Coca-Cola and Cocaine. Review on Coca Cola

Coca-Cola was not designed to be a soda when it was invented in the late 1800’s. Coca-cola was designed to be a tonic of “What ails you”. You see, in the 1800’s in America, medicine was not very advanced and many ailments people had, could not be treated effectively through standard medical practices then in existence. People had to rely on homebrewed remedies promising better results than what doctors were able to provide them. Many of the remedies, however, were simple homebrewed concoctions combined with old wives tales. The remedies were often promoted on the road in “medicine shows” in much the same way a traveling circus does when it comes to town. There was not a whole lot of science behind the medicine, and the people who made them, some of whom unscrupulous, experimented with whatever ingredients they could get their hands on, their immediate aim was to make money, although a few did have genuine altruistic intentions in mind. Coca-cola was one such invention.

Invented in 1886 by Dr. Smith, an Atlanta pharmacist, Coca-cola was designed as a Brain and Nerve Tonic. The formula was based on extracts of cola nut and coca leaves, Coca-Cola was a tonic of caffeine, and (traces) of cocaine, and one can imagine the remedy to be quite addicting if one drank copious amounts of it.

Cocaine, however, in those days was not yet considered a societal evil, it would not be until the late 1890’s and 1900’s, would people become more aware of the effects of cocaine on the body, and on society; and the addiction associated with the use of cocaine. And as a result of the cocaine controversy, in 1903, Coca-Cola removed the last remaining traces of cocaine by using only spent coca leaves in its formula.

Coca-Cola has been popular and successful ever since it’s invention, and an entire culture springs up around the drink. Today, there are many variations of the original formula, and how well Coca-Cola tastes just depends on where in the world you live in. In America, people like sugar, so sodas have to be sweet and bubbly.

Unfortunately, sugar has not been used in sodas for the past 20 some odd years in America. Most sodas today are sweetened with either high-fructose corn syrup, or some sort of artificial sweetener, both types, of which are cheaper (in cost), and have a higher sweetening power than sugar. There is a slight taste difference between using HFCS, and sugar.

I don’t remember exactly when I last drank a Coke in the USA containing real sugar, I guess that was sometime in the late 1970’s. From what I hear, the one place now with Coca-Cola having a flavor as close to the original, is The Netherlands. Over there, real sugar and cola nut extract is used.

Personally, I’m sick of Coke, it’s just too sweet.