Did you know Coca-Cola originally contained cocaine?

Did you know Coca-Cola originally contained cocaine?

Coca-Cola was originally formulated by John Pemberton in 1886, and it contained cocaine in the form of an extract of the coca leaf. The “Coca” part of the beverage's name comes from this ingredient. The “Cola” comes from the kola nut (which contains caffeine, another stimulant). When Coca-Cola was invented, cocaine was legal and a common ingredient in medicines. People thought it was safe to use in small amounts.

However, in the early 1900s, there was growing concern about the addictiveness and harmful effects of cocaine. In 1903, Coca-Cola removed cocaine from its formula. However, the company still used coca leaves in its syrup, albeit in a decocainized form. Coca leaves are still used in Coca-Cola today, but the cocaine has been removed.

So, while Coca-Cola no longer contains cocaine, it does still contain trace amounts of cocaine alkaloids. However, these levels are so low that they are not considered to be harmful.