Mints and Coke

There was a time when the video of mint candy and cola went viral on the Internet, causing confusion and panic among many people. This classic combination of mints and cola even became a must-have for everyone to show their courage when going out. However, many people do not understand the principles behind this, so there are two extreme situations: complete indifference and extreme fear.

So why can the mint candy and cola gush out to such a height as shown in the video? Will it explode in the stomach as rumored? If not, what are the reasons? I believe many netizens had doubts when they saw the video.

Mints can trigger the gushing of carbonated drinks and beer. It is recommended not to eat these two foods at the same time to avoid adverse reactions such as bloating and carbon dioxide poisoning. Generally, the carbon dioxide in carbonated drinks and beer is released slowly. When mints are added, certain ingredients in the mints will catalyze the rapid decomposition of carbon dioxide, which will cause the beverage to gush out.

Research in the US has pinpointed the main causes of the fizz in Coke bottles: the coarseness of the sugars and how quickly they plummet to the bottom of the bottle. Rough, textured Mentos promote bubble growth because they effectively interrupt the strong attraction between water molecules, making the bubbles more numerous.

There is no basis for the claim that Mentos and Coke equal poison. Because after the food is chewed in the mouth, it will be wrapped by digestive juice and food liquid when it enters the stomach. When the beverage enters the mouth and esophagus, swallowing and the peristalsis of the esophagus will release carbon dioxide. When it enters the stomach and reacts with the mint candy, the production of carbon dioxide can basically be ignored.

From the above introduction, we can understand that mint candy plus cola will indeed cause the cola to gush out, and they are not suitable to be consumed together. But it is not as scary as the rumors say. Our bodies can release a large amount of carbon dioxide. After knowing this common sense, we will not blindly follow others to create panic, nor will we sneer at and ignore various scientific findings.