeteners are even worse.
      Filtered water, sweetened with fresh fruit or veggies (if you need some flavor) is the best for a person’s body. Organic tea is great too and adds even more of a benefit to the body than just water. If a person drinks the recommended 8-12 glasses of water daily, there is no room for soda anyway!
      I am speaking the truth while you are obviously just trying to keep people buying soda.

    81. we drink water and organic Lakewood juices and Heineken Lite Beer. NO Soda for years and years and years. We didn’t grow up with pop or soda, never liked it. Drink homemade cashew milk from your recipes in your book.

    82. Where is your soul? This *poison* you are selling corrupts our tastebuds, our thoughts, and our bodies. This is unacceptable and I won’t allow soda, sugar, or heinous “natural favors” to erode my health and mind. And I know I’m far from alone in that !!!

    83. Outside of the fact that we all know that soda is nothing but a toxic cocktail for our bodies, what bothers me the most is Coke’s Olympic commercials! I can’t believe that are promoting Coke as part of a “gold feeling!” How about promoting it for a bloated gassy belly!!!?
      Sorry AmeriBev, I’ll never believe your lies and will never put money in your pockets!!

    84. It sounds as though AmeriBev is getting a nervous. Don’t believe the lies, you know as well as I do, FoodBabe’s interest is in your health. AmeriBev’s interest lies in the almighty dollar.

    85. I stopped drinking soda for more than 5 years. I felt more energetic and lighter than ever before. I believe my body tells the truth.

    86. As a former cola addict, your statements about commercial sodas being “healthy,” is ridiculous! I am free of your “healthy” ingredients and containers, and am on a mission to let others know about this.

    87. “enjoyed as a part of a healthy balance”? I don’t think chemicals are ever healthy and should not ever be consumed.
      Let’s do a study NOT sponsored by companies invested in the beverage industry and see their results.

    88. Wow Coca Cola,
      I bet most Of your employees don’t even drink your product due to the damage it can have on your body

    89. Any soda that has the capability of dissolving corrosion on a car battery, has no place as a beverage in anyone’s diet! These sugar-laden drinks with their high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, dextrose or whatever hidden sugar name you want to call them, provide no nutritional value for the human body. Continued drinking of these beverages causes inflammation and a host of other diseases like diabetes, obesity, etc. Soda is not worth the health risk.

    90. More lies!! Shouldn’t you be out paying off senators instead of trolling health sites with lies?

    91. OMG…Seriously?! Dude…get a clue! Even back in the 80’s before “wellness” was a thing I remember a friends brother losing over 100 pounds just by cutting out sodas. And don’t get me started on the Diet crap! It’s poison…I know…I use to drink it and felt awful. (& I was fat). hmmmm. Go tell lies on your own FB page & leave Vani & her “common sense” followers alone.

    92. Um, thanks but no thanks AmeriBev! Quality over quantity! Would rather have quality food and water my body was made to digest and THRIVE off of rather than man made drinks full of high fructose corn syrup, gmos and who knows what else since everything is so shady with food companies these days…there is NO nutritients in soda!

    93. I do not Have a website!
      How much do the employees and big Wigs of these companies drink of their own sodas…I would really like to know. Has it impacted their health or that of their loved ones? Maybe the propaganda being published by these idiots would go away and slowly following that would be no more sodas.

    94. It’s all about the money!! And the consumers most likely don’t even know what they are drinking!! Just the sugar alone in sodas and other drinks is a killer! Might as well just drink round up!! Let’s keep spreading the word food babe!!

    95. Are we to believe that Coca Cola truly makes Olympians? It’s the worst message to send to the world to makes Prime Time Ads for soda during the Olympics. The world looks up to America and we are exporting a culture that leads to obesity.

    96. What happened to integrity? Sound research by M. Nestle and other ethical researchers document the facts that you call “sensationalist.” You say, “Calories and activity balance are the key”. Really?

    97. Healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and only 1 regular diet splurge. Where did that get my sister? In a grave by 60 years old! She believed a diet coke couldn’t hurt it’s diet, low in sugar and calories. Aspartame and stage 4 breast cancer. She lived 4 and a half years fighting the battle that took her life. Heartless is what you are!

    98. How can any of you sleep at night knowing that you are creating ill health by promoting the use of soft drinks that have toxic chemicals and GMO high fructose corn syrup? My friends and I think you should be taken to court and sued for damaging the health of innocent people who trust that there is nothing harmful in your drinks. Using MSG to make it more addicting is the capper. You think we believe that you do not know how harmful these addicting drinks are? I realize you have families and need to earn a living. Be a whistle blower and expose all the garbage in soft drinks. Then go into the clean WATER business, please. Or anything healthy so you can look in the mirror and go to sleep at night.

    99. My husband is addicted to Diet Coke (aspartame sweetener), and he weighs over 300 lbs. and now has a seizure disorder and high blood pressure. He drinks more Diet Coke and has more health problems than anyone I know. He wasn’t always obese. He didn’t always have seizures. And he didn’t always have high blood pressure. But he did always drink Diet Coke. Friends and loved ones, including myself, have repeatedly warned him about the dangers of aspartame. I can confidently tell you that Diet Coke doesn’t help people lose weight nor does it help you have a healthy balance. I strongly recommend that you and your minions stop trashing Vani. She is truly one of the good guys, simply helping individuals and families stop their dangerous eating habits, read labels, avoid GMOs, and loudly protest the dangerous ingredients that food and beverage conglomerates are adding to their addictive recipes. Shame on all of you in the American Beverage Association–peddling your dangerous drinks to the world. Don’t you have families, children, and other loved ones? Don’t you want to protect them from putting poisons in their bodies?

    100. Many studies have proven that both regular sodas and diet sodas, of all brands, cause great harm to the human body.

    101. Foodbabe, Dr Oz, & many other experts around the globe are shining a light on the poisons in our beverages & foods. The consumers are voting with our purchases and it is slowly changing the food landscape. You, the soda manufactures will loose, as more & more consumers realize YOU contribute to the sick & diseasesd.

    102. I’M AMAZED HOW YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DUPE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE JUST TO MAKE MONIES !! YOU HAVE NO CONCERN OR CARE WHAT YOUR DOING TO AMERICA AND THE WORLD ?? CANNOT YOU COME UP WITH SOME TRULY HEALTHY DRINKS BESIDES KILLING US WITH SODA ?? YOU HAVE MONEY AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE THAT WE YOUR CUSTOMERS DON’T HAVE ! JUST THINK OF THE FOLLOWING YOU HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL IF YOU WENT HEALTHY FOR YOUR CUSTMERS ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    103. My health has improved immensely by no longer drinking chemical laden soda pop. There is absolutely no benefit to drinking it, only a detriment.

    104. To: AmeriBev – Your comments are for the uneducated and poor. You prey on these people with your seemingly sophisticated explanation of your beverages. You should be ashamed to think we followers of Food Babe are in the category you advertise to. More importantly you should be ashamed as fellow members of the human race to prey on and misguide those less fortunate. We should be looking out for one another not deceiving each other. You come up with a truly healthy beverage and get rid of the false ones and I assure you, the word would get out fast! You can make money doing the right thing! Try it!

    105. @AmeriBev
      Sodas are not only unhealthy, they are creating environmental havoc by their plastic bottles and factory level sucking of crucial groundwater wherever they put their plants..In India village wells are running dry wherever soda factories have come up. Save the planet for our survival sake, stop this evil business – do something else Coke&Pepsi

    106. What amazes me is that there are people who continue to do this work. How do you stay in integrity with yourself knowing you’re promoting lies.
      I decided long ago I didn’t want to drink chemicals (after actually making flavourings from chemicals in chemistry class) and that if I was going to have sugar it would be in the form of chocolate.
      Ameribev you don’t belong in a place like this.

    107. AmeriBev,
      Soda is NOT a weight loss tool, nor does it belong in a healthy, balanced diet! The chemicals and additives – not to mention extremely dangerous high fructose corn syrup – present in your products are making America sicker and sicker. How long will you continue to try to fool people into crippling disease and dependency on sugar, instead of turning towards solutions to the obesity crisis we’re experiencing in the US today? Why you continue to market products that are KNOWN as dangerous to the human body astounds me, when you could instead turn your business to healthy, sugar-free drinks like kombucha or organic cold-pressed vegetable juice.

    108. Pepsi and coke need to be required to label the danger of the chemical in caramel coloring and stop the idea that it’s caramel like the candy.

    109. Hello,
      Respectfully I submit to you my experience: while on a weight loss diet with a physician, I seemed unable to lose weight. He drew blood and had it analyzed. The sodium content was off the charts. Since I rarely use salt, my doctor’s analysis was to quit drinking diet sodas. I did. I began losing and reached my goal. I gave up soda.

    110. AmeriBev, You can argue your ludicrous points all you want. Anyone who subscribes to this website is too bright and informed to fall for any of your ploys, so you are really barking up the wrong tree.

      Thank you for publishing the list of the other Coke products, I was not aware of all of them, but I will steer clear of all of them, especially because of this rant that you are on. You are trying to market to the wrong people here. Have not bought a Coke or Pepsi in probably 20 years, nor do I know anyone else who does. One day the majority of the world population will wake up to what’s really in these products and Coke will be a thing of the past!

    111. Don’t have to b a scientist to see the hideous contents…..coca cola mixed w milk video…..

    112. Added sugar never benefits a body in any way.
      And diet soda? 99% water and 1% poison? I’ll take my water w/o the poison.

    113. Ameribev, you are not fooling anyone. How stupid do you think the consumer is? Claiming that chemical laden soda can be part of a balanced diet and that the ingredients are harmless is an egregious lie. Welcome to the food revolution – we are taking back control of our lives, and we don’t want the poison you are selling. The consumer has the power, not you. Your comment only shows how out of touch you are with the desires of your customers. We’re tired of corporations poisoning us via our food supply to line their pockets. You’re giving us cancer, diabetes, heart disease and God only knows what else. We’re fighting back, and we will win. So I suggest you get real honest with yourselves and start producing socially conscious products.

    114. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

      How much money did you get paid to write up this bull crap. There is ZERO room in ANYONES diet for pop and diet pop!!!! ooo diet pop is 99% water that is most likely very toxic to begin with and then you add things like aspartame.

      Want to start making someone fizz that can be claimed as being a part of a healthily diet? throw out everything you sell and start selling raw kombucha. Then you can make the claims you made.

    115. This kind of comments are intencional, and very lucrative for Cola-Cola to make people belive that they can lost weight, It’s a crimen to do this to the people that really believe it. This is terrible. Many of them do not have the time to read and investigate as we do. Cola-Cola is just about money.

    116. How imbacile to think that drinking any type of soda whether it’s full of sugar or sugar free will help you to lose weight. Let’s get real, first of all sugar in any form weakens the immune system. Aspartame contained in the sugar-free soda has horrific side effects and you know them all, but America still needs to be educated about this. The only remedy to lose weight is to make better choices of our foods cut out the meat, Concentrated sweets, all processed foods, GMO’s, etc. American eats far too great portions at mealtime, we also eat too late at night. Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food.” We have to eat less, walk more and live longer. You would do America well and not worry about the dollar bill by writing on the bottle “drinking soda is hazardous to your health.”

    117. ALL soda has caramel coloring! It has been proven that it causes Bladder Cancer! My sister is a living (luckily) example of this. She drank diet PEPSI every day and had to have her bladder removed almost two years ago. She was quite fortunate that it had not spread and a specialist surgeon here in St. John’s Newfoundland-Labrador, Canada, was able to “make” a new bladder using part of her colon!

      Also, so-called DIET pop/soda causes many, many people to become greatly overweight! The body simply does not know what to do with artificial sweetener! Just ask Dr. Oz. If I use sugar, I add just a little organic cane sugar. As for pop/soda, the caramel coloring “creates” a huge health risk in the first place!!
      Thank you Food Babe for all your research and great info!

      1. Are you really going to link an industry funded website for “facts”…. ha!

    118. The soda companies need to remove chemicals and preservatives as well as high fructose corn syrup from their products. It has been many years since I have purchased anything from them because of the unhealthy ingredients. If they were naturally made I would consider them okay to have occasionally.

    119. AmeriBev! No apologies here, just my honest opinion the american beverage association is such a joke! Let’s be real, what does that name even mean? We humans are made up of water, and that is all we really need. We do NOT need an association for beverages alone. Everything in your statement is SO BACKWARDS! Is this the twilight zone?!?!? Blows my mind.

    120. I am in the health care field. I see the sick people (and, yes, the results of their own choices) who have been marketed a falsehood that sodas are safe. Their livers must process these sugar laden or artificial drinks by the gallons. They drink this in place of plain water because they are addicted. I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve met who cannot and will not give up their soda. They’d rather die first and that is what is happening. For as many studies as you show that diet soda helps people lose weight, there are just as many identifying that people tend to crave more food if they are using artificial sweeteners. Dr. Leonard Coldwell, in his book entitled, “The Only Answer to Cancer,”, has a cure rate over 95‰, if people will follow his contract which states they must stay away from sugar, alcohol (which has sugar), refined and packaged foods (which has unpronounceable chemicals, artificial sweeteners and sugar). Listen, Americans are getting sicker since the innovation of processed foods, pesticides and herbicides, and the invention of sodas. It’s time to clean up the industry, fix what is wrong, and do what is right for the future of our families. Instead of fighting the revolution at your doorstep, be a part of it. Embrace the abundance you can have by leading the industry in healthy alternatives. People are catching on so spend your advertising dollars on “truelly” whole food sweeteners and gaining back the trust and respect big industry is losing. We will be watching.

    121. You say that your soda is 99% water. Yet, what is the missing 1%? Cyanide? Just saying, though you claim your product is mostly healthy, that doesn’t prove your fluid isn’t toxic. Good luck with all that.

    122. Please label all good go non gmo remove all 4 Mel linked to cancer no Carmel color high frutoce corn syrup no sodium no bromites vegetable oil no corn syrup no artific colors please use organic non gmo Ingredients I and the USA is sick of what’s in the soda companies drinks like Coca Cola Pepsi no more time for good news organic non gmo first I want better Coca products I hope Mountain Dew and Sprite gets a change first I’m hoping that they change.

    123. Sugar of any kind suppresses our immune system. No wonder we are a society of unhealthy people. However, with that said, I see the tide of change coming through the next generation. My kids (who are now adults) refuse to drink soda, they say they don’t feel well after drinking it. So I’m hopeful with the help of FoodBabe and others alike, we can beat the evil that is lurking around us encouraging us to eat this or drink that, while they are laughing their way to the ban at the expense of our children and the people we love. Good health is where it is at!

    124. I remember we did an experiment in jr.high where we put a nail in popular cola(s) cans, I don’t how long they were left in exactly but at least a few days, when we took the nails out, they were dissolved! our teacher was a hippy back then.

    125. I do not drink soda any more and for many, many years now. The reason is because they are loaded with GMO’s and to much sugar which causes you to crave more sweets and to gain weight. America has such a problem with sugar it is terrible and causing most American to become very over weight and in turn causing them to have many health issues. Diabetes type two is very common and it can cause Cancer and heart disease to name just a few. I like to drink organic teas and I love Kombucha a fermented tea which is very healthy for your digestion. You know you can make soda much healthier by adding natural sugars or organic cane sugar and it doesn’t have to be that sweet. Well, for me I like to avoid as much sugar as I can because there is so much sugar in fruit and my occasional treat such as a cookie. You should really think about making your soda more natural and without GMO sugar.

    126. So what you’re saying is that if a substance known to be harmful is in small enough quantities then it can be “part of a healthy diet”. How many parts per million of feces would YOU include in your burger?

    127. I find it beyond preposterous that you would defend the consumption of soda drinks in any way, shape, or form. It’s an insult to human integrity. It reminds me of the same argument the tobacco industry offered years ago. There is no “balance” in consuming a substance that does not benefit your physical body. The ploy you offer is constructed in an effort to enable false assurance in order to defend the right to earn profit at the expense of human addiction.
      Shame on you

    128. I’m hoping to see the day when producing the garbage you produce will be against the law.

      No one in my family eats or drinks your products and I often tell others consuming your products that they should not.

      I can stomach the truth that Food Babe is puttin out.

    129. There is no such thing as healthy soda. It’s either full of sugar or chemicals or both and none of that is what I want in my body. I used to be totally addicted to coca-cola and then switched to DietCoke to reduce calories. But it was just a chemical $hit storm and I finally got off all those drinks over a decade ago. My health has improved immensely. I wish the soda companies would get behind something positive, like organic food for everyone. Talk about teaching the world to sing!!

    130. All I’m going to say is short and sweet. I vote with my pocketbook and I won’t be buying any of your products. Enough said!!!

    131. It is amazing what people will say and do for the almighty buck. You are a disgusting bunch. May it be unto you and your health as you are doing to your customers.

    132. Bahahahahahahahaha, where is the punch line to that ridiculous statement???? Are you people who either work for the cola manufacturer, their corporate owners or some lame ass PR firm really that mindless to believe your own pathetic attempt to skew the views of extremely well informed and educated individuals??? Do you really think some clever wording will help try to save the titanic of the cola industry?? I think it is either time for you to look for a new career or take the easy road and go stick your head back in the sand while everyone else enjoys watching the sinking of your pathetic corporate interest only companies!!!! Happy swimming. 🙂

    133. Sugar is addictive–overstimulates insulin which leads to obesity. Carbonated water http://www.livestrong.com/article/313171-health-risks-of-carbonated-water/, http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-carbonated-water-bad-for-you#1.
      As quoted many times “The notion that the carbonation in sodas is bad for bones comes from studies performed in the early 1990s, which suggested that drinking soda, specifically “COLA”, raises the risk of bone fractures among adolescent girls and older women who were former college athletes. No such association was found for non-cola drinks.
      It depends on the ingredients in the soda and it’s all a profit game for the manufacturers.

    134. I would like to see warning labels on soda products and I would support a soda tax. Sodas contribute to fatty liver disease, diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Soda is similar to alcohol in its effects but without the buzz. It is addicting and the food industry has hijacked America’s taste buds. We have more unhealthy people and a huge health care debt because of the food industry.

    135. Somehow I don’t trust the reports that your “world-renowned toxicologists and regulatory agencies around the globe” are independent of your dollars. Your motivation is making a profit off of peoples health. Shame on you! Why would I want to put ANYTHING in my body that is made up of chemicals when I have whole foods as an option? I’m voting with my dollars.

    136. It is a tragedy that for the sake of money you encourage the public to consume the most unhealthy chemical and sugar-laden ingredients in your drinks.

      Rest assured I will not support your game of playing with my health and make sure that all my friends do the same.

      I appeal to you to improve your drinks and remove the toxic substances from them.

      Margret Gossweiler

    137. As a mother of a 18 year old son who consumes way to much sugar, I am SO disheartened that you dope pushers make these chemical / drinks. PLEASE STOP!!#

    138. Number one ingredient in your non-diet soft drink beverages – HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!!!!! Really – a balanced and healthy lifestyle with that disease provoking ingredient? Stop misleading the general public.

    139. Soda in moderation now. I used to drink Coke for breakfast and all day, consuming 16 oz at at time. Eliminate, no, I won’t but will limit myself to one bottle of mexican Coke a day, because of the HFCS. Bring back sugar in all products and quit killing us with hfcs.

    140. Oh dear – how do you sleep at night !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how very dishonest !!
      It is unfathomable that you can make those claims when sugar is so toxic. No one on this planet ought be consuming this type of poison. It is poison.
      We all know that Profit over truth, illness, life and death – prevails for so many products. It is the uneducated that believe your lies ….its shameful to make these claims ….good luck with your life. You know, when you are not a good person, it does come back on you. Your claim encourages the uninformed to live a life with horrible health issues.

      There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.
      Today – how about you do the right thing? Let people know it is poison and they will be very ill if they consume these disgusting chemicals. Instead of representing and promoting for this greedy corporation, how about grow some balls and tell the truth.

    141. I used to be addicted to Diet Coke and drank a large one everyday, usually from a fast food joint and also drank canned Diet Coke at work. I did this because of a weight problem. I never lost any weight from drinking diet Coke. The canned Diet Coke would give me heart flutters and I would also get bad headaches frequently, due to Diet Coke consumption. I learned that the artificial sweeteners are worse than HFCS, so I switched to regular Coke, but cut back on the amount. Then after finding out how unhealthy the HFCS was, I quit drinking the poisonous stuff altogether. My headaches and heart flutters have disappeared. The only soda I ever drink is an occasional soda that is the 365 brand from Whole Foods, which contains no HFCS and uses cane sugar. But I only average about one per month maximum. I try to avoid sodas and drink mostly water. I feel much better and avoid the high blood pressure that comes after drinking one of those chemical filled sodas. Too bad Coke and other soda companies can’t make a healthy beverage drink. But I guess there are no profits in healthy drinks, huh?

    142. Those toxic soda drinks need to be removed from the shelves and destroyed.
      If you want continue to make “soda drinks”, make them true ORGANIC!
      I will be first in line to purchase!

    143. I disagree with you Mr. AmeriBev; the American consumer CANNOT rely on the administrative agencies such as FDA or EPA because they don’t represent the interests of the individual consumer. They, however, represent the interests of corporations and big businesses. A recent example for you is the DARK ACT signed by Obama. The individual consumer CANNOT EVEN rely on the President’s decisions. By signing the Dark Act, Obama clearly indicated to the public the DISREGARD FOR HUMANITY since GMOs have been linked to causing cancer, heart disease, kidney and liver problems, digestive issues, infertility and other chronic illnesses. WE, the consumer, are becoming active participants in our health and wellbeing. And we rely on the AMAZING work of people such as the Food Babe, Vani Hari, for their devoted efforts to bring awareness to the public!

    144. AmeriBev –

      I came on here to basically respond exactly the way a previous commenter already has:

      “I invite Ameribev to submit peer-reviewed studies on the NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS of High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Erythorbic Acid, Calcium Disodim EDTA, Brominated Vegetable Oil or Yellow 5, all of which are contained in Mountain Dew”

      Go ahead. Put your money where your mouth is. If these ingredients are safely processed within a healthy diet – prove it. Here’s the deal. It’s one thing to tell people this toxic poison is “safe” and promote it as such…it’s entirely another to say you KNOW it’s not safe and promote it anyway – at the very least, be honest and let people make a choice. You’re preying on the thousands of people in our population who take an ad at face value. Their problem or “fault” for being so naive? Sure. But should a company he held accountable for misleading/lying blatantly? Yes. Oh – and you can keep your “approved by” comments….the institutions approving your products and giving them their stamp of approval have their hand just as deep into the cookie jar as you guys do. In fact, when I see those approvals and then the marketing that emerges behind them, I start to wonder who exactly is lobbying in Washington and what the payoff will look like.

      Children getting diabetes? Cancer…obesity…auto-immune “disorders” – the disease rate is OUT OF CONTROL. The ingredients listed in soda (not even counting the #1 killer – excessive sugar) are linked to all of these concerns. Safe? According to…who?

      If Vani was so far off within her research, a company like yours who is funded with big monolithic billion dollar soda industries wouldn’t give her little “army” or blog the time of day. It gets noticed because it’s a threat. It’s a threat because wherever there are lies, they eventually get exposed.

      My family (extended as well) are not soda drinkers and have never touched the stuff bc my grandfather was a naturopathic family doctor. Thank GOD for his influence in our diets!! My kids were raised knowing how to read labels and what is poisonous to their health. (Give your kids a gift! Educate them about REAL health!) For all of you out there who just love carbonation (not good for you either) if you must – there are many “all natural” soda companies out there. Are they more expensive? Yes. But real ingredients arent processed or produced for almost free like many chemicals are.

      My advice? Train your tastebuds off of sugar and chemically based consumption. It takes roughly 30 days to break a habit. Go for it!!!!!! The rest of your entire life will thank you.

    145. We all know that aspartame was originally marketed as rat poisoning..
      Nurta sweet is absolutely great if you want to kill ants ! So you want me to drink this,? I don’t think so,

    146. Stop making liquid chemicals. It’s nothing but disease causing. There should be a class action suit against you soda morons the same way that tobacco was fined years ago.

    147. Dear Soda Buisness,

      Your soda can be “fun” and “yummy”, yes, but it is in no way close to being a natural or healthy drink. You are a business, you want to make money, and that is not evil, but please do not insult us by stating (your) soda can be part of a healthy diet. A healthy diet has no place for sugary drinks or beverages with a lot of chemicals and preservatives in it.
      If you want to continue to make money and offer something healthier how about investing in sodas that have natural or healthier ingredients and getting rid of the stuff that other countries refuse to put into their foods.

    148. LOL Starting to see how your BS doesn’t FLY so well, any more? As people gain awareness, they’ll stop purchasing your poisoned water and gravitate more to quenching their thirst, elsewhere. Not much more need be said, as I sure you’ve enjoyed the comments from the enlightened ones, here. Wakey-wakey! 😉

    149. I disagree with your view point and erroneous health stance. I was addicted to sodas for over 25 years. After detoxing from them and drinking healthier, nourishing beverages: coconut water, water without additives or additional vitamins, my health has tremendously improved with greater energy and stronger physical stamina. A clearer mind set has also become established when the sodas were finally detoxed from my system! I recommend for people to take a “no-soda” challenge – decrease the soda input and increase the nourishing liquids which feed the body and the mind. Sodas will be revealed as a detriment to the body and overall health – mentally too!

    150. Stop smoking that stuff you’re smoking. Let’s be for real just this once. I won’t tell a soul. I think you’ve spread enough of that polson. You’re making a fortune and killing your customers. Enough.

    151. OMGosh! Are you people kidding?
      Stop insulting our intelligence!
      We are NOT idiots!
      Maybe a huge percentage of the population does not realize how horribly toxic these beverages are to good health….
      But be sure those of us that read, follow and support Food Babe’s reporting on what the TRUTH of ingredients in foods & beverages are
      ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE INGREDIENTS IN YOUR BEVERAGES KILLING & MAKING PEOPLE SICK!!!!!!!!!!!
      Clearly you have been drinking too much of your own “kool aid” or are on drugs we know nothing about!
      Because there is no way anyone of sound mind could write the response you have!
      You can just admit it… you wrote it to keep your job… but in your heart of hearts you know these are some of the most unhealthy toxic beverages on the planet!
      Because why…. because we understand you could not possibly be an idiot either!

      Fess up and get a clear mind on the matter!

    1. I use to drink a tremendous amount of soda but gave that up years ago with great benefit to my health. The (very) rare time that I “treat” myself to a soda, then it is a natural soda or a local brand of soda (which happens to use at least real sugar.

    2. Try flavored or plain seltzer. Make sure you look for no sugar no sodium versions. I am currently obsessed with strawberry watermelon and vanilla 😉

  6. The Federal Government wants you to be sick, why ? Because other parts of the economy can stay in business. So it’s our job to force companies to either change or go out of business. Soda pop was not a hard thing for me to stop drinking, I only drank it while eating pizza, which was bad enough because I got fat and fatter. One day out of the blue, I decided to throw everything out of my kitchen and go out and buy Organic foods, that means no soda pop, just distilled water, which I drank for about 1 1/2 years until I found Hexagonal Water. This water has minerals and coral calcium, which I have been drinking for over 20 years. Soda pop is not something I even think about anymore. If I want sugar or something sweet, I go for Organic raw honey or dark chocolate or fruit. I would rather drink water or Organic green tea, or one Organic beer a month. But being that I buy about 25 gallons of distilled water per month, and change it to Hexagonal water, I would say water is my number one drink.

  7. I’ve stopped drinking soda and don’t miss it one bit. Watched the movie “Captain Fantastic” and loved the part where they were in a restaurant and the child asked what soda was. The father replied “POISON WATER” !!! Bravo…

  8. No nutritional value… Empty calories. Toxic or not, why, except flavor? That’s what I asked myself over 25 years ago. Intelligent choice is to not go there.

  9. Congrats to Food Babe for taking on this insidious obesity / illness-producing soda industry that is so addictive and destructive. I applaud all your efforts — keep up the good work! Great idea to let us comment on the advertising gimmicks they use!! They are not fooling any of us — we are informed thanks to you and others who expose their lies and offer healthier alternatives.

  10. Dear Ameribev:
    The sweet tooth was designed by Ma Nature to direct the eater to the ripest (thus best for consumption) fruits & vegetables, that have the carbs converted to sugars. But Ma Nature packages that sugar with the vitamins, minerals, & other nutrients (some of which we humans have yet to discover!) needed to process that sugar and have it do its job in the body. Man’s downfall came when he learned to separate the sweetness element from the rest of the package. So when you ingest sugar withOUT the rest, the body has to steal those needed processing nutrients from the rest of the body. This is NOT healthy, and there is no way you can make it healthy! If you need water, drink water – clean water. If you need sugar, eat one of Ma Nature’s packages – an apple, a peach, grapes, a tomato, a carrot, even green vegetables. Those will actually nourish the body. Nothing should be put into the body that is not FOOD: i.e. a substance designed to work within the ecosystem of the body to help it grow and repair its cells. Sugar by itself does NOT do that; and the added colorants and other chemicals have no place in the body, period.
    The other telling factor in your deception is Coke’s decision to use a QR code instead of a simple GMO’s label. How does that help me? I don’t even own a cell phone, of ANY type. So Coke is intentionally making it impossible for me to find out whether its products contain GMOs or not. therefore, of course, I will not purchase anything Coca Cola makes, nor any of its affiliates, because they (you) have proven you cannot be trusted to tell the TRUTH, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

    1. PLEASE NOTE ALL THESE BRANDS ARE FROM COCA-COLA
      Coca-Cola Company – The maker of Coca-Cola, one of the most recognized brands in the world. The company has over five hundred other brands, sold in various parts of the world. Here are some of their brands sold in the USA.

      Aquapure Aquarius Spring Barq’s Barrilitos Bright & Early
      Citra Cumberland Gap Dasani Delaware Punch Dr Pepper
      Fanta Five Alive Flavor Rage Fresca Fruitopia
      Fuze Glaceau (Smartwater, Vitaminwater) Gold Peak H2OK
      Hi-C Honest Tea Honest Fizz Inca Kola Java Monster
      Juan Valdez Krest Lift Master Chili Master Pour
      Mello Yello Mezzo Mix Minute Maid Nestea Northern Neck
      NOS Odwalla Peace Pepe Rico Pibb
      Powerade Red Flash Simply Orange Smart (Water) Southern Sun
      Sprite Sunfill Tab Vault Worx Energy Zico

      In addition, the Coca-Cola Company produces these brands “under license”:
      Bacardi Mixers Dannon Evian Illy McCafé Monster Nestea Cool

      So if you think you have quit Coke, think again.

  11. Just wanted to let everyone know about a flavored water being sold by company called Hint Water. There is no sugar, no Gmo,no MSG, no tree nuts,no soy, no gluten and no preservatives. Comes in several flavors.

  12. I quit drinking sodas in 1993 and I will never drink another one and I eat foods according to my blood type . I get my heart rate up before I eat every day . This is a great site. I am a fan of food babe

  13. I’m not a scientist, a nutritionist, nor am I in the medical field. Yet, it doesn’t take much brain power to realise the negative consequences sodas are having on the younger generations in the USA and now spreading throughout the world. This stuff is EVERYWHERE we go, and yes, we, do have a choice and I say NO to sodas…but, I’m tired of arguing with my 9 year old boy who is attracted to this horrible stuff!!! I’m tired of feeling like the nagging health-conscious mother trying to do the best for my children! How much longer will it take for soda companies to be accountable for making such a negative impact on humanity? We hold Hitler and the like responsible for the unlawful, in humane killing of millions of innocent people. Aren’t these companies doing the same…just much slower?

    1. Yes these company’s should be criminally liable and I would expect to see class action lawsuits against them.But,you are on the front line in this battle as am I with 2 grand kids,not easy when the daughter in law is an absolute sugar addict.You are his best chance at a normal,disease free life and I feel your pain,do keep up the fight,wishing you a good outcome.

  14. I quit soda (coke and pepsi) because they made me bleed internally. Then I found out how bad regular AND diet sodas were. If I really feel the need for a soda, I grab a Zevia. Nothing unnatural in it and it is sweetened with Stevia.

  15. @Ameribev: A drug needs to be “safe and effective”. Likewise, a food product needs to be safe and useful. To me, useful means nutritious. Calorific is not the same as nutritious. Soda pop contains demonstrably dangerous ingredients, and little or no nutrition.

    HFCS is demonstrably not the same as sugar, as fructose is metabolized differently than sucrose or glucose, and ingestion of HFCS invariably leads to fat production and weight gain.
    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

    I invite Ameribev to submit peer-reviewed studies on the NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS of High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Erythorbic Acid, Calcium Disodim EDTA, Brominated Vegetable Oil or Yellow 5, all of which are contained in Mountain Dew.

    Please demonstrate that adding the abovementioned ingredients makes Mountain Dew more nutritious than if they were left out; that is, if it were compounded using only carbonated water, concentrated orange juice, caffeine and gum arabic. Please ignore the question of nutritional or other benefits of caffeine, which are disputed and not at issue in this investigation.

    =========================================================
    I am particularly interested in Brominated Vegetable Oil, which contains bromine, classified as a poison. This article explains the medical treatment for accidental ingestion of bromine.
    http://www.kumed.com/~/media/Imported/kumed/documents/kdhebromine.ashx?la=en

    Bromine adversely affects the thyroid by displacing iodine or limiting its absorption. This study found that high concentrations of bromine were found “in all forms of thyroid pathology”.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6548284
    ===================================================

  16. To: AmeriBev,

    I cannot think for one moment that anyone with a shred of common sense or intelligence would agree with what you stated in your post. That is like saying that cigarette smoking is healthy. The companies that sold us the cigarettes used to have commercials on television which made smoking seem “cool” and “trendy.” Same with the soft drink commercials. I cannot believe that a world famous musician who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars already would accept $50 million to promote a soft drink. Many of her young, preteen fans are going to start drinking this soft drink if they aren’t doing so already, after seeing their beloved songstress drinking this soft drink. It is so sad that money seems to be the number one reason that soft drink manufacturers refuse to stop manufacturing their poisonous beverages.

  17. Ha! CocaCola and Ameribev, big fail! We that enjoy Foodbabe blog are way to savvy for your ridiculous attempts at brainwash. May as well take your BS to an audience who might swallow it.

  18. As a former employee of a famous global soft drink giant. I was a vegetarian several years ago in optimal health, excersising daily. Actually preparing for a marathon. I hadn’t drank soda in 20 years. Well after being employed with this famous soft drink company and because of their policy having to drink their products exclusively. I was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. No one on either side of my immediate family has cancer. After doing research on the matter I found out that different variances of beverages when mixed are interpreted in the body as binzene a carcinogen linked to leukemia in lab rats. I’ve been fighting for my life ever since. Do the homework. The information is hidden, but available.

  19. Why would anyone select a sugary laden chemical concoction when calorie for calorie and nutrient for nutrient there are excellent alternative choices? I would think it’s because of lack of accurate nutrional information, addiction to sugar, simple habit, being oblivious to health concerns, or owning stock in the soft drink industry. No educated individual that cared about their health would consume these sugary drinks.

  20. oh for the love of God,where do you people get your information that sodas are a healthy drink.. COKES will unclog a sink,what do you think it does to our stomachs. Wake up and stop the stupid statements. Sugar is more addictive then cocain, why do you think people are so overweight, eat one slice of bread and you want more,drink one can of coke and you want another,sugar is a killer as well as artificial sweeteners , wake up and put out a better beverage that will be healthy .
    Rod, yes sugar will cause cancer, not everyone because some people have a strong immune tolorence. All our cells are fine until they get sugar,which causes some cells to change and have a coating and then they clump together,making a tumor,sugar is causing this not my opinion but scientific studies. Stop stop stop the chemicals.

  21. Wow, what a load of extreme bullsh!t AmeriBev spewed out up there. Whatever it takes to boost revenues, I guess. Even if it means fabricating such flagrant lies. As for those “world-renowned toxicologists and regulatory agencies”, I have to wonder how much Big Bev corporations paid those spineless, greedy sell-outs to make such laughable claims.
    Despite what Big Bev claims, I’m not buying their lies or their products. Ever! And I will continue to persuade soda drinkers to quit with simple, obvious truth that anyone with half of a brain can understand. But it is good to know that Food Babe is on their radar and making such a positive difference that they feel the need to post a reply.

  22. For my reasons, I have chosen the “Non-GMO” and ” USDA-Organic Certificated ” Bigelow Teas or Bigelow Herbal Teas, and the clean, fresh, filtered water with or without lemon slices and lime slices; then I always drink the best, clean, fresh, filtered water and then I often drink the clean and healthy hot teas. In a fact, I know that Cola-Cola and Pepsi-Cola can pollute the human health–NOT HEALTHY– NOT GOOD. It’s true! Christa D’Auria

  23. EDUCATION & AWARENESS TO THE MASSES IS THE KEY.
    IF PEOPLE STOP PURCHASING THESE HARMFUL PRODUCTS THEN THE BUSINESS WILL DECLINE AND HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CHANGE THEIR BUSINESS.

    NO SALE
    NO BUSINESS
    BOTTOM LINE!

    Actions speak louder than words!

  24. Why don’t the soda companies simply add stevia instead of all these artificial cancer-causing chemicals or tons of sugar just think how simple and healthy that would be

  25. CocaCola… get ahead of the game!!!

    Deliver me with HONEST nutritious drinks full of natural ingredients, that help me say no to sickness and I’ll give you my MONEY….

    You might even win my TRUST

  26. Hey CocaCola, I used to occasionally drink Honest Tea, the unsweetened one, then I used my buycott app to see if the folks who make Honest Tea or in this case, own Honest Tea, supported the DARK act. Yes, they did because Honest Tea is owned by CocaCola. That was the last Honest Tea I’ll ever buy. And I’ve encouraged all my friends and fb friends, and twitter friends, and instagram friends to do the same! We will vote with our dollars and watch your sales decline!
    I encourage everyone reading this post to download the app, scan your pantry items and see who really owns the products you’re buying and how much money they gave to Monsanto to oppose GMO labeling or support it! Let’s vote with our dollars and show these companies what we are made of!
    Thanks!

  27. Sodas make your teeth and bones week, give you diabetes , heart attack, stroke and may even kill an already ailing person. I dont know what’s in it that makes you dizzy and foggy . And bloating.
    Also, the aspartame in diet sodas makes you obese rather than makes you lose weight, sorry to say Amerbevi!

  28. Ameribev – 1.5 million is a drop in the bucket for Coca – Cola. Say what you want, but diet drinks are very bad and there is nothing healthy about them. I gave up cokes over 10 years ago and have never regretted it. I lost weight and immediately noticed a big improvement in my health. I drink water and sometimes add fruit. All cokes are bad, regular or diet as far as I’m concerned. It does take will power to give it up because it’s so addictive, so if you can’t go cold turkey do it gradually, the important thing is to do it.

  29. Hey Food Babe & friends, what are your thoughts on occasionally drinking an Izze beverage? We don’t drink regular sodas – normally homemade iced tea, but when a soda craving strikes, we reach for an Izze….would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!

  30. To AmeriBev: when you or any of your family members are diagnosed with a strange non-genetic induced type of cancer, diabetes, ect. I’d like to know if you’ll have the same opinion about sodas you have today. What are you? Questioning our intelligence? Please!!! Just out of curiosity, how much did the soda companies paid you to post such an ignorant, hypocrite and mocking comment?
    Stop the hypocricy, and take a look at the OBESE, diabetic, American society full of diseases because of their diet and have some decency and respect for the human race, when the soda companies pay you lots of money to post such ignorant comments, remember you’re human too (even though you don’t act like one).

  31. Why do dark sodas still use “caramel coloring” which is another name for some nasty toxic chemicals and has NOTHING to do with caramel . Why don’t you care enou b to stop putting poisons into food?
    Regards
    Zuly Zonova
    Owner of http://www.myespressoinfo.com/

  32. I wanted to get off sodas and all the chemicals they contain but still enjoy the fizzy drink. I bought a Soda Stream and now prepare my own. I don’t miss the sugar and add my own flavors. You can cut some ginger root, add some lemon or lime juice, or mint, etc for flavoring. I will even add coconut milk for a cream soda. I have been off the traditional sodas for 1 1/2 yrs and no longer miss them. I’ve also been able to limit consumption of the fizzy water to once evrything couple of days unless I am ill.

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