An ad caught my attention a while ago (ads have a way of making you click on them, like that pregnancyvitamins.net ad I saw recently). It was about an instant coffee drink that promises to be the secret to a “truly orgasmic love life”. Curious, I clicked on the link and it brought me to this site.

Notice that the site opens with a statement that the US Patent and Trademark office “partially” rejects Pfizer’s patent on Viagra (the sex drug), as its main ingredient (sildenafil citrate) isn’t that much different to the “Chinese” herb “Horny Goat Weed”- the main ingredient of Magic Power Coffee. The article then compares Viagra with Magic Power Coffee with the conclusion that they’re virtually the same except that the coffee is served as a yummy beverage while Viagra is served as a pill- clearly, “wise” consumers will choose the yummy coffee over the pill.

Now here’s where it is absolutely important to check the veracity of a product; specially one with claims as outrageous as this one. A quick Google search took me to this article.

Apparently the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved this product for general consumption and even warns consumers against taking it as it may dangerously lower blood pressure.

Just goes to show that not all food supplements and herbal remedies should be taken at face value- some are clearly scams that aim to make money off gullible people. So the next time an ad about a new wonder drug or vitamin has you clickety-clicking on that BUY NOW link, take a moment and do a quick Google search. I assure you, you’ll be thankful you did.

So there I was, minding my own business, letting my mind wander as I sat serenely in class, a cool can of Coke Zero chillin’ in my hand when all of a sudden, the instructor points at me and loudly says, “Do you know you’re poisoning yourself, young man?”. I freeze, the can in my hand already halfway to my mouth. I stare at him agape, not knowing how to react (find a job, perhaps?). He then turns to the class and says, “Do you know what they substitute for sugar in diet cola? Aspartame. And it’s POISON.” He says, emphasizing the word poison. He then goes on to say that aspartame is converted into formalin in the liver and stays in the body for good.

That’s right, you heard me. FORMALIN. Also known as embalming fluid.

Am I slowly embalming myself? Que horror!

Of course I was alarmed. I’ve been a big fan of diet cola ever since, well, ever since I decided to lose weight, drinking sugar-free products almost daily. Given that my professor was a biochemistry major and a renown local pathologist, I was prompted to frantically search the internets for more information about aspartame.

So, is diet cola slowly killing you? From the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives: Aspartame has been found to be safe for human consumption by more than ninety countries worldwide. Another source says that “In 1999, FDA officials described the safety of aspartame as “clear cut” and stated that the product is “one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved.” Furthermore, a 2007 safety evaluation found that the weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener.

Notice that the phrase says ” at current levels of consumption”. This could only mean that consuming waaay too much of it could have a bad effect. And considering that “it is an ingredient of approximately 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide, including (but not limited to) diet sodas and other soft drinks, instant breakfasts, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, cocoa mixes, frozen desserts, gelatin desserts, juices, laxatives, chewable vitamins supplements, milk drinks, pharmaceutical drugs and supplements, shake mixes, tabletop sweeteners, teas, instant coffees, topping mixes, wine coolers and yogurt” would mean that we already are consuming a whole lot of it.

So the question again boils down to the rhetorical “how much is too much?” Well, I really do believe that everything in excess is bad. So far, the case against aspartame is weak. And the benefits? Well, let’s just say that it’s a natural source of ACE-inhibitors (good for people with hypertension) and also reduces the formation of leptin by 34%. What’s leptin? Oh, it’s just the chemical that makes you wanna stuff food down your tummy non-stop. So, I guess there’s no harm in abiding with the mantra, everything in moderation.

PS for those who are interested, you can read more here and here (WARNING: EXPLICIT SCIENTIFIC CONTENT).

Remember those scenes in Pinoy comedies where the impoverished protagonist brings his lady friend out for a date then suddenly realizes  that he doesn’t have his wallet with him (prompting a frantic search for exit signs)?

What ensues is a really funny attempt on the part of that poor sod to have someone else foot the bill or if that doesn’t work, to try and limit his purchases to what little cash he did manage to bring. This often entails ordering coffee or if that’s too expensive, just hot water. The bida then produces a pack of instant coffee  and stirs that into the hot water.

Well, I didn’t really think it would happen in real life. But it did. To a friend of mine. On Valentine’s day.

He brought a date out to a fancy Japanese restaurant here in the city only to find out that he left his wallet at home. It was a good thing he had a little bit of cash left in his pockets though. But it wasn’t enough to pay for both of them. So he let his date order up and had a glass of Coke to drink, explaining that he was on a strict diet that day.

Talk about an embarrassing Valentine’s.

To make a quick single serving of ice coffee, you can follow this recipe. (Just adjust it for more servings.)

1/4 cup instant coffee
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup hot water
4 cups cold milk
Sweetened whip cream

First add the coffee and the sugar to the hot water. Mix until the ice coffee is blended. Then add the cold milk and stir again. For better results, do this in a blender so you get the foamy kind of ice coffee. When you’re done, add a dollop of sweetened whip cream on top. Serve.