12/19/2002

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Chow Line: Soda habit-forming, not addictive (for 1/5/03)

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.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

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Editor: This column was reviewed by Sharron Coplin, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension nutrition associate in the College of Human Ecology.