Diet pepsi Ingredients Explained
Originally released in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola to compete with Royal Crown's Diet Rite Cola, the first diet cola to enter the market. Upon gaining popularity, even with little advertising, Patio Diet Cola was renamed Pepsi Diet in 1964.
In all food products, ingredients must be listed according to their relative weight. The listing of each ingredient is in a descending order of predominance.
Diet Pepsi ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate (preserve freshness), caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor. Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine.
1. Carbonated Water: Plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved.
Health effects: Linked to tooth decay. May reduce fertility. Suspected teratogen (any agent that interferes with normal embryonic development).
2. Caramel Color: Brown food coloring and flavoring made by
heating a sugar, usually corn syrup. May be processed with ammonia and
sulfur to intensify color.
Health effects: May contain ammonium compounds. May affect
stomach (gastrointestinal problems), liver, and cause hyperactivity.
Caramel color produced with ammonia has been associated with blood
toxicity in animals. Associated with reduced white cells and lymphocyte
counts.
3. Aspartame: Artificial sweetener. Made from aspartic acid and phenylalanine.
Health effects: Studies link it to cancer in rats. May cause
neurological and behavioral issues. Reported symptoms include
irritability, headaches, insomnia, hyperactivity, seizures, memory loss,
migraines, depression, vision problems, memory loss. Should be avoided
by those with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria.
4. Phosphoric Acid: A colorless, odorless solution made from phosphate rock (not a food).
Health effects: May lead to calcium loss in bones and tooth
erosion. Eye, skin, throat, nose, and respiratory irritant. Can cause
osteoporosis. Linked to kidney damage and kidney stones.
*A corrosive, used to remove rust.
5. Potassium Benzoate: A preservative. Potassium salt of benzoic
acid. Benzoic acid is synthesized commercially from toluene. Toluene is
produced in the gasoline making process and the making of coke (carbon
fuel produced by distillation of coal) from coal. Therefore, potassium
benzoate is a petroleum or coal tar derivative.
Health effects: Asthma, hives, eczema. Caution advised if aspirin
sensitive. Benzene, a known cancer-causing agent, can form in soft
drinks when sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin c) are mixed.
6. Caffeine: A bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug.
Health effects: Psychoactive, addictive. May cause
headaches/migraines, heart disease, depression. Causes birth defects in
rats. Can cross the placental barrier. Inhibits fetal growth. Women who
consume the amount of caffeine in one and a half to three cups of
coffee may nearly double their risk of miscarriage.
7. Citric acid: A weak organic acid used as a flavoring agent and
a preservative. Extracted from citrus fruits or made by fermentation
of yeast or mold. May contain MSG. May be genetically modified.
Health effects: If MSG sensitive, may provoke symptoms.
8. Natural flavors: Any flavor not chemically derived. Obtained
by physical processes from plants or animals. Made to provide flavor to a
food rather than nutritional value. May contain MSG.
Health effects: Unknown. Natural flavors may be acquired through
any number of processes. Naturally derived ingredients may be altered,
rendered unsafe.