Adding carbon dioxide to water produces carbonic acid which, although weak, can erode teeth. This packs some 140 kilocalories. Cola is a significant source of calories with no nutritional value . It has been argued that cola raises blood sugar levels and so decrease your appetite for more nutritious foods. What s more sweeteners may impair the body s appetite control mechanism and encourage noshing.
Sugar is also the great teeth rotter.
Don t drink cola frequently between meals, says Winkler, Your saliva doesn t get a chance to fight back to protect your teeth. In the USA, sugar packet with Nutrasweet contain warnings that it may be carcinogenic. Phosphoric acid balances the cola s sweetness to provide the characteristic tart taste. This acid is so strong you can clean a toilet with it or dissolve a tooth in 48 hours. Says Janet Thorn, senior lecturer in nutrition at Oxford Brookes University.