# What is all this crap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256 "2000-07-01T06:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/1 "2000-07-01T06:31:19Z")
…And do i really want to drink it? This is what is in a diet soda I like: \*Gum Arabic. What’s that, liquid chewing gum from Saudie? Will it stay in my intestines for 7 years. \*Oil of Wood Rosin. That almost sounds poisonous! \*Brominated Vegetable Oil. I don’t want to drink vegetable oil! Gross! And what does “Brominated” mean? What is all this stuff? ---
**Author:** ![bunnymom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@bunnymom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunnymom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/2 "2000-07-01T06:41:27Z")
My God, man, what are you drinking? :eek: I just checked my Diet Coke, and none of that stuff is in there. But then again, maybe the aspartame makes up for it. ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/3 "2000-07-01T07:04:49Z")
You sure aren’t drinking water or Gatorade. I’d guess that you are addicted to some local brand of paint thinner. Personally, I would put it down and switch to something your body will tolerate better like Isopropyl alcohol or Drano. ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/4 "2000-07-01T07:47:12Z")
I’m not going to pretend I know this, but here’s what I found out from the [PSYC: Nutritional Additives Encyclopedia](http://www.phys.com/b_nutrition/03encyclopedia/01home/frm/encyc.htm) Gum Arabic: > [@](#): > > What it is: This ADDITIVE, a water-soluble gum extracted from acacia trees, does many jobs for the food processor. It prevents candies from crystallizing, it enhances the flavor of fruit drinks, smooths ice creams, even stabilizes the foam in ales and beers. > Incidental Intelligence: Gum arabic is also integral to many hair sprays and setting lotions. GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE. Source: [http://www.phys.com/b\_nutrition/03encyclopedia/02terms/g/gum\_ara.html](http://www.phys.com/b_nutrition/03encyclopedia/02terms/g/gum_ara.html) Brominated Vegetable Oil: > [@](#): > > Also known as: BVO > What it is: Highly controversial, this lighter-than-water blend of bromine and corn, cottonseed, olive or sesame oil is used as an ADDITIVE to stabilize fruit-flavored soft drinks and create an illusion of body. Rated GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE when use is limited to 15 parts per million, brominated vegetable oil is nonetheless taking considerable heat from watchdog groups because bromine accumulates in body tissues. In one Canadian study, lab rats fed BVO-enriched rations for eighty days suffered heart, kidney, liver and thyroid damage. Consumer advocates want further testing and reevaluation of BVO. Source: [http://www.phys.com/b\_nutrition/03encyclopedia/02terms/b/bromo\_veg.html](http://www.phys.com/b_nutrition/03encyclopedia/02terms/b/bromo_veg.html) The encyclopedia didn’t have oil of wood rosin. ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/5 "2000-07-01T08:09:57Z")
Pooh-Bah. The only liquid recognized as safe is H20 with less that 5 PPM particulates, and nothing else. The only other things are some varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, uncooked, with some varieties of beans added to form complex carbs. Now, gimme some of that greasy pizza, and pass the beer, willya? ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/6 "2000-07-01T12:04:12Z")
could be diet mountain dew and i know i’ve seen oil of wood rosin (which i feel very definitely SHOULD BE poisonous) in like iced teas, but only in cans. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/7 "2000-07-01T15:14:10Z")
Couldn’t be Dr. Pepper. I have one right here. No oil of wood rosin, gum arabic or brominated vegatable oil, but it DOES have phosphoric acid, and the ever-popular sodium benzoate. “oil of wood rosin” is a bit unusual, “glycerol ester of wood rosin” is more common, and I would guess is basically the same stuff. It’s a stabilizer, ie. it’s meant to keep essential oils from separating and floating to the top. I would guess the OP’s poison of choice to be a citrus soda, or at least something with a citrus content. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2000, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-all-this-crap/24256/8 "2000-07-01T18:06:12Z")
You’re right Yabob, it is glycerol of wood rosin, my mistake. The soda I’m drinking is diet orange soda, but I’ve seen these ingredients on diet Mt. Dew also. Maybe i should just stick to home brew beer. At least I know what it is I’m putting in that!