Diet Pepsi cans with the inscription “NOW ASPARTAME FREE” appeared on shelves in the USA, but we won’t see these in Russia.
Diet Pepsi formula is being changed. Instead of the usual aspartame as a sweetener, the recipe now contains a blend of sucralose and acesulfame. What's wrong with aspartame? Why do they write “now aspartame free” on the cans? And why does the Pepsi Light recipe remain the same in Russia?
By the way, the Washington Post wrote that over the past 10 years, sales of Diet Coke from Pepsi have fallen by 35% and that PepsiCo attributes this to aspartame.
“Diet Coke drinkers in the United States have repeatedly told us that they want a Diet Pepsi without aspartame,” Seth Kaufman, senior vice president of Pepsi, was quoted as saying ( PepsiCo North America Beverages). Pepsi hopes to win back consumers by replacing aspartame with sucralose.
The previous version of the Diet Pepsi recipe also contained a certain amount of the artificial sweetener acesulfate K (Ace-K). This sweetener is also retained in the new recipe.
What is aspartame / criticism of aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener 160-200 times sweeter than sugar, a sugar substitute, also known as an additive E951. 1 gram of aspartame contains 4 kcal (as does 1 gram of protein or carbohydrates), however, in order to sweeten the drink, a negligible amount of it is required, so its calorie content in the drink is not taken into account.
The safety of aspartame was confirmed by the FDA in 1981, and the official scientific position on this sugar substitute remains unchanged: aspartame is safe for health. However, this does not prevent us from conducting further research, which is discussed below.
In the body, aspartame breaks down into 2 amino acids and methanol. It was in connection with methanol that criticism of aspartame was previously associated, because methanol in large quantities– toxic to the body. However, with aspartame in drinks, the chance of getting an overdose is zero: scientists have calculated a safe level. Today, the officially safe level has been established: up to 50 mg per kg of body per day, which, for example, corresponds to 27 liters of diet cola for a 70-kilogram person or about 270 tablets of an aspartame-based sweetener.
The only scientifically based criticism of aspartame that we could find: In an analysis published in April 2008 by the European Journal dietary nutrition", South African scientists assessed the potential effects on the brain of not only one of the components of aspartame - methanol, but also other elements (phenylalanine and aspartic acid). In an analysis of the effects of phenylalanine, the authors describe in detail the ability of this amino acids disrupt brain chemistry, including its ability to reduce levels of key brain chemicals, e.g. serotonin (which may adversely affect various areas including mood, behavior, sleep and appetite). The authors also point out that phenylalanine has the ability to disrupt amino acid metabolism, nerve function, and hormonal balance in the body. They claim that aspartame can destroy nerve cells, and this may in turn cause Alzheimer's disease.
What is sucralose
Sucralose molecule. Sucralose does not occur in nature; this element is synthesized chemically from sugar.
Sucralose is 3 times sweeter than aspartame (respectively, 600 times sweeter than sugar), known as food supplement E955.
Sucralose was discovered relatively recently - in 1976, trying to create chemical compounds for insect control. According to legend, assistant professor Leslie Hugh, whose name was Shashikant Phadnis was asked to test one of the resulting chlorinated sugar compounds. Phandis confused the word test (check) and taste (try) and tasted the future sucralose and found the substance extremely sweet.
After decades and hundreds of toxicity tests on sucralose (which found no harmful side effects on human body systems), sucralose was approved in the United States in 1998. Sucralose is now produced from sugar, and the sweetener is marketed under the Splenda brand and is the best-selling artificial sweetener in the US market.
Of the criticisms of sucralose, only warnings from some media against the consumption of sucralose, which allegedly weakens the immune system and leads to the development of cancer. However, this has not been confirmed by any scientific research.
Proven safe dose of sucralose - 16 mg per kilogram of body weight (which already corresponds to the same tens of liters of diet cola per day), and the maximum permissible level without any health hazard at all, it is 100 times more - 1500 mg; it is physically impossible to consume so much sucralose with cola.
Pepsi in Russia is not going to change aspartame to sucralose
Zozhnik contacted the official representative office of Pepsi in Russia with a request to clarify whether the recipe for diet Pepsi in Russia will change and whether a similar transition will be made from aspartame to sucralose.
The official answer is negative:
“Pepsi Light Recipe in Russia remains the same. Consumers in our country love Pepsi Light carbonated drink just the way it is. We believe that everyone can find a drink to their liking. PepsiCo is committed to offering a wide variety of refreshing beverages that meet the changing consumer demand, individual taste preferences, market needs and relevant local tastes. Pepsi uses a variety of approved sweeteners to create great-tasting colas, including aspartame, which continues to be an important sweetener in some Pepsi drinks around the world, including Pepsi Light in Russia. ”
Calories, kcal:
Proteins, g:
Carbohydrates, g:
Calorie content of cola light
The calorie content of cola light is 0 kcal per 100 ml of drink.
Composition and beneficial properties of cola light
Product contains: purified, natural dye(), acidity regulators (,), sweeteners (,), natural flavors, caffeine (calorizator). The presence of so many artificial sweeteners negates the zero calorie content, so it makes no sense to seriously hope for the dietary effect of cola light.
Sweeteners, unlike regular sweeteners, do not provide food for brain cells; they only increase appetite. Phosphoric acid contained in the drink actively destroys bone tissue, which leads to osteoporosis. Caffeine has a diuretic effect, so when we try to drink a drink that is supposedly harmless to our figure, we actually lose fluid.
Another component of cola is. Of course, it is present not only in it, but it enhances the harmful effects of other components. By irritating the gastric mucosa, it causes increased production of hydrochloric acid. And this is already fraught with at least gastritis.
Cola light in cooking
Cola Light is one of the carbonated drinks that are used as a stand-alone drink or as an addition to lunch, dinner or afternoon snack.
See more about Coca-Cola in the video “Deceptive Products. Diet soda" TV show "Live Healthy!"
Especially for
Copying this article in whole or in part is prohibited.
In 2013, the film “Dallas Buyers Club” directed by Jean-Marc Vallée was released in wide release. The film tells real story Texas electrician Ron Woodroof, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1985. To play a terminally ill man, actor Matthew McConaughey had to lose 23 kilograms. He told reporters that he managed to achieve this result with the help of a special diet.
For several months the actor only used egg whites, chicken and diet cola. Also, "Cola Light" is allowed to be drunk by those sitting on popular diet Pierre Dukan, which involves an almost complete rejection of carbohydrates and sugar. People who miss sweets drink liters of Diet Coke. Internet forums are full of stories about how “Cola Zero”, in conditions of severe dietary restrictions, is the only outlet.
“When you want to lose weight, Cola Light is my only salvation.) At least it has some taste.) They came up with a sugar substitute, why not come up with a salt substitute? :),” writes user FlyWithMe.
“I drink when I really want something sweet and a feast,” adds fantazia.
Nutritionists interviewed by Life agreed that this product is not suitable for dietary nutrition and that diet soda is generally harmful to health.
Unsweetened sugar
Let's take a closer look at the composition of this drink - it contains sweeteners aspartame and potassium acesulfate, as well as orthophosphoric acid (gives a sour taste), sodium citrate (to regulate acidity) and phenylalanine (flavoring additive).
Among these substances, of course, there are no prohibited additives; as for sweeteners, the issue remains controversial, since researchers on this topic are divided into two camps: supporters of sweeteners and their opponents, says nutritionist and nutrition specialist Tatyana Korzunova.
However, some argue that the components listed on the bottle are not all that Cola Light hides.
Photo: © RIA Novosti/Grigory Sysoev
">Former head of Rospotrebnadzor, assistant to the prime minister Gennady Onishchenko: ">
Former head of Rospotrebnadzor, assistant to the prime minister Gennady Onishchenko:
Nobody knows the final recipe for this food product, because it is almost the intellectual property of this company, although one rule always applies to food products - there must be a 100% open recipe">Nobody knows the final recipe for this food product, because it is almost the intellectual property of this company, although one rule always applies to food products - there must be a 100% open recipe
contentOf the officially confirmed components, the synthetic sweetener aspartame raises the most questions among nutritionists. The rest are considered relatively harmless. A number of studies by European and American scientists prove: if the daily dose does not exceed 40–50 mg per kilogram of body weight, aspartame is not harmful. A person weighing 70 kg can drink up to 25 liters of Cola Light per day and include it in their diet.
Other researchers argue that it is not only aspartame that harms the body, but also other components of diet cola.
Sweet deception
The main disadvantage of sweeteners (including aspartame) is that they are non-caloric, nutritionist and founder of the beauty and health clinic Svetlana Titova told Life.
The pancreas does not respond quite physiologically to artificial sugar - the sugar level does not increase, but insulin is still released. This leads to a decrease in blood sugar and a sharp increase in appetite,” said “star” nutritionist Margarita Koroleva. - Receiving a signal about the arrival of sweets, the body waits for fuel - calories. If there is no energy, the “deceived” brain gives a hunger signal, greatly amplified compared to the original one. As a result, after “Cola Light” with a sweetener, a person begins to eat more than usual,” she noted.
This is why drinking diet soda while dieting is fraught with breakdowns. I drank "Cola Light" - I felt very hungry and ate my fill of cakes and dumplings. Also one of the reasons increased appetite may become the very bubbles for which Coca-Cola is so loved.
Carbon dioxide irritates the gastric mucosa and is released gastric juice“, as a result of these processes, a person can develop a serious appetite,” notes nutritionist and nutrition specialist Tatyana Korzunova.
Nutritionist Tatyana Yuryeva: ">
Nutritionist Tatyana Yuryeva:
Regular consumption of Diet Coke may cause problems with the skin, hair and nails, as well as internal organs: liver, stomach, intestinesIN Lately Sugar substitutes have become more and more popular. Released first for diabetics, they quickly fell into the hands of those losing weight). It would seem that everything is very simple: no carbohydrates - no calories. But...
Aspartame- contained in my beloved and blessed Pepsi light . It is approximately 160-200 times sweeter than sugar, has no odor, and is highly soluble in water. Although this sweetener, like proteins, has calories 4 kcal/g, a small amount of aspartame is needed to create a sweet taste, so its contribution to the calorie content of the food is not taken into account. Compared to sugar, the taste sensation of sweetness from aspartame appears slower and lasts longer. When heated, Aspartame is destroyed and is therefore not suitable for sweetening processed foods.
Found under different brands, aspartame is the most common sugar substitute, and, unfortunately, the most harmful. Despite the fact that aspartame accounts for more than 25% of the global sugar substitute market, it is banned in a number of countries, as it has a whole range of side effects. Independent studies confirm that with long-term use, aspartame causes allergies, insomnia, and depression. This could be tolerated, but aspartame, which causes brain cancer in animals, may well play the role of a carcinogen in humans. Also, a metabolite of aspartame is methanol, which is known to be poisonous.
Other delights of Pepsi Light:
Compound: cleaned drinking water, carbon dioxide, sweeteners (E950, E951, E955), dye (E150a), acidity regulators (E330, E 331, E338), preservative (E211), caffeine, natural flavoring "Pepsi", "Topnot", natural extracts.
E-950 Acesulfame Potassium Acesulfame potassium
E-951 Aspartame Aspartame
E-955 Sucralose (trichlorogalactosucrose) Sucralose (trichlorogalactosucrose)
E-330 Citric Acid
E-331 Sodium Citrates, Sodium dihydrogen citrate, Disodium monohydrogen citrate, Trisodium citrate Sodium citrates: (i) monosodium citrate, (ii) disodium citrate, (iii) trisodium citrate
E-338 Phosphoric Acid
E-211 Sodium Benzoate Sodium Benzoate
I won’t even write about the dangers of all this. But! I still love her...) So we poison ourselves in doses, and allow ourselves very, very rarely...
Cyclamate- contained in tablets Rio, which I consume periodically. Cheap, 30 times sweeter than sugar. Allowed only in a small number of countries in the world, and for 40 years now it has been banned in countries Western Europe and America, due to suspicion of provoking renal failure.
Harmless:
The only one that has avoided accusations of carcinogenicity and the most harmless of all sugar substitutes is sucralose. True, due to its high cost, it has not become widespread in our market. Currently, another sweetener has appeared on the sweetener market - stevia herb extract, or stevioside, very popular in Japan, the country of centenarians. This drug is believed to be completely harmless.
Still harmless fructose, but they get better from her ungodly, so she is not our friend.)
Pepsi Light is a non-alcoholic, highly carbonated drink with low content sugar, the first production of which took place in 1964. In 1980-90 the drink began to be supplied to Western and of Eastern Europe, where in a short period of time it gained popularity among the population. In the UK and US it is known as Diet Pepsi. As of 2010, Pepsi Light sales percentage of all carbonated drinks soft drinks is 5.3%.
In Russia, the main manufacturer of the drink is PepsiCo Holdings LLC.
Calorie content of Pepsi Light per 100 grams is 0.3 kcal
According to the manufacturer PepsiCo Holdings LLC, the calorie content of Pepsi Light per 100 g is 0.3 kcal, while the regular Pepsi drink has 43 kcal.
Pepsi Light contains water, carbon dioxide, colors, sweeteners, caffeine, preservatives and acidity regulators.
Impact on human health
The use of the drink has a number of restrictions due to chemical composition product.Pepsi Light is prohibited for drinking by persons with diseases of the digestive tract: acute or chronic gastritis, stomach ulcer or duodenum, erosion of the mucous membrane, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, duodenitis and others. Otherwise, pathologies may worsen due to direct tissue damage and stimulation of hydrochloric acid production.
Phosphoric acid, contained as an acidity regulator, causes leaching of calcium from bones, leading to osteoporosis, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis.
Long-term use of the drink contributes to the development of an allergic reaction, accompanied by itching, burning, redness skin, rash, swelling of soft tissues. The pathology lasts on average four weeks even with antihistamine therapy.
The dye, which contains methylimidazole, was recognized in 2011 as a carcinogenic substance that promotes the formation and growth of malignant tumors. However, the company insisted on reconsidering this decision, calling into question the objectivity of the data obtained.
In 2012, the manufacturer announced a change in the composition of the drink, as new manufacturing standards appeared in California. However, according to the latest data, the concentration and type of dyes remained at the same level.
Pepsi Light also contains citric acid, sweeteners and preservatives, which negatively affect teeth, reduce the thickness of enamel and promote carious lesions.
The history of the drink
Pepsi Cola was created by Caleb Bradham, an American chemist, in the late nineteenth century. Then he called it “Brad's Drink,” to which he added an extract from cola nuts and the enzyme pepsin. The manufacturer spoke about useful qualities product and positioned it as a means of promoting better breakdown and absorption nutrients. The drink received its real name five years later.After World War I, the company began to operate at a loss due to high sugar prices, so production had to be closed and assets sold off. At the same time, the secret of preparing the drink was revealed, as a federal court demanded information about the composition of the syrup. Then a competing company, Coca-Cola, opened.
After the 30s of the twentieth century, Pepsi Cola regained its popularity through lower prices and active advertising by manufacturers. During World War II, the product became the No. 2 drink after its main competitor, surpassing other popular companies.
In 1964, the company's first slogan, “You are the Pepsi generation,” appeared. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Pepsi Co created a new logo, which consisted of a smile that increased depending on the volume and composition of the product. For example, the emoticon on the Pepsi Light packaging had a slight smile. But they soon abandoned the idea and returned to classic version.
Calorie content or energy value - this is the amount of energy that accumulates in the human body due to food and is consumed due to physical activity. The unit of measurement is the kilocalorie (the amount of energy required to raise one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius). However, a kilocalorie is often referred to simply as a calorie. Therefore, when we say a calorie, in most cases we mean a kilocalorie. It has the designation kcal.
The nutritional value – content of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the product.
Chemical composition– content of macroelements and microelements in the product.
Vitamins – organic compounds, necessary in small quantities to support human life. Their deficiency can have adverse effects on the health of the body. Vitamins are found in food in small quantities, so to get all the vitamins a person needs, you need to diversify the groups and types of food.
