# Question about Coke and Phosphoric Acid. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313 "2003-05-10T13:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/1 "2003-05-10T13:24:28Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/2 "2003-05-10T14:06:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fritz The Cat \* > \*\*My question is, what is this stuff doing to my stomach? \*\* Nothing much. Your stomach is designed to tolerate its own hydrochloric acid already. It’s your **teeth** you should be worried about. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/3 "2003-05-10T14:13:03Z")
[Snopes:](http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/acid.asp) > [@](#): > > 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.) ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/4 "2003-05-10T14:43:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biffy the Elephant Shrew \* > \*\* It’s your **teeth** you should be worried about. \*\* What teeth? Well that explaines why my teeth are gone. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/5 "2003-05-10T14:45:24Z")
It’s your brain that I’d be worried about. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/6 "2003-05-10T17:15:58Z")
I’m not going to worry about the brain untill I start taking my Diet Coke by IV! ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/7 "2003-05-10T17:19:00Z")
a gastroenterologist who visited one day in biology class said that coke is about the acidic equivalent of orange juice. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/8 "2003-05-10T17:40:31Z")
I see you received the same email spam I did, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/9 "2003-05-10T19:13:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Washte \* > \*\*I see you received the same email spam I did, eh? \*\* Yes, I did. I’ve wondered about this for a long time now, the e-mail just pushed me enough to post the question. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/10 "2003-05-11T09:33:45Z")
Welcome to the Boards. Enjoy your stay 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2003, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/11 "2003-05-11T09:41:03Z")
[I tried the ol’ nail and Coke experiment.](http://www.geocities.com/wendydyba/theory/coke/coke.html) ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/12 "2003-05-12T02:14:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Araby76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Araby76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Araby76)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/13 "2003-05-12T02:16:02Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/14 "2003-05-12T02:21:38Z")
Araby76, Could you please define “dental disease” for me? Is it like teeth desolving or cancer of the gums or something else? ---
**Author:** ![Araby76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Araby76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Araby76)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/15 "2003-05-12T02:27:24Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@Fritz\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/16 "2003-05-12T02:32:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Araby76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Araby76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Araby76)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/17 "2003-05-12T02:41:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Fuel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/18 "2003-05-12T06:35:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Araby76 \* > \*\*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 \*\* I thought it was the sugar that did this, not the carbonation. ---
**Author:** ![Araby76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Araby76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Araby76)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/19 "2003-05-12T10:47:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313/20 "2003-05-13T00:03:49Z")
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.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-coke-and-phosphoric-acid/174313.md?page=2)