COKE OR PEPSI:THE HEALTHY CHOICE

BRANDON MEJIA-EMERSON, MONICA VASQUEZ, VINCE LI, VICTOR BAHENA

WHAT YOU’RE DRINKING

• SODIUM-MINERAL FOUND IN MANY FOODS, OFTEN USED FOR FLAVORING. SODIUM IS ACTUALLY ESSENTIAL FOR HYDRATION, NERVE TRANSMISSIONS, AND MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS

• CARBOHYDRATES-PROVIDES THE BODY WITH GLUCOSE, THUS PROVIDING THE BODY WITH ENERGY TO FUNCTION

• SUGAR-A SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATE THAT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN QUICKLY PROVIDING ENERGY TO THE BRAIN AND RED BLOOD CELLS

RECOMMENDED

• THE AVERAGE ADULT SHOULD NOT CONSUME AN EXCESS OF 2300MG OF SODIUM PER DAY. THIS IS ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO ONE TEASPOON OF TABLE SALT. CONSUMING AN EXCESS OF THIS AVERAGE OFTEN CAN LEAD TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

• 250 GRAMS OF CARBS PER DAY ARE RECOMMENDED FOR THE AVERAGE 2000 CALORIE DIET. TOO MANY CAN LEAD TO WEIGHT GAIN.

• SUGAR VARIES BETWEEN SEXES. WOMEN ARE ADVISED TO CONSUME 6 TEASPOONS A DAY AS OPPOSED TO THE RECOMMENDED 9 FOR MEN. CONSTANTLY EATING OVER THIS AMOUNT CAN LEAD TO DIABETES, TOOTH DECAY, AND OBVIOUSLY WEIGHT GAIN.

COKE

• ONE 12 OUNCE CAN =• 140 CALORIES

• 0 GRAMS OF FAT• 45 MG OF SODIUM

• 39 GRAMS OF CARBS • 39 GRAMS OF SUGAR

PEPSI

• ONE 12 OUNCE CAN=• 150 CALORIES• 0 GRAMS OF FAT• 30 MG OF SODIUM• 41 GRAMS OF CARBS • 41 GRAMS OF SUGAR

VS

COCA-COLA• 140 CALORIES• 0 GRAMS OF FAT• 45 MG OF SODIUM• 39 GRAMS OF CARBS • 39 GRAMS OF SUGAR

PEPSI-COLA• 150 CALORIES• 0 GRAMS OF FAT • 30 MG OF SODIUM• 41 GRAMS OF CARBS • 41 GRAMS OF SUGAR

SO WHICH IS BETTER?

• BOTH BEVERAGES ARE FREE OF FAT BUT DOES COKE’S DECREASE IN CALORIES AND CARBS MAKE UP FOR ITS 15 MILLIGRAM INCREASE IN SODIUM OVER PEPSI? OR IS 15 MILLIGRAMS ENOUGH TO WARRANT SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES ON THE HUMAN BODY?

EXCESS SODIUM

• AS PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED, ABOUT 2300 MG OF SODIUM A DAY IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE AVERAGE ADULT. THE EXTREME HEALTH EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH SODIUM CAN PUT ONE IN DANGER OF KIDNEY STONES, STOMACH CANCER, OSTEOPOROSIS, HEART FAILURE, AND STROKE. YET, HOWEVER SERIOUS THESE SYMPTOMS MAY BE A CAN OF COKE AND PEPSI ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 1 TO 2% OF THE DAILY RECOMMENDED SODIUM INTAKE. A VALUE SO MINISCULE THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE VERY MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON THE BODY AT ALL IN MODERATION. SUGAR ON THE OTHER HAND….

SUGAR

• SUGAR, MAINLY HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP WHEN DEALING WITH FOUNTAIN DRINKS, IS KNOWN FOR GRANTING QUICK BOOSTS OF ENERGY. WHEN CONSUMED EXCESSIVELY ITS OTHER SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE WEIGHT GAIN, NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES, DIABETES, AD OBVIOUS DENTAL ISSUES RANGING FROM CAVITIES TO THE BUILD UP OF PLAQUE. A SINGLE CAN OF COCA-COLA CONTAINS 7.8 TEASPOONS OF THE SWEET DIABETES INDUCING SUBSTANCE. THIS ALREADY SURPASSES THE REQUIREMENT FOR WOMEN AND IS ROUGHLY 86% OF THE DAILY REQUIREMENT FOR MEN IN A CAN! NOT TO MENTION THESE STATISTICS ARE GENERATED FROM THE DRINK WITH LESS SUGAR.

WINNER?

• LET’S BE HONEST THESE DRINKS, NO MATTER HOW SWEET AND REFRESHING, ARE DEFINITELY NOT A HEALTHY CHOICE AND SHOULD ONLY BE ENJOYED IN MODERATION. BUT WHEN HAS THAT STOPPED US FROM GULPING A COUPLE DOWN BEFORE? IN CONCLUSION COCA-COLA IS DESIRABLE OVER PEPSI DUE TO A LESSER SUGAR/CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT THAN ITS COMPETITOR (IN OTHER WORDS IT’LL KILL YOU SLOWER).