Question about Coke and Phosphoric Acid.

Fritz_The_Cat · May 10, 2003, 1:24pm

For years I’ve read about all the things that Coke will do, like cut grease in the wash, disolve nails, remove stains from toilet bowls, ect. It’s all linked to the phosphoric acid in the Coke. My question is, what is this stuff doing to my stomach? I drink 10 to 12 cans of Caffeine Free Diet Coke a day, have for years. Am I gong to die a horrible painful death by disolved stomach by the time I hit 60 or so? Any medicaly knowledgeable people here who know the answer to this?

Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew · May 10, 2003, 2:06pm

Nothing much. Your stomach is designed to tolerate its own hydrochloric acid already. It’s your teeth you should be worried about.

Desmostylus · May 10, 2003, 2:13pm

Snopes:

The rest of the claims offered here are, in a word, stupid. Coca-Cola does contain small amounts of citric acid (from the orange, lemon, and lime oils in its formula) and phosphoric acid. However, all the insinuations about the dangers these acids might pose to people who drink Coca-Cola ignore a simple concept familiar to any first-year chemistry student: concentration. Coca-Cola contains less citric acid than orange juice does, and the concentration of phosphoric acid in Coke is far too small (a mere 11 to 13 grams per gallon of syrup, or about 0.20 to 0.30 per cent of the total formula) to cause harm. The only people who proffer the ridiculous statements that Coca-Cola will dissolve a steak, a tooth, or a nail in a day or two are people who have never actually tried any of these things, because they just don’t happen. (Anyone who conducts these experiments will find himself at the end of two days with a whole tooth, a whole nail, and one very soggy t-bone.)

Fritz_The_Cat · May 10, 2003, 2:43pm

What teeth? Well that explaines why my teeth are gone.

Desmostylus · May 10, 2003, 2:45pm

It’s your brain that I’d be worried about.

Fritz_The_Cat · May 10, 2003, 5:15pm

I’m not going to worry about the brain untill I start taking my Diet Coke by IV!

gypsymoth3 · May 10, 2003, 5:19pm

a gastroenterologist who visited one day in biology class said that coke is about the acidic equivalent of orange juice.

Washte · May 10, 2003, 5:40pm

I see you received the same email spam I did, eh?

Fritz_The_Cat · May 10, 2003, 7:13pm

Yes, I did. I’ve wondered about this for a long time now, the e-mail just pushed me enough to post the question.

Washte · May 11, 2003, 9:33am

Welcome to the Boards. Enjoy your stay

Bad_News_Baboon · May 11, 2003, 9:41am

I tried the ol’ nail and Coke experiment.

j.c · May 12, 2003, 2:14am

There was a huge Har-vard study showing that drinking coke is bad for young girl bones… because young girls who drink coke are not drinking milk.

Searched for a copy, or an abstract ,or even an accurate news story covering this story without being able to find it anywhere free on the internet. Sorry.

Araby76 · May 12, 2003, 2:16am

The acids in the carbonation of all sodas, even diet, will increase your dental disease by 300% if you drink more than two a day.

Araby, Dental Hygienist

Fritz_The_Cat · May 12, 2003, 2:21am

Araby76, Could you please define “dental disease” for me? Is it like teeth desolving or cancer of the gums or something else?

Araby76 · May 12, 2003, 2:27am

That is just my scary way of saying to patients, “You are going to get a lot of cavities if you continue to drink more than two sodas per day.” The gums are a different story.

Fritz_The_Cat · May 12, 2003, 2:32am

Whats the story with diet coke and gums? I don’t have a problem with cavitys, mainly because my teeth are all breaking off at the gum line.

Araby76 · May 12, 2003, 2:41am

There isn’t a connection between sodas and gums. None that I have ever known, the connection would be with sodas and teeth. Problems with gums are a completely different situation. If you haven’t seen a dentist about your teeth breaking, I suggest doing so as soon as possible. Dentures are only 30% functional as your teeth. /puts her percentages back in their filing cabinet for the night.

Fuel · May 12, 2003, 6:35am

I thought it was the sugar that did this, not the carbonation.

Araby76 · May 12, 2003, 10:47am

Sugar is bad for your teeth if you never brush them. But it isn’t the carbonation persay…it’s the acids that break down the enamel.

j.c · May 13, 2003, 12:03am

Well wait, Araby76, what about orange juice? lemon drinks?

Is this 300% increase based on two 12-oz sodas?

And I can’t imagine that carbonation would be bad for teeth, although I imagine it’s possible that chemicals used to make something bubble could cause trouble. Are you suggesting there are acids in the carbonation?

Now I’m lost. (But I love those Bostons! Thanks for the link.)