I’m not making this up, really

The folks from Coca Cola have a new product for us: Diet Coke Plus, now fortified with vitamins! What’s next, mineral-enriched Cheetos? High fiber vodka?

With over 119 million servings of Diet Coke consumed daily, they say they’re doing their part to support us in our active lifestyle, and have gone so far as to launch a campaign with an RN telling us that proper hydration is important when exercising: to make every drop count, we should drink this product.

I note they are keeping silent on the mounting evidence that artificial sweeteners (this product is sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium) mess with metabolism and lead to overeating and obesity, which in turn contribute to adult onset diabetes.

So did they really turn Diet Coke into a multivitamin? No, they’ve concentrated on only a few nutrients, adding niacin, B6, B12, zinc and magnesium. The label says that a can of this green-tea flavored antioxidant brew provides 25% of the RDA for the B vitamins.

Now, I’m betting that the folks in Atlanta are hoping that their marketing focus on the wholesome goodness of vitamins will lead women (clearly their target demographic) to drink more. Aside from the fact that soda is not good for you and adding vitamins doesn’t change that, there is a very real concern then, that some might go overboard and overdose on vitamins. Let’s look at niacin: if a can provides 25% of the RDA, 4 cans would give someone16 mg or 100%, and if she eats a serving of chicken (19 mg) or an energy bar (25 mg) in addition, she’s getting even more. Niacin overdose, starting at a mere 35 mg, is associated with minor reactions like facial flushing and itching (treated with aspirin), and indigestion. Increase the dosage and we start seeing serious matters like liver damage, cardiac arrhythmias and rising blood sugar levels. And here’s the real kicker: pregnant women who think they’re doing the right thing by drinking their vitamins in Diet Coke may actually be increasing their risk of birth defects from the excess niacin, not to mention the risks associated with artificial sweetener use during pregnancy.

Darling Husband sometimes sighs when he notes that I’ve bought yet another mismatched drinking glass. But he and I both know that the cash outlay is less than a couple of cans of soda, and the drink I put in it—tap water—is far better for me. And us.