Venezuela bans Coke Zero, cites "danger to health"

[SteamWake]

My favorite despot to poke fun at is up to his old tricks again !

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N10470891.htm

[Kapt Z]

Well, I guess it is hard to argue that soda is 'good' for your health.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Kapt Z

Well, I guess it is hard to argue that soda is 'good' for your health.

With a little rum in it

If you read the whole article you will see it really is about a 'tension' with a mexican botteling plant

World just keeps on getting crazier and crazier and Hugo is one of the chief high muckety muck wackos out there.

[Raptor1]

Zero is disgusting anyway, long live normal Coke!

[Skybird]

Different to silver-labelled Cola Light, I cannot differ black-labelled Cola Zero from normal Coca Cola. Light and Zero taste differently, definitely. I assume the sweeters are different. I think "Light" uses Saccharine and Cyclamate, while I read on my current bottle that "Zero" uses Cyclamate and Aspartam for sure. I do not know if the rest of the recipe is different, too, Cyclamate is partly used in both drinks, so there must be other differences.

Cyclamate and Saccharin are most used in the food industry, but both have a strong own taste which is different to that os sugar, that's why you can taste if something is sweetened with sugar or these sweeters, they are not as neutrally sweet as sugar. Aspartam is of neutral taste like raffined sugar (that's why in principal I prefer it to Cyclamate and Saccarin), but is made responsible for certain brain-related changes in neuro-transmitter homeostasis due to the sweeter producing phenylalanine and tyrosin, which could cause mental deficits and longterm brain degeneration by being suspected to help in creating Alzheimer and/or Parkinson. The data is hotly debated until today, some claim a strict causal link, others claim there is no link at all and the substance is harmless - maybe it depends on who is paying the research. Earlier accusations that it also causes brain tumours, have not been supported since longer time now.

Several nations have prohibited the use of Aspartam. I vaguely remember it from neurophysiology classes, and from that background would recommend not to get hysteric about it, but to consume it with strict self-restraint - not too often and not in large quantities and certainly not as the sweeter of choice, that is. Some people also have a genetic vulnerability to Phenylalanine, and for them Aspartam can eventually be dangerous. Aspartam is also suspected to causes insuline-resistance and thus helping to create obesiety although being zero-caloric, and helping to form diabetes by that.

I use Aspartam sometimes in tea, since with tea I taste the difference between Aspartam and sugar on the one hand, and Saccharine or Cyclamat on the other. In Coffee, Espresso and Cacao however, I can'T taste the difference and thus use Cyclamate and Saccharine.

the best alternative to sugar I think is Steviol, won from the Stevia plant. Unfortunately, in Germany it is still prevented from gaining official permission to be sold and consumed. It has an own taste different to that of sugar, but that can be tolerated since it does not taste as artificial and bad as Saccharine an Cyclamate (in my taste, of course). Pepsi Cola uses this sweeter in it's "light" drinks (except on the German market).

In general, we eat and drink several thousand percent too sweet (and too salty) in the West. If you are crazy about health issues, avoid both sugar AND sweeters (and all industrial convenience food in total).

[Oberon]

They need more Commu-cola

[bookworm_020]

Talk about a fizz in a coke can!