We all know that drinking too many soft drinks is bad for us in so many ways, yet new studies on Coca-Cola and Pepsi have shown that they are so toxic that they can actually be used as a pesticide. This is not completely unknown however, as it has long been used in places such as India for that very purpose, not for drinking!

Indian farmers are now turning to soft drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi instead of their regular pesticides. For them it is a much cheaper option and actually does a better job. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are so full of sugars and concentrates that some of the chemicals have very good pesticidal qualities.

Research carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment in 2013, has shown that out of the 12 soft drink samples that were tested, all 12 contained traces of toxic pesticides and insecticides. There was found to be 3 main chemicals in each of the samples that are known pesticides and the quantities of these chemicals was alarming – they were all well above the EEC limit as follows:

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  • Malathion Exceeded the safe limit by 87 times
  • Lindane – Exceeded the safe limit by 21 times
  • Chlorpyrifos – Exceeded the safe limit by 42 times

In conclusion to their tests, Coca-Cola overall exceeded the safe limit by 45 times, whereas Pepsi was slightly lower at 37. Still, both of these figures are frankly disgusting and ever more worrying. As a result of ingested these toxic chemicals, it is known to cause Cancers, infertility, birth defects in unborn children, nerve damage, immunodeficiency illnesses and brain damage.

Funnily enough, both Pepsi and Coca-Cola have denied that their drinks can be used as pesticides. They claim that the success rate is more likely down to the drink being a sugar syrup, and so can attract ants and other insects which will in turn eat the pests that are damaging the crops.

Regardless of all of this, it is definitely clear that these soft drinks are incredibly toxic and we need to seriously reconsider consuming them. Instead, why don’t we look at some of the other great uses for Coca-Cola and Pepsi, because we sure as hell shouldn’t be drinking them.

  1. Polishing metal work such as copper and brass.
  2. Removing stains such as grease, blood and oil from clothing.
  3. Can be used to clean your car battery terminals.
  4. Soaking old pennies to give them a clean.
  5. Can be used to deter slugs and snails from eating your prized vegetables and flowers.
  6. Removing and fading hair-dye.
  7. Cleaning burnt and carbonised pans. Leave it in overnight and you should find it easy to clean the following day.
  8. Cleaning the grout between kitchen and bathroom tiles.
  9. A kids science experiment – When their tooth falls out, place it in a pot of Coca-Cola and eventually it will disolve!
  10. Descaling your kettle.