Coca-Cola is extremely popular brand across the globe and the second most recognized phrase right after the word “Hello”. It is sold everywhere and in many places in the world is less expensive than plain water.
Although the company is trying to create an image of environmentally and socially conscious company, the reality is quite different as it is connected to pollution and water shortage.
Even more, there are many questions on whether this product is toxic or not, and what kind of long-term effects it has on human health, especially because its pH rating is only one point higher than that of battery acid.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsored a study which included individuals who consumed at least one soda a day. They had a 44% higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome during the four-year study.
The researchers studied more than 2,400 middle-aged white residents of Framingham, Mass from which 1,600 people didn’t have any signs of metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the study. Those participants were tracked at least four years.
The individuals who drank at least one soda per day also suffered from:
- a trend toward an increased risk of high blood pressure.
- a 25% higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar;
- a 30% higher risk of having a larger waistline;
- a 32% greater risk of having low levels of good cholesterol;
- a 31% greater risk of becoming obese;
Another study showed that people face a 48% increased risk of heart attack or stroke if they drink one or more sodas a day unlike those who drink less or don’t drink it at all.
Soft drinks are also proven to increase the risk of respiratory problems like asthma and COPD.
10 Household Uses for Coke
Although Coca –Cola is not healthy if you drink it, it is an excellent cleaning agent because of its acidity.
To understand this better you must know that a pH of 0 to almost 7 in the scale is acidic, from 7 to 14 is alkaline while the pH level of battery acid is 1 and pure water has pH of 7.
On the other hand, Coke has pH levels as low as 2.5.
To conclude, it can clean surfaces even better than various toxic household cleaners.
Here are 10 uses of Coke as a domestic cleaner, which shows that you should avoid drinking it.
- Make pennies shine: soaking old pennies in Coke will remove the tarnish.
- Clean your toilet: pour around bowl, leave for a while, flush clean.
- Remove rust: methods include using fabric, a sponge, or even aluminum foil dipped in Coke.
- Clean burnt pans: let the pan soak in the Coke, then rinse.
- Remove blood stains from clothing and fabric.
- Remove stains from vitreous china.
- Clean oil stains from a garage floor: let the stain soak, hose off.
- Strip paint off metal furniture. Soak a towel in Coke and lay it on the paint surface.
- Clean your engine; Coke distributors have been using this technique for decades.
- Coke and aluminum foil will bring Chrome to a high shine.
