Try An Organic Cola Instead of Coke or Pepsi

In my early days in the village, there were very few paths for me to taste a coca-cola. This could either be on Christmas when someone from the city would visit us in the village or some other special time when a party could be thrown in the village i.e. an engagement or wedding party. During these times, I certainly do remember drinking lots of it to compensate for the times that I wouldn't take it through the following year.

Origins of Coca-Cola

The product which was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton saw the rise and dominate the world of the soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. This might not shock many but In Pemberton’s original recipe, the product did indeed contain cocaine in the form of an extract of the coca leaf, which inspired the “Coca” part of the beverage’s name. The other part of the name “Cola” comes from the kola nut (which contains caffeine, another stimulant).

Having a chance to drink a coke in the village was a privilege and it certainly gave you some sort of status within the village if you could afford it. I remember mothers notoriously used it to keep their children quiet. As the routine was, is your child crying? then they probably need coke to keep them quiet. And most often than not, it actually worked. Time has flown by very fast and I have gone from craving it to now being five years since I drank a coke.

If every drop of Coke ever produced were put in 8-ounce bottles and laid end-to-end, they would reach the moon and back over 2,000 times.

That being said, It's hard to ignore the humble and troubling beginnings of the beverage to now being one of the most consumed products in the world. To bring you up to the speed of the magnitude of the product, All round the world, the average person consumes a Coke product every four days while if every drop of Coke ever produced were put in 8-ounce bottles and laid end-to-end, they would reach the moon and back over 2,000 times.

Coca-Cola's Ingredients

In the Pemberton’s original recipe, the product did indeed contain cocaine in the form of an extract of the coca leaf

While the exact content, formula, and the natural flavorings have been guarded as a trade secret since Coca-Cola's inception, the Majority of its ingredients are actually listed on any can or bottle of Coca-Cola or even on their website, which includes:

Carbonated water – Approximately 90% of Coca-Cola is water. The carbonated part is purified carbon dioxide, which gives the drink its “bubbles” or “fizz”.
Sugar – Coca-Cola Classic’s sweet taste (and also some of its mouthfeel) comes from sugar. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke are sugar free.
Caramel color – A very specific caramel is made especially for Coca-Cola, to give the drink its characteristic color.
Phosphoric Acid – The tartness of Coca-Cola comes from the use of phosphoric acid.
Caffeine – The slight bitterness in the taste of Coca-Cola comes from caffeine
Natural flavors – The essence of the secret formula of Coca-Cola is its blend of natural flavors. This is the most protected and secret part of the formula

The Rise of Pepsi

With the majority of its recipe is out in the public, this has seen the rise of other brands within the cola beverage market seeking to replicate coca cola’s success. Pepsi is such a brand that has played second fiddle to the crown. But they are really all the same but really bad from your health’s point of view.

For example, Pepsi did use Aspartame up until 2015 when they decided to drop it from the list of their sweeteners. Aspartame does have concerns that it might be carcinogenic. A link has also been shown between long-term regular cola intake and osteoporosis AKA low bone mineral density in older women.

This is thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid used in the cola's. On the other hand, we do know that Coca-Cola is rich in sugars, especially sucrose which causes dental caries when consumed regularly while the high caloric value of the sugars themselves can contribute to obesity.

With such a popular product likely Not going anywhere, As the organic movement, we can pound our head in the sand and wish it go away or we can provide a healthy alternative for the consumer. And as organic has always shown over the years, it does step in and provide that option. While there are several cola organic options that you can indulge yourself with, I have tried this one from Oxfam and its taste has been great to my mouth.

As the organic movement, we can pound our head in the sand and wish it go away or we can provide a healthy alternative for the consumer. And as organic has always shown over the years, it does step in and provide that option.

An Organic Option

So how does organic cola compare with coca-cola and Pepsi? Well, for sure we do know that an organic one is made up of organic ingredients while the other two are made of some nasty ingredients. The organic cola’s ingredients include; sparkling water, cane sugar°, lemon juice made from concentrate°, BARLEY MALT extract, natural flavorings (° ingredient from organic agriculture)

The Organic Guy With The Organic Cola, Pepsi & Coca Cola

In terms of pricing, Per 330 ml, the organic cola can be bought at 94 cents, Coca-cola at 69 cents, and Pepsi at 54 cents all in euros. Per 100 ml organic cola has Energy - 41 calories, sugar - 10 g. Pepsi has Energy - 41 calories, sugar -11 g. While coke has Energy - 42 calories, sugar - 10.6 g.

It's clear that the real difference is the ingredients used. one is made from live and real ingredients while the other are made from dead and artificial ingredients. so if you find yourself addicted to coke, there is a better option for you to go for. otherwise, as the famous footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo once said, just drink water.

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XOXO, The Organic Guy