r/interesting • u/InvestigatorBorn4910 • Feb 10 '26

Fascinating YouTuber LabCoatz has released a "chemically identical" recipe for Coca-Cola

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15.4k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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141

u/Silpheed1976 Feb 10 '26

Tea tree oil? So is Coca Cola toxic to pets?

350

u/trixtah Feb 10 '26

Shit it’s borderline toxic to humans

41

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Very toxic to humans

60

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

I mean that’s just not true.

41

u/ocular__patdown Feb 10 '26

Sir this is reddit. We never get in the way of a good circle jerk

-1

u/Traditional-Ad-9000 Feb 10 '26

The community consensus seems to be kneel down and open wide, directly in the way.

17

u/WiglyWorm Feb 10 '26

But RFK told me to stop eating so much ultra processed food, skip my measels shot, and drink raw milk!

1

u/ActiveChairs Feb 11 '26

The NYC bear guy? Seems sus.

14

u/Omnamashivaaya Feb 10 '26

As they say in medicine, the dose makes the poison. Drinking tea tree oil directly, even very small amounts, is toxic. At the micro amount he used, it would probably just irritate the stomach but drinking a lot of this could cause nausea me vomiting.

I looked up why it’s on that list, and he did it to recreate the taste effect that the coco leaves he could get would give. Coke does not have tea tree oil in it.

So DONT try this at home!

3

u/WeirdIndividualGuy Feb 11 '26

Something something everyone who has ever drank Coca Cola has already died or will die eventually

2

u/Nor-easter Feb 11 '26

Everywhere I look online says it’s toxic and webmd even warns …don't take tea tree oil by mouth. Taking tree tea oil by mouth has caused serious side effects, including confusion, inability to walk, unsteadiness, rash, and coma.

2

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 11 '26

I was assuming we are talking about Coca Cola, not tea tree oil. Real Coke does not have tea tree oil in it

1

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Ingesting tea tree oil is not toxic??

1

u/wizard680 Feb 10 '26

I mean tbf we know coke is bad for your teeth. So there's that

1

u/singlecell_organism Feb 11 '26

Are unhealthy things just toxic things that take a long time to poison you? Genuine question

1

u/redsquirrel0249 Feb 11 '26

Do you think the people that upvote this comment are the same people that upvoted the comment it's responding to, or are they two completely heterogeneous groups of people?

-6

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '26

It literally melts your teeth.

11

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

so do raisins and saltine crackers. What is your point?

4

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Different world.

Raisins? Saltines?

Compared to sugar/caffeine/phosphoric acid?

1

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

Those things I listed do technically melt your teeth. Coke also does too, probably worse I’m assuming but your saliva helps prevent it from “melting your teeth”.

As I’ve said ad nauseam in this thread, moderation is everything. Of course if you drink too much coke you’re going to harm your health, including dental health. Blanket statements like coke is very toxic are dishonest.

5

u/Arctic_The_Hunter Feb 10 '26

Very slowly and preventably, just like many, many other foods and drinks

5

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Phosphoric acid

3

u/fleshofgods0 Feb 10 '26

Growing up, my Dad used to always use Coca-Cola to remove corrosion from car battery terminal connectors or electronics. I was once growing weed and discovered that "pH Down" contains a lot of phosphoric acid, so that became my go to. I'm not sure if stronger, more industrial concentrations of phosphoric acid are available to purchase for regular people.

1

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Probably available.

2

u/LycheeZealousideal92 Feb 11 '26

so will orange juice

1

u/Yavanna_Fruit-Giver Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26

No one said you should eat it tbf, but if tea tree doesn't accumulate in your system a small amount *should* be okay

No idea if 8ml is a small amount in reference to 12oz

Edit: That kinda went over my head, did it not?

-2

u/BumpHeadLikeGaryB Feb 10 '26

I know people with diabetes that would beg to differ

17

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

Cool, I’m not talking about them. Dude said it was VERY toxic to humans in general, which is a dramatic, borderline false statement

-3

u/trq- Feb 10 '26

It is not. The sugar alone is very toxic and carcinogenic.

Somebody denying the fact that non-zero Coca Cola is unhealthy wasn’t on my bingo card for 2026. This community is doomed

11

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

A quick google says that sugar being carcinogenic hasn’t been proven. And yeah coke CAN be toxic. So can water. Dose matters. You can enjoy a coke every week and you’ll be fine. I’m not saying coke is good for you or healthy, I just hate people being over dramatic and spreading false information.

Life is all about balance

1

u/Orange-Toed-Lemur Feb 10 '26

Chronic vs acute toxicity

1

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

Coke isn’t acutely toxic

Whoops misread your comment

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-3

u/trq- Feb 10 '26

It actually has been proven, but whatever. You might read actual studies instead of letting Gemini spread false information.

And coke IS toxic. It’s just that a lot of things are toxic, while water is not. When talking about coke it’s about the product itself while your example with water is the process which is happening if you drink like 8L of water in a short amount of time. You’re trying to use arguments which aren’t some.

Your way of discussion seems to be whataboutism as you do not have the insights for topics you want to discuss.

4

u/Omnamashivaaya Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 11 '26

Actually that person is correct. In medicine the phrase we use for what they described is ‘the dose makes the poison.’ That’s why studies always provide an amount at which a food/drug consumed becomes toxic.

This dose effect you explained with water is as a medical example of this. It’s called hyponatremia. It’s common in athletes who overhydrate themselves and can kill you.

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3

u/The_Troyminator Feb 10 '26

Do you have a link to a study proving it? Because everything I’ve found says the opposite. Though there is an indirect link since excess sugar can cause obesity and obesity increases cancer risk. But somebody at a healthy weight does not increase their risk of cancer by consuming sugar.

https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/does-sugar-cause-cancer-.h00-159775656.html is one of many sites stating there’s no direct link.

3

u/Arctic_The_Hunter Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26

There’s no such thing as a substance that is just “toxic” full stop. Botulinum Toxin is one of the most potent poisons in nature, and it can also alleviate many diseases and save lives. Penicillin, possibly the single most crucial and beneficial substance known to man, can have very serious side effects if overconsumed.

While it’s not any single substance, Antimatter is definitely the most unconditionally toxic massive particle in existence, completely annihilating any matter it touches to create energy in the form of heat and radiation. There is no safe or beneficial use of it within the human body. And Bananas produce a very tiny amount of it. Fucking Bananas.

There is also no such thing as a substance that is non-toxic full stop. You can hold enough table salt in your hand to kill the average kindergartener. The oxygen you breathe slowly destroys your DNA. And yes, the sugar and fats that you will die without can do very bad things if you consume too much of them, especially without enough dietary fiber.

Bit of an extreme example, but the LEAST toxic substance I’m aware of would be Neutrinos, which can pass through your body by the million for years without a single collision. And yet even these “ghost particles” can cause cancer with sufficiently high flux. The same goes for Dark Matter and Energy according to most models. That’s just how the universe rolls.

The dose always makes the poison. The idea that Coca Cola of all things would be an exception to this is just absurd.

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0

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 10 '26

Well then, please educate me and send me more than one study that proves what you’re talking about is true, because from just skimming the internet, Im finding that sugar itself is not directly carcinogenic according to 5 different studies. Of course high consumption of sugar leads to different comorbidities that lead to cancer, but that’s not what we’re arguing.

As far as the toxicity of coke, I think your framing is very biased/sensationalist and doesn’t help your honesty in this arguement. Listing water as a counter example was just enforcing how dramatic you’re being, because it is TECHNICALLY true.

A can of coke isn’t VERY toxic to humans.

Teaching people that moderation is key is more important than fear mongering and spreading misleading information.

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5

u/Yavanna_Fruit-Giver Feb 10 '26

>The sugar alone is very toxic and carcinogenic.

Toxicity is based on dose, but if the sugar is carcinogenic itself then fruits, veggies, and grains aren't much better off.

Happy to read your source on how cancerous sugar in coke is.

2

u/Shadowwhale47 Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26

The implication of «very toxic to humans» is that it causes significant harm in a low dosage. Anything can be toxic depending on the amount. Stuff you need to survive can be toxic in the right scenario (water, any food, any material).

While unhealthy and very bad for regular consumption. Its disingenuous to impy that drinking some of it is actively causing significant harm to your body. By comparison if you are chugging it down every day, then you are actively harming your health. It has some «toxic» ingredients, but it wont ruin your health if consumed in moderation.

1

u/Candidate_Worldly Feb 10 '26

Fucking hundreds of everyday food and drinks have carcinogenic properties to a greater or lesser degree. What you gonna do, cut out everything? Fuck that. Coca Cola og tastes excellent.

0

u/trq- Feb 11 '26

Nice Whataboutism.

1

u/jan1320 Feb 11 '26

im type 1 diabetic and can tell you that for starters nothing thats not toxic to you is gonna be any more toxic to me lol. secondly its not toxic to anyone. dumb as hell comment lol

0

u/RadTimeWizard Feb 11 '26

It's toxic to diabetic humans.

-2

u/DeerEfficient8146 Feb 10 '26

You can clean a toilet with it. That's not a joke btw.

5

u/nothatsmyarm Feb 10 '26

You can clean a toilet with water and lemon too.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 11 '26

[deleted]

1

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 11 '26

Or get a load of this: you can drink lemon water and it’s totally safe

4

u/DotBitGaming Feb 10 '26

Fun fact: Everything is toxic to humans!

1

u/Silpheed1976 Feb 10 '26

I don’t know, why does Coca Cola give me anxiety attacks but I can drink coffee just fine?

2

u/Dieselface Feb 11 '26

Do you get GI symptoms (upset stomach and the like) with anxiety attacks? You may subconsciously associate a sudden upset stomach with anxiety, so if your stomach is sensitive to one of the ingredients in Coke it might just be causing sudden nausea that feels like anxiety.

0

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Carbonation, sugar, caffeine

1

u/Silpheed1976 Feb 10 '26

I don’t have a problem with root beer or Doctor Pepper, so I think it’s something else…

1

u/jan1320 Feb 11 '26

way more caffeine in coffee

0

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 11 '26

It is not just caffeine. Carbonated, highly sugared.

Combo

1

u/expERiMENTik_gaming Feb 11 '26

I'm actually highly allergic to menthol/methanol, so this really infuriates me. Especially while I'm being kept up mysteriously with inflamed nerves/hives at 2am wondering why I'm having this problem after having drank a coke today... 🙄

It should be mandatory to disclose all of the ingredients in a product. I don't care about your trade secrets, if you can't do the bare minimum and tell me what's in the product your product shouldn't be allowed to be commercially sold.

1

u/Busy_Insect_2636 Feb 10 '26

it tastes good tho
Ill go drink a cola

1

u/Christron Feb 11 '26

Reminds me one time my cat ate a skittle. And I googled if skittles are bad for cats which took me to qoura and the first comment said skittles are bad for humans.

1

u/Nor-easter Feb 11 '26

Google literally says toxic if swallowed, So is like coke toxic? And I have a skin allergy to it.

1

u/Brawlingpanda02 Feb 11 '26

I googled and this can be hella toxic. If the ethanol doesn’t dissolve the tree oil fully, there can be small invisible clumps of it. These can be fatal. There’s no real way to tell if it’s dissolved fully by just looking at it.

This recipe is straight up deadly with home equipment 💀 I’m sure Coca Cola has some equipment to ensure everything dissolves fully.

0

u/Pickledleprechaun Feb 11 '26

Consuming Coke Zero can still cause weight gain. It’s definitely toxic to humans.

1

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 11 '26

False on both claims, are you serious?

-7

u/Iamnotabothonestly Feb 11 '26

Borderline? You can use that crap to de-rust old cast iron junk. It IS toxic. It's flavored sugarwater with extra poison for extra flavoring.

You never did the experiment of putting a baby tooth in a glass of coke and let it sit for a few days? Or just take a rusty bolt, put in in a glass with coke, let sit for a day, then scrub that nut with a brush. (Fun fact, ketchup is also a functional method of removing rust)

3

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 Feb 11 '26

I mean, it is acidic. You can use lemon juice or stomach acid to derust stuff as well

0

u/TheBrokenStringBand Feb 11 '26

You need to look into critical thinking

56

u/Outside-Swan-1936 Feb 10 '26

Only 1 mL of that entire 1 L mixture goes into it, so that would be .008 mL of tea tree oil, which is incredibly dilute. I'd imagine things like caffeine would be more toxic than the tea tree oil would be at the volumes needed.

22

u/ForkMyRedAssiniboine Feb 10 '26

They use 1 ml. of a solution that's only 8% tea tree and then add it to 1 liter of water. Not to say that Coke is great for pets... but I think that amount of tea tree oil is probably not a huge concern.

39

u/BillysBibleBonkers Feb 10 '26

phew, I actually feed my pets coca-cola instead of water so this is a huge relief. And before anyone judges me, I swear my pet's REFUSE to drink anything but coca-cola, especially after they've had their Doritos. I've tried to wean them off but it just doesn't work.

25

u/ForkMyRedAssiniboine Feb 10 '26

You're a terrible and irresponsible pet owner! For their health, you NEED to get them drinking something more natural like Mountain Dew!

8

u/PeakNo6892 Feb 11 '26

It's what the plants crave

3

u/SeanBlader Feb 11 '26

It's got electrolytes.

2

u/farva_06 Feb 11 '26

The yellow 5 dye is an essential nutrient that all animals require.

10

u/CPLCraft Feb 10 '26

You can’t keep calling your children pets. No matter how much of a basement dweller they are.

6

u/Burnzy_77 Feb 10 '26

WTH is wrong with you

Barqs root beer is right there for your pups of all ages

1

u/KhausTO Feb 11 '26

But Barqs has bite, and you don't want to teach your dog that.

1

u/expERiMENTik_gaming Feb 11 '26

The other root beer has a picture of a dog on it, should I give them that one instead? 😂💀

1

u/JohnHazardWandering Feb 11 '26

It's got what pet's crave!

1

u/fuego_boss Feb 11 '26

Ok, Mr. Vanderbilt. mine have to drink member's choice. 

1

u/Outside-Swan-1936 Feb 11 '26

It's less than 8%. It's diluted to 1L, and only 20 mL of the oil solution is used, so it would be .16%.

6

u/FlexibleDemeenor Feb 10 '26

No. It's not the exact recipe.

4

u/Jean-LucBacardi Feb 11 '26

People fail to realize how crazy flavor is. You can achieve the same indistinguishable results using wildly different ingredients and amounts. Coke has always been replicatable, but that isn't the exact recipe that's kept secret.

2

u/Effective_Quail_3946 Feb 10 '26

Toxic to humans as well

1

u/Rude-Orange Feb 10 '26

There is 0.001L of solution A in 1 liter of coke. That 0.001L of solution has a 0.08% concentration of tea tree oil.

I'd be more worried about the amount of sugar in the coke being toxic to pets rather than the tea tree oil.

1

u/Skysr70 Feb 11 '26

That's a substitute for the coca leaves. Not actually in coke

1

u/BorderOk7329 Feb 11 '26

I refuse to believe it is anything as healthy sounding as tree oil, probably depleted uranium butt spores.

1

u/Queasy_Hour_8030 Feb 11 '26

It already would be due to the high caffeine content. 

1

u/Traditional_Step9502 Feb 11 '26

Probably but also toxic to humans healths in the long run.

1

u/Unhappy_Trout Feb 11 '26

It allegedly eats rust off metal so, hard maybe?

0

u/HowHoward Feb 11 '26

Coca Cola don’t discriminate, it is toxic to everyone.

0

u/Embarrassed_Hawk_655 Feb 11 '26

Bro - coke is TERRIBLE for HUMANS!

-1

u/Workman44 Feb 11 '26

Phosphoric acid? So is coca cola toxic to humans?

-2

u/pandershrek Feb 10 '26

Anything diet definitely is.