It’s universally acknowledged by all sensible people that spirits are, almost entirely, disgusting. As anyone who’s spent any time desperately trying to chug Smirnoff in order to prepare for a night on the town will tell you, having a bottle of Coke handy can make all the difference between seeing off a vodka and throwing up into the sink. It might not look mature, but adding something to disguise the taste of cheap liquor is an absolute necessity in most social situations.

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Though non-traditional mixers certainly help take the edge off, it is an inescapable fact that most aren’t really fit for purpose. A rum and Coca-Cola will only get you so far, before the sickly sweetness makes you feel like your teeth are about to fall out and your insides have turned to maple syrup. We have always had to make do with compromise, as there is little else that can do the job. That, however, could be about to change.

In exciting news for childish palates everywhere, Coca-Cola have just released a new four flavour range of brand new soft drinks, specifically designed for mixing with spirits. Unlike traditional Coca-Cola variations, these new creations have been variously christened “Smoky”, “Spicy”, “Herbal” and “Woody” and are supposed to enhance premium dark spirits such as rum and whisky. Pre-drinks could be about to get a whole lot more enjoyable.

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In order to come up with the concept, the brand challenged expert mixologists from all over the world to create flavours that would enhance anything they were paired with, whilst remaining true to the soft drink’s original roots. Experiments were carried out with over 200 different ingredients, before four formulae were finally settled upon. As a mark of this laborious process, each of the new flavours comes marked with the signature of the bartender who created it and is encased in a bottle reminiscent of Dr Pemberton’s original 1886 Coca-Cola soda fountain design. Each bottle is also inscribed with a checklist of flavours and ingredients that should be detectable, allowing customers to carefully and precisely pair their mixers and spirits.

As part of a press release accompanying the announcement, Ana Amura, Senior Brand Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain, revealed that, “Coca-Cola has always had a synergy with dark spirits and classic cocktails, from the inception of the iconic Cuba Libre in the late 1900s to the popular Whiskey & Coke in the early 20th century. With the rise of mixed drinks, we're excited to announce the launch of Coca-Cola Signature Mixers, a specific range uniquely created to mix with dark spirits. Working with an inspirational group of global mixologists to create amazing flavour combinations, we hope Coca-Cola Signature Mixers open up the world of mixology to an even wider audience."

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To some people, the idea of ruining a 12-year-old Laphroaig with a dash of cola is tantamount to blowing your nose in the Pope’s face. However, for those of us who aren’t so snobby, this new release could spell the start of some very exciting times for drink mixing. Stand aside, rum and Coke. We may well be entering a golden era for weird concoctions.

This article was originally published on Twisted.

With typically less sugar and calories, diet drinks seem like a natural choice for some. But are they really helping? Or could they be doing more harm than good?

According to a recent study, published in the medical journal Stroke, (entitled: Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, and All-Cause Mortality in the Women’s Health Initiative) diet drinks might actually increase one's risk of developing a stroke, heart attack, or dementia later in life.

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The study examined 81,714 women from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, an investigation into the overall health of women aged 50 to 79 over the course of 11 years. Researchers found that drinking two or more cans a day can increase the risk of a stroke by a quarter, and heart disease by a third.

Furthermore, the risk of an early death for soda-drinkers (even those who only drink the diet variety) is 16 per cent higher than those who forgo them altogether.

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Discussing her study's findings with Cardiology Today, lead author Dr Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, stated: "Many well-meaning people, especially those who are overweight or obese, drink low-calorie sweetened drinks to cut calories in their diet."

She added: "Our research and other observational studies have shown that artificially sweetened beverages may not be harmless and high consumption is associated with a higher risk of stroke and heart disease."

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However, there has been some contention on the subject of the study's findings from other experts. For instance, Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, stated: "We're all too familiar with the fact that sugary drinks are not only bad for our teeth. But the excess calories can make us put on weight, increasing our risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke."

She continued: "Although this study rightly suggests that diet drinks don't do us any good, it's observational. This means we don't know why these drinks might be linked to an increased risk of heart and circulatory disease."

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She added: "To definitely understand the link between diet drinks and disease risk, more research is needed. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Put your sugary drink down and swap it for water. Your body will thank you for it."

So there you have it. Although it's not conclusive, it does seem that drinking soda in general, even the diet kind, is still bad for you. Sorry!

Drinking one or two diet beverages per day has been linked to a whole host of potentially lethal health issues, according to a new and concerning study.

Joint research from the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association says that artificially-sweetened drinks lead to an increased risk of clot-based strokes, heart attacks and early death in women over 50, with the most at risk being obese women, African-American women and women with no prior history of heart disease or diabetes.

The results of this study come after the ASA surveyed more than 80,000 women participating in the  Women's Health Initiative (a long-term national study), asking them how often they had consumed a 12-ounce diet beverage over the last three months.

Lead study author Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and population health from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, wanted to look in detail as to the wider effects of diet beverages, confirming the women involved had their health outcomes tracked for a period of 11.9 years.

"Previous studies have focused on the bigger picture of cardiovascular disease. Our study focused on the most common type of stroke, ischemic stroke and its subtypes, one of which was small-vessel blockage. The other interesting thing about our study is that we looked at who is more vulnerable."

After correcting and controlling for lifestyle factors, the study brought up some fascinating results: on average, women who consumed two such beverages a day were 31 percent more likely to have a clot-based stroke, 29 percent more likely to suffer heart disease and 16 more likely to suffer an early death than women who had one or fewer such drink a day.

The analysis then turned its attention to women who had no prior risk of diabetes or heart disease - key risk factors for a stroke. Mossavar-Rahmani said that those risks also rose dramatically if the women were also obese or African-American.

"Women who, at the onset of our study, didn't have any heart disease or diabetes and were obese, were twice as likely to have a clot-based or ischemic stroke... African-American women without a previous history of heart or diabetes were about four times as likely to have a clot-based stroke."

While women of normal weight or were overweight didn't see their stroke risk increase, caucasian women didn't suffer from the same stroke risks. "In white women, the risks were different. They were more 1.3 percent as likely [sic] to have coronary heart disease," Mossavar-Rahmani explained.

Despite the results of this study, health experts have been quick to stress that the study only shows an association between diet sodas and adverse health effects. "Postmenopausal women tend to have higher risk for vascular disease because they are lacking the protective effects of natural hormones," explained North Carolina cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell.

Dr. Keri Peterson, medical advisor for the Calorie Control Council (which represents the low- and reduced-calorie food and beverage industry), added there could be other health issues that convinced women to take up diet beverages. "This association may also be contributed to by rising blood pressure and sugars that were not yet diagnosed as hypertension or diabetes but warranted weight loss," she explained.

The study from the ASA looked at the various types of ischemic stroke, which doctors often use for deciding which treatment and medication is used for patients.

It found that small artery occlusion, one of the more common types of stroke, was 2.5 times more likely in women who were heavy consumers of diet sodas, but with no heart disease or diabetes. This correlation was found regardless of race or weight.

If you're a person who enjoys diet soda, then a revelation by a doctor might come as a concern to you.

Sitting down with a sugary drink isn't something to be ashamed of - we're all allowed our little treats in life.

When drinking these drinks is more often than drinking water is probably when the alarm bells should start going off.

However, some people opt for diet versions of their favorite soda for reasons that are their own... but it could all come at a cost.

A prominent California-based gastroenterologist, Dr. Saurabh Sethi, has shared alarming insights about the potential health risks of diet soda.

With over two decades of clinical experience and training from both Harvard and Stanford, Dr. Sethi recently posted a video on TikTok outlining four key reasons to reconsider consuming diet soda.

In the video, Dr. Sethi raised the question of whether diet soda is truly a healthier alternative to regular soda.

He then revealed several lesser-known but concerning facts about the beverage.

Dr. Sethi's first point highlighted a stark finding regarding women's heart health.

"First, women who drink two or more diet sodas daily face a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke," he said.

This statement is backed by a 2019 study from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

According to CNN, the study linked artificially sweetened drinks to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, particularly in women over 50.

Surprisingly, the risk was highest among women with no prior history of heart disease or diabetes.

The second risk Dr. Sethi discussed was related to kidney health.

"The high phosphorus content in diet sodas can contribute to chronic kidney disease," he explained.

Dr. Sethi also warned about diet soda's potential effect on gut health.

"Diet sodas can negatively impact insulin sensitivity and disrupt gut microbiome," he said.

Good gut health plays a critical role in digestion, immunity, and overall well-being.

Disruptions to the gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of beneficial bacteria, can make the body more susceptible to disease.

Lastly, Dr. Sethi explained how diet sodas may lead to overeating.

"Diet sodas can increase cravings for high-calorie foods, disrupting appetite control," he noted.

A 2021 study published in JAMA Open Network supports this claim.

Researchers found that sucralose - a common artificial sweetener in diet sodas such as Pepsi One and Diet Mountain Dew - can heighten appetite by triggering stronger neural reward responses in the brain.

This could lead to increased consumption of unhealthy, high-calorie foods.

Dr. Sethi concluded his warning by emphasizing the lack of health benefits in diet sodas: "Ultimately, diet sodas offer no nutritional benefits."

As always, enjoy things in moderation!

Featured image credit: Virojt Changyencham/Getty