Still no diet cola - but...

I had two small cans of real coke, and one of lemonade (which did contain aspaprtame).
Am craving diet coke... the rush. Although I did think of a cartoon yesterday - without it.

Am struggling. Diet 7up doesn't make my face flush (or get hot) - but diet coke does.

I must compare the ingredients:

7Up Free: Dec 07 (from a can):

Carbonated water,
citric acid,
natural flavourings,
Malic Acid,
Sodium citrate,
Sweeteners - Aspartame and Acesulfame K, potassium chloride,
Pectin. Contains a source of: phenylalanine.

diet coke:

INGREDIENTS from this page:

Carbonated Water
Caramel Color
Natural Flavors
Phosphoric Acid
Potassium Benzoate
Sucralose
Acesulfame Potassium
Caffeine
Citric Acid

Real coke makes me flush, too:

Contains:
Carbonated water,
Sugar,
colour (caramel E150d),
Phosphoric Acid
and Flavourings
(inc caffeine)



Rosacea society on soft frinks and flushing

More on artificial sweeteners

Diet coke alternative: Kola Nut?

£90, the ELISA blood test

American Premium Cola? Tesco - contains kola nuts

Kola nuts: The presence of caffeine was demonstrated by Attfield (3). There is 1 - 2 % of caffeine in the fresh nuts, but on drying the figure can increase to as much as 5 %. If this were the only active, it would not matter if the nuts were fresh or dried, since the caffeine would remain, but there is such a strong preference for the fresh nuts that some other, labile, ingredient would seem to be present.

Protein is present at about 8 % (4), but its nutritional value is compromised by the large quantity of polyphenols, present at similar levels (2). Much effort has been spent on investigating the nature of these polyphenols. Van Eijnatten (5) suggested they formed part of a caffeine-glucose-tannin complex. On drying this complex broke under the influence of enzymes and oxidation to form a red substance known as kola red together vith free caffeine. Prior heat treatment destroys the enzymes and the nuts can then be dried with no apparent deliterious effect on their pharmacological action. Autoclaving is thought to be a better method of performing this than the traditional sun drying.(6).