| Writer: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
(614) 292 - 9833
Source: Sharron Coplin
A co-worker claims he's "addicted" to cola.
Is that really possible?
Addiction is a tricky term, because so many people
use it loosely: "I'm addicted to Buckeye football,"
or, as Robert Palmer sings, "I'm addicted to love."
But in the sense that cocaine, heroin or tobacco is
addictive -- no, colas aren't.
Still, consuming drinks that contain caffeine can become
habit-forming, and many types of soft drinks contain
caffeine. If you quit caffeine-intake cold-turkey, you
could suffer headaches as a result. Luckily, taking
an aspirin can help. (Coincidentally, many types of
aspirin actually contain caffeine.)
Even though cola isn't addictive, there are other things
to be concerned about with high-sugar beverages. Regular
(non-diet) colas and other types of soda can add a significant
amount of sugar and calories to your diet. For example,
let's say you started drinking one 12-ounce can of cola
a day, and didn't change any other eating habits or
increase your exercise. That would add about 150 calories
to your intake a day, which would add up to 15 pounds
to your weight over the course of a year. Diet colas,
of course, wouldn't cause that problem. But studies
indicate they don't help people lose weight, either.
Nutritionists say one of the biggest concerns with
heavy soft-drink consumption is that it acts as a substitute
for more healthful choices -- milk, juice or other beverages
that supply your body with vitamins and minerals. In
fact, in a study published in Nutrition Research in
2001, researchers reported that teenage girls who forego
milk in favor of soft drinks or sugary drinks made from
powder have weaker bones and face a greater risk from
osteoporosis later in life. However, sugar doesn't make
soft drinks addictive, either.
While we're talking about soft drinks and addiction,
let's put one more rumor to rest: Coca-Cola does not
contain cocaine. Way back in the 1880s, when the product
first was produced, it did contain trace amounts that
occurred naturally from the coca-leaf extract used as
an ingredient. This wasn't seen as harmful at the time.
Soon after the turn of the century, though, the cocaine
was completely removed from the product -- perhaps the
original "New Coke"? In any case, drinking
cola may be habit-forming, it's not addictive.
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