tiktok tuesday: #healthycoke — a trend that’s not so healthy for your teeth (watch)
3 minute read
we apologize, but this video has failed to load.
try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
stay up to date on this topic
although it’s low in sugar, the latest viral recipe, healthy coke, doesn’t taste like coke at all — and isn’t as healthy as you’d want it to be.
in the original video that has amassed 6.5 million views on the platform, user @mandyvjones adds a splash of balsamic vinaigrette to a glass with ice and tops it off with guava la croix, although she says any flavour of seltzer will do.
while the beverage definitely looks like a coke, tiktok was divided on if the drink actually tastes like a coke.
“that’s disgusting,” says user @juandchan after spitting the drink out.
“this is one of the worst things i have put in my mouth,” says @bdccarpenter.
user @chickenshitty takes on the healthy coke challenge, but skips the balsamic all together. the tiktoker mixes sweet tea mio with apple flavoured sparkling water, black cherry sparkling water, and a dash of both rum and maple extracts.
although the finished concoction is free of added sugar, and much lower in overall sugar content (balsamic vinegar still has about 2.4 grams of sugar per tablespoon), that doesn’t mean the drink is healthy — in fact, many experts would just wish people stayed away.
healthycoke is bad for your teeth, regardless of the sugar content
balsamic vinegar has a ph of about 2 to 3, and carbonated water has a ph of about 3.5 to 5 — both lower than the critical limit of 5.5 for tooth enamel, according to cnet. what’s worse, according to a recent study published in jada foundational science, carbonated beverages may also make acidic drinks more damaging than non-carbonated.
“i love balsamic vinegar, but i enjoy it more on my salad than in my drinking glass. it’s much kinder to the teeth than bathing them in a beverage blend of two acids,” dr. edmond hewlett, a spokesperson for the american dental association, said in a news release. “the more acidic the drink, the greater the risk of tooth erosion with frequent consumption.”
advertisement
in the study, dentin samples were immersed in a selection of carbonated and non-carbonated drinks for 24 hours, replicating the exposure teeth would get over about a year of habitual soda-drinking. the study found that saliva had a tough time buffering the acidic ph in carbonated drinks, leading to more damage on the dentin samples used in the study — regardless of the sugar content.
if you find yourself craving balsamic vinegar or other acidic drinks, the ada recommends using a straw and then following up with some milk or cheese after to help buffer the erosion on your teeth.
highly acidic drinks not so great for your digestive tract
acidic drinks are also not great for the rest of you and can irritate the esophagus and cause acid reflux.
to try to mitigate the health benefits, erin morse, chief clinical dietitian at ronald reagan ucla medical center, told the guardian to dilute 1-2 tablespoons in 6-8 ounces of fluid.
“foods and beverages that are very acidic can irritate the esophagus and stomach which could be an issue especially if you have a history of heartburn,” amber pankonin, ms, lmnt, a registered dietitian told healthline, also adding that this could be harmful to those with gerd.
tiktok creator not taking the criticism of her recipe personally
for her part, jones doesn’t seem phased by the internet’s response to the concoction.
“i did not think people would get so riled up over a fun drink,” jones told cnn, explaining that she’s been making it for two years.
emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on instagram and twitter @jonesyjourn.
thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.
share story
sponsored by:
aquaomega
