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From the desk of Dr. Kevin, MD
“Deodorants is usually not enough…It only masks the smell, like spraying perfume on poop. Congrats, you still stink... but fancy.”
The Deadly Chemical in Your Diet Coke. 😑
Breaking news. There is a chemical in Diet Coke that is aging you, stressing your cells, and contributing to thousands of deaths every year.
It shares structural similarities with carbon monoxide.
It causes oxidative stress.
It generates free radicals.
It damages lipids, proteins, and DNA.
It can kill you in small amounts if inhaled.
The government isn’t warning you.
It goes by multiple names.
Hydrogen hydroxide.
Hydric acid.
Dihydrogen monoxide.
Also known as… water.
Yes. H₂O. The stuff currently sitting in your emotional support Stanley cup.
If that opening paragraph made you nervous, good. That’s the point.
Because this is exactly how fear-based “chemical exposure” content works.
Take a normal compound.
Use its full chemical name.
Compare it to something scary.
Throw in oxidative stress and DNA damage. Sprinkle in “thousands of deaths per year.” Imply a cover-up.
Congratulations. You’ve just created a viral conspiracy.
Let’s unpack it like adults.
“But it causes oxidative stress!”
Technically, yes. Water participates in redox reactions. So does oxygen. So does glucose. So does your own mitochondria every second you’re alive.
Oxidative stress is not a villain that lives inside a Diet Coke can. It’s a biological process that happens constantly. Your body has antioxidant systems specifically designed to handle it.
Superoxide dismutase. Catalase. Glutathione.
These are not optional DLC features. They are built in.
The problem is not the existence of oxidation. The problem is imbalance. And context matters.
You cannot just scream “free radicals!” and walk away.
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“It causes thousands of deaths per year!”
Yes. Water does.
It’s called drowning.
Globally, drowning causes over 200,000 deaths per year according to the World Health Organization. That does not make water toxic. It means dose and route of exposure matter.
Inhaling water into your lungs is dangerous. Drinking it is necessary for survival.
See how context works?
“But chemicals are bad!”
Everything is a chemical.
Caffeine is a chemical.
Vitamin C is a chemical.
Oxygen is a chemical.
Botox is a chemical.
Arsenic is a chemical.
The difference is structure, dose, and biology.
Toxicology 101 is this: the dose makes the poison.
Even water can kill you if you drink absurd amounts quickly. It’s called water intoxication. It dilutes sodium in your blood and can cause brain swelling. It’s rare, but it happens.
Does that mean you should stop drinking water?
Please don’t.
Let’s talk about Diet Coke for a second
If someone wants to criticize Diet Coke, there are real discussions to have.
Artificial sweeteners like aspartame have been studied extensively. Regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EFSA consider them safe within established daily intake limits. The acceptable daily intake for aspartame is 40 to 50 mg per kilogram of body weight per day depending on the region. For most people, that’s many cans per day.
Does that mean unlimited soda is a health elixir? No.
Does it mean one can is “killing your cells”? Also no.
When you see someone zooming in on a single ingredient with dramatic music and no dose discussion, that’s your cue to step back.
Why this matters
Fear-based chemistry content works because most people don’t speak fluent biochemistry.
Say “dihydrogen monoxide” and it sounds like industrial waste.
Say “water” and suddenly everyone relaxes.
The trick is linguistic framing.
If someone can make water sound like a government conspiracy, imagine what they can do with something more complex.
So here’s your filter moving forward:
Are they discussing dose?
Are they discussing route of exposure?
Are they referencing actual regulatory limits?
Are they explaining mechanism clearly?
Or are they just throwing around “DNA damage” like it’s seasoning?
Stay skeptical, but stay rational.
Science is not scary when you understand it.
And if someone tries to convince you that hydrogen hydroxide is secretly aging you with every sip, maybe take a sip anyway.
By the way, reply back to me if you read the whole thing… not many people do! Just say “Champion here,” because you’re my kind of people… we vibe!
Anyways…Hydrate. Breathe. Use your brain. You’ll be fine…
Until next Saturday,
Dr. Kevin Cutthebull, MD
P.S. As ever, you can download my favorite guide of the week here. For free (no opt-in required)→ (Download Here)
