Free Article DirectoryHealth Articles, News Articles – Newspaper Articles, Science Articles, Cultural Articles, Agriculture Articles

Menthol; a member of alcoholic group is vastly used for getting cooling sensation when inhaled. It belongs to the group of organic compounds which make unique combinations with hydroxyl and other bonding. Menthol has an ability to trigger the sensitive receptors in the skin which feel the enhanced effects of the cooling produced by it. It provokes this cooling sensation when inhaled, smoked, eaten or applied to the skin.  It is naturally occurred in the mint plants yet is also manufactured artificially. This drug does not change the temperature of the skin yet changes the sensation to feel the temperature. In this sense it works on the same principle as capsaicin does. Capsaicin provokes the heat receptors and enables the receptors to feel the heat effects. Menthol is being used in many candies used for chewable purposes. These chewable candies freshen the breath and again help to feel the cooling effects.

As far as coca cola is concerned, it is a carbonated soft drink which is used like anything all over the world. This is not a seasonal drink rather is used in all seasons for all occasions; it may be a birthday party, a wedding, a banquet or an annual function of a company. It is equally popular among young and old. Research has shown its harmful effects on human health. It has been aggressively criticized for the rise of calories level in human body if used on regular basis.

An unbelievable reaction was seen when menthol and coke were used together. It blasted away with the severe bubbles coming out of the bottle after the stream of fire. It was reported that a guy died in Brazil when he used mentos and coke together. The investigation in the matter proved the cause to be real. It seems it is a chemical reaction which takes place between the two objects. Perhaps Menthol found in the mentos reduces the surface tension of the coke and this reduced tension leads the gas carbon dioxide to escape and it leads explosion.

Internet has been full of the videos based on such blasted experiments and it brought a craze with the report of Brazilian guy’s death. Various experiments were performed and results were found the similar in one or the other way. These recorded results invited many theories to explain the reason or the science behind the cause. It was reported that the bloated stomach led to the death of the guy. The further results showed that the death occurred by eating something which caused explosion and lot of pressure which the stomach could not bear. Anyhow; the story is controversial and many claim that there never happened such an incident anywhere in the world. They consider the videos fake yet do agree with the harm that menthol can bring if used with the Diet Coke or Zero Coke.

Anyhow the question remaining behind is catering should one take menthol with coke? The reason here is when you take menthol; it produces lot of bubbles inside and the increasing pressure may lead the expanding of your stomach that will certainly upset you and can bring out very serious results. In the worst of it, it can leave you with the vomiting behind which can feel you ill for a long time due to the malfunctioning of your stomach.

The famous of theories which explain menthol and coke relationship and the most closely related to the reality is of Hyneman. He says that it is a process called nucleation in which the chemistry of menthol reacts with the very nature of carbonated diet coke and results in the releasing of gas called carbon dioxide which is the real reason of bubble making.

If we particularly talk about the use of menthol as mentos; it has specific explanation. It does not make chain reactions rather it is like a cascade. When it starts to dissolve in the liquid; the chemistry of the liquid changes, all of a sudden carbon dioxide which was attracted by the liquid before does not remain as attracted now because of the slight change in its nature of chemistry.

It may not happen in any sweet cold drink rather it will definitely not happen. The reason is that any kind of sweetness can slow down the above mentioned and explained procedure. Secondly, sugar carbonated drink is gooey. Sugar molecules are very large and do not lose the capacity of holding on to carbon dioxide as it happens in the case of carbonated diet. Not only mentos can perform this; even old table salt can help you performing the same test.

The result is obvious that the story of the death occurring incident may be fake and unreal yet the incident brings out severe results. You can perform the non oral experiment by yourself. Pop the coke inside and right after chew some mentos tablets; you will find coke coming out through your nose getting sprayed all over the face and the things around which surely indicates that this must have put pressure on the walls of your stomach if has happened inside the stomach rather taking place in mouth. Such experiments were just like fun for every child in the last few months and many performed them repeatedly to find the difference in the results or to enjoy the explosion. Yet one thing must be understood that performing these experiments time and again can leave your stomach sick for a long time with low digestion process and you will not be able to recover for a long time.

So, bubbling reaction of menthol and coke showed that usage of both at the same time is very harmful. You should simply enjoy the chill of coke and leave the menthol for another time or vice versa. As precaution is better to be taken before you meet any serious injury or sickness. Young guys must be supervised when performing such oral experiments.

By Ammarah Khan