Wait 'til you read this DOOZEY!
OH - in the following Body, I forgot to mention the Additives - Food Colorings and DYES -
COULD WE BE DYING FROM DYES?
© - Tom Hyland - 06-20-09
Whenever we hear or see the word ‘addiction’ nowadays, usually the first immediate response or thought is - Drug - right?
When I was twenty-five, in 1965, forty-four years ago - way back then, the so-called ‘drug problem’ had not yet reared its ugly head, so the first response then would have been ‘Alcohol.’
Although ‘Beat-niks’ may have been a coined word, usually when referring to a Bohemian style of living, which had applied to a small handful of eccentric ‘artistes’ - there was not yet any large following established.
Parenthetically, neither were the terms ‘Love-Children - Flower-Power - and Peace-Niks’ yet ‘blooming’ in our ever-expanding vocabulary of ‘new’ words. Woodstock had not yet occurred. The Viet Nam War had not ended yet, and all the ‘Dope’ associated with it had not yet permeated this country.
Oh, but - to be sure - other covert ‘addictions’ had been begun long before these times - and the Public was totally unaware! Way, way back then, we TRUSTED our government. ‘They’ would never do anything intentionally to harm us - would they?
Or - so we thought!
Let us start with Liquids first - as opposed to solids, okay? Now, this may be confusing at first to follow, but bear with me. In order to talk about the liquid form of the word ‘coke’ we must start with the original meaning of the word, which was a solid.
Coke - Encarta World Dictionary tells us that:
“coke (1) n - a solid residue consisting mainly of carbon, left after the volatile elements have been driven from bituminous coal or other petroleum material. Coke is used as a fuel and in steelmaking.”
“Coke (2) tdmk - a trademark for a cola-flavored soft drink.”
“coke (3) n - cocaine used as an illicit drug (slang).”
For a Fabulously Informative and Entertaining complete History of Coke, and Coca-Cola, I highly recommend that you go to Wikipedia’s site:
I will simply provide a few ‘highlights’ by copying and pasting here.
“Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines worldwide. The Coca-Cola Company claims that the beverage is sold in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke or (in European and American countries) as cola, pop, or in some parts of the U.S., soda. Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.”
“Coke concentrate, or Coke syrup, was and is sold separately at pharmacies in small quantities, as an over-the-counter remedy for nausea or mildly upset stomach.”
“Use of stimulants in formula -
When launched Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to the name Coca-Cola (the "K" in Kola was replaced with a "C" for marketing purposes).”
“In response to consumer insistence on a more natural product, the company is in the process of phasing out E211, or sodium benzoate, the controversial additive used in Diet Coke and linked to DNA damage and hyperactivity in children. The company has stated that it plans to REMOVE the controversial additive from its other products, including Sprite and Oasis, AS SOON AS a satisfactory alternative is DISCOVERED.”
“Health effects -
Since there are indications that "soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in [the] American diet," most nutritionists advise that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can be harmful if consumed excessively, particularly to young children whose soft drink consumption competes with, rather than complements, a balanced diet.
Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have a lower intake of calcium, magnesium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin A. The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of caffeine, due to the possibility of PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE.
A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake, of which Coca-Cola is the most consumed brand worldwide, and osteoporosis in older women (but not men). 
This was thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid, and the risk was found to be same for caffeinated and noncaffeinated colas, as well as the same for diet and sugared colas.
The use of Coca-Cola has also been associated with an increase of tumors as found by the Ramazzini Foundation  in 2006.”
Please note the larger font above for the words “physical dependence” - I made them bigger, on purpose - ADDICTION ...
COCA-COLA = COCAINE and CAFFEINE !
Stimulants - Additives - Preservatives - Acids - Poisons - Drugs - suffice it to say that this phenomenon has been allowed - nay - Purposely Promulgated and Promoted by none other than our ‘esteemed’ FDA government agency, the Food and Drug Administration! While my intent is not to ‘pick on’ any one company or product, consider this, another quote from Wikipedia -
“Use as a political and corporate symbol -
The Coca-Cola drink has a high degree of identification with the United States, being considered by some an "American Brand" or to a small extent as an item representing America. The identification with the spread of American culture has led to the pun "Coca-Colanization". The drink is also often a metonym for the Coca-Cola Company.
There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola in Arab countries due to Coke's early investment in Israel during the Arab League boycott of Israel (this contrasts sharply with Pepsi which stayed out of Israel). Mecca Cola and Pepsi have been successful in the Middle East as an alternative.”
So - now, let us go to Solids - FOOD ADDITIVES - as mentioned above, the same ‘Fatherly’ Freakin’ FDA - has been Allowing, or rather Sanctioning, the addition of any and all Chemicals - Stimulants - Preservatives - Drugs - Poisons - Whatever - the everlovin’ movva CORPORATIONS wish to feed us!
Without going into a long diatribe on this phase of our treatise on Addictions - let us just mention a few - Monsanto - a huge, powerful, rich company that somehow just seems to get their high-ranking executives to become the FDA Directors, over and over, and over - Coincidence? I wonder?
A company which is not satisfied with the Billions and Billions of Dollars of Profits, but also wants to Control the World Production, Distribution, and Consumption of just about every Hybrid Seed it invented - even to the point of Bankrupting most small Farmers!
And don’t forget the huge CORN industry - we all just gotta have that HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP in everything we eat and drink - don’t we?
And now, an expected huge market for CORN FUEL PRODUCTS for automobiles and trucks - What a Country!
And how about Cereal Manufacturers like: General Mills, Kellogg’s, and Pillsbury - isn’t that little ‘DOUGH-BOY’ so cute? Bleached Flour - hell, we have all been engorging that stuff for years n’ years n’ years - haven’t we?
Remember many years ago, when some government report, or media expose’, told us that the Cost of the fancy, colored Boxes and Packaging actually COST MORE THAN THE CONTENTS? Duh!
But ‘We The Gobblers’ SWALLOWED it all with GLEE - didn’t we?
High amounts of SUGAR, then some Honey, then Saccharin, then ASAPARTAME, and High Fructose Corn Syrup, and other - Ingredients! What a Fine Word!
“CON THEM, AND THEY WILL SWALLOW ANYTHING!”
Just a few years ago, the natural sweetener, STEVIA - was BANNED here in America - I wrote about it, some time ago - then, all of a sudden, in 2008 - it became APPROVED! How come?
Was it because other countries had already been using it Safely, and Successfully? SEE BELOW! Or - did it have something to do with NAFTA?
Mexico was added in 1994, and then 18 years later, we just might have wanted a few Mexicans to actually STAY HOME - in order to have a close, friendly Source for Stevia? Duh?
Is there a Monsanto or Coke plant down THERE?
You may have noticed by now that I LIKE Wikipedia as an information source - see - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
“Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical South America, Central America, and MEXICO.
The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.
With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.
However, health and political controversies have limited stevia's availability in many countries; for example, the United States banned it in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement.
Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and it is now available in Canada as a dietary supplement.
Rebiana is the trade name for a zero-calorie sweetener containing mainly the steviol glycoside rebaudioside A (Reb-A), which is extracted from stevia. Truvia is the consumer brand for a sweetener made of erythritol and Rebiana marketed by Cargill and developed jointly with The Coca-Cola Company.
In December 2008, the United States Food and Drug Administration permitted Reb A based sweeteners as food additives. PureVia is the PepsiCo and Merisant brand of Reb A.”
You DID notice the COKE and PEPSI involvement just above, didn’t you?
“In the early 1970s, Japan began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, which were suspected carcinogens.
The plant's leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves, and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. Since the Japanese firm Morita Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. produced the first commercial stevia sweetener in Japan in 1971, the Japanese have been using stevia in food products, soft drinks (including Coca Cola), and for table use.
Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country, with stevia accounting for 40% of the sweetener market.
Today, stevia is cultivated and used in food elsewhere in east Asia, including in China (since 1984), Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia. It can also be found in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in parts of South America (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and in Israel. China is the world's largest exporter of stevioside.
Stevia species are found in the wild in semi-arid habitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. Stevia does produce seeds, but only a small percentage of them germinate. Planting CLONED stevia is a more effective method of reproduction.”
( ASIDE - wonder if Monsanto has jumped on this Band-Wagon yet? ).
“Medicinal use -
For CENTURIES, the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay and Brazil used stevia, which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments.
More recent medical research has shown promise in treating obesity, high blood pressure, and hypertension. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance; therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.
Possible treatment of osteoporosis has been suggested by observations that eggshell breakage can be reduced by 75% by adding a small percentage of stevia leaf powder to chicken feed, and that pigs given 2% stevia leaf powder in their feed experienced a doubling of serum calcium.”
You may want to go back and Re-read those last three paragraphs!
Let’s see if I understand this correctly - is it just possible that some Additives that have caused Addictions, that caused - Obesity, High Blood Pressure, and Hypertension - may now possibly be REVERSED by the use of STEVIA - for all the FAT, HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURED, HYPER AMERICANS -
while other countries, like Japan, China (for the past 25 YEARS), Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and Malaysia - where most people are THINNER, and DON’T suffer from these ailments - have been HEALTHIER and AHEAD of us, solely because BIG BROTHER BANNED IT HERE? DOUBLE-DUH!
In closing any tale about ADDICTIONS, I would be remiss if I did not at least mention SMOKING, and NICOTINE ADDICTION, so here goes!
How come a LEGAL, highly manufactured and marketed product, like Tobacco, which was exported from the Colonies to Mother England, as far back as the 1700’s - OVER 200 YEARS -
and has reaped huge PROFITS and TAXES - somehow got SINGLED OUT by BIG BROTHER to be the SCAPEGOAT of practically ALL of America’s illnesses and Medical Costs - and -
thereby totally INGORING all the Corporations, Companies, and PHARMACEUTICAL Manufacturers, as well as ALCOHOL Manufacturers and Distributors -
who have all been GUILTY OF CAUSING ADDICTIONS that affected a much LARGER POPULATION?
P.S. - I have a little Banner on the back tailgate of my 2004 PT Cruiser, which reads:
I SMOKE - I VOTE!
© - TKH