McDonald’s iced coffee: Nasty ingredients with nastier results
Posted by Brad at 6:54pm Thursday, June 12, 2008
BritGal Sarah tells of her personal horror story that began with an “innocent” iced coffee from McDonald’s:
If you are a lover of the new McDonalds Iced Coffee’s then you need to take note of this information.
I really like them and so last Saturday as we headed into town I picked up a regular flavour large and proceeded to drink my way through it all morning. In the early afternoon we went to eat at a place we often go to and I had my usual salad bar and grilled chicken. Almost immediately upon finishing I was hit by the dreaded diarrhea and at the time I thought ‘I can’t believe anything I just ate reacted that fast!’
This unfortunately continued for the rest of the day and I had to start chewing Pepto Bismal to stop it, so we could even make the 25 minute drive home!
Blogger Rachel from Texas figured out why so many McDonald’s customers are complaining of similar experiences by examining the ingredients:
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients for a Vanilla Iced Coffee, shall we? (The information sources are linked to the chemical name.)
sodium phosphate - it is “used to treat constipation and to clean the bowel before surgery, x-rays, endoscopy, or other intestinal procedures. Sodium biphosphate and sodium phosphate enemas are also used for general care after surgery and to help relieve impacted bowels.”
Doesn’t it make sense now why so many people are complaining that McDonald’s Iced Coffee gives them diarrhea? People are getting sick left and right, but they tell themselves it’s due to extra caffeine, and continue drinking it since they like the taste. It is not the caffeine! Don’t let this happen to you!
And that’s just one ingredient. Check out her entire post for more.
On Jun 12, 2008, Brit' Gal Sarah said:
Brad - is that you holding the Iced Coffee LMAO!?
On Jun 13, 2008, Brad said:
That would be a resounding NO! I wouldn’t touch one of those with a 10-foot pole… and that was before I learned it was as nasty for everyone else as it was for me to even try it!
On Jun 13, 2008, Karla said:
Good thing I don’t like iced coffee the way McDonald’s serves it! I knew there was a reason it looked gross!
On Jun 15, 2008, Rachel said:
Thanks for spreading the word! Glad to know that’s not you in the picture. At first I thought you were taking one for the team for experimental purposes or something.
On Jun 21, 2008, Oliver said:
I have to say that it’s the best iced coffee I’ve ever had. Keep in mind I also really like crappy gas station coffee. I honestly drink one to two of these things daily with no ill affects whatsoever. Brad probably just has bad digestion and a bad metabolism from years of poor eating choices which has left him quite obviously obese. I never eat anything from McDonalds or fast food for that matter, but I did try this product out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised.
On Jul 14, 2008, Barry said:
Brad - I’m not promoting that anyone eat anything from McDonalds or any fast food outlet, but things need to be kept in perspective. BritGal Sarah might not have had such a serious reaction to her iced coffee because of sodium phosphates. It might have been a reaction to any & everything else in that coffee. Sodium phosphates are used to treat constipation & clean out the bowels prior to medical procedures, but then they are administered as an enema. so, unless someone is stickin’ that coffee up their Big Mac, it is unlikely that it would be the specific cause of diarrhea.
Of course, there is the possibility that she & others are hypersensitive to the chemical, but then it if so, she would have encountered this long before drinking that coffee. In fact, she also encountered it in her grilled chicken and might have ingested it before she left home that morning.
Sodium phosphates are commonly used in breakfast cereal, cheese, condensed milk, cream, evaporated milk, milk powders, gelatin, half & half, flavored milk powders, imitation cheese, baby food, instant cheesecake, instant pudding, isotonic drinks, non-fat dry milk, pasta, pet food, processed cheese, starch, vitamin capsules, whipped topping, poultry & poultry products, pickles, & artificially sweetened jams & jellies.
Looking at the above list of foods, it is most likely that those complaining of a reaction to the coffee because of phosphates, have consumed enough in other foods that they would never be able to move more than 10 feet from their bathrooms.
Phosphorous (including its numerous combined forms) plays a necessary role in human metabolism, especially in bone, teeth, & many enzyme systems. It is also a key element in carbohydrate, fat, & protein metabolism.
While agencies in many countries have found that animals used as food can tolerate a phosphorous/phosphate level of up to 0.5% without any adverse physiological affect, it is highly unlikely that humans will ever approach that high a level in their total diet. So, it isn’t necessarily the chemical itself, but rather the amount that is present.
As has been pointed out, McDonalds’ iced coffee is a huge combination of chemicals that should disqualify it from being called “coffee”. And, quite frankly, I have often had the same problem with diarrhea after drinking regular coffee at home.
On Jul 15, 2008, Brit' Gal Sarah said:
Interesting comment by Barry, but the chicken was lunch and the fact is the only time I have had this nasty problem in recent months was after consuming McD’s Iced Coffee!?
On Jul 15, 2008, Brad said:
Barry: You’ve made many assumptions in your own critique of others’ assumptions. You don’t know any more why they had the reaction they did than they do. Period.
My bottom line is that it’s just plain nasty. And the chemicals dumped into it to make it something that it’s really not just makes it even nastier.
On Jul 31, 2008, teresa said:
I buy one of these coffee’s EVERYDAY. I am drinking one right now. I have never gotten ill from it. Or cramps or stomache problems. The person that got ill must have gotten ill from something else.
On Aug 9, 2008, K said:
I’ve gotten very very very sick off of McDonald’s iced coffee. The first time I bought one I didn’t think that it was from the coffee, I drank one a second time and was so sick that I was stuck in bed for a whole day with the shakes and diarrhea. I will never buy one again. It was an awful experience. I don’t wish it on anyone.
On Aug 16, 2008, Del said:
I personally have had the iced coffee twice (large) and enjoyed it very much without ny ill-effects….I did not enjoy their iced latte however..just tasted like cold coffee..nothing special.
On Aug 19, 2008, Natalie Rosen said:
I have been going online to check out calories of various flavored coffee. I must admit I LOVED McDonald’s vanilla coffee then I decided to get curious. I could not believe unless you ask for NO SUGAR vanilla ice coffee you WILL get the sugar variety. Calories: 130 21 grams of sugar WOW I couldn’t believe it just for a darn coffee. If you get it with no sugar vanilla then it’s 60 calories and the sugar grams is only 2 BUT still gosh 60 calories??? What the hell is in it? 130 calories for the real stuff FORGET IT. No wonder my glucose was higher I was having that damn stuff every day. YOU MUST MUST MUST check labels or nutritional values you must. This diabetes infested nation is killing itself!!!
Dunkin Donuts is MUCH better on calorie count and as far as I can tell there is no sugar in the French Vanilla syrup. But it does have weirdo stuff like Glycerin, Propylene Glycol whatever the hell that is. I looked THAT up and it said something about it being in fuel. UGH…We’re doomed!
On Aug 28, 2008, Motty said:
I think McDonalds “Iced Coffee” is totally disgusting. I have noticed an inconsistency from restaurant to restaurant. I noticed that it looks like dark coffee with a hint of cream at some places and at others it looks like Bailey’s Irish Cream on the rocks. I decided to try one and YUCK!!! I didnt taste any coffee at all(it was the Bailey’s looking stuff). It was supposed to be Hazelnut..a friend got the regular and didnt drink hers either. I won’t try it again.
On Aug 31, 2008, Finley said:
So if I’m constipated, this will help?
On Sep 24, 2008, Shaky said:
I know this is old, but maybe someone will empathize…today I had a medium one of these (vanilla flavored) and within an hour I started shaking. I’m not a big caffeine drinker but
On Sep 24, 2008, Shaky said:
crap, sorry. Lets try this again.
I know this is old, but maybe someone will empathize…today I had a medium one of these (vanilla flavored) and within an hour I started shaking, kept dropping stuff, had horrible heartburn, and had stomach issues. No diarrhea. I’m not a big caffeine drinker but I have a major sweet tooth. Is this thing 100% caffeine? I got this at 10am and I’m posting at 5pm and I still don’t feel good.
Has anyone else had a reaction like this? Will I stop shaking and ever feel normal again?
This is the last time I will ever buy this.
On Sep 25, 2008, lee said:
I love these coffees, I drink one or two every day. Yes, I must say I am also very regular and its not diahrea!!! Must be why I’m so thin!!!
On Oct 12, 2008, Pat said:
lol, I just finished off one of their bigass LARGE ones!! THX!!
But seriously, I drink a large at LEAST every other day. I love em and I’ve never had any stomach problems before…
On Oct 21, 2008, Marvin said:
Oh man…i’m drinking a LARGE Caramel right now. Just reading the comments already make me sick!
Seriously though, i hope i don’t get any of those nasty ill-effects, as this is my first try with it. But it’s a good thing our office has a restroom just around the corner….
On Oct 27, 2008, Connie said:
McDonald’s shouldn’t even do Iced Coffee, they taste like crap!
On Nov 12, 2008, Carolyn said:
I love the vanilla iced coffee. I have one every morning on my way to work. Never have had the diarrhea problem.
On Nov 14, 2008, Sara said:
I drink a regular iced coffee multiple times a week. I’ve never had any ill effects. They do vary from restaurant to restaurant, though. I’ve watched them make it and they will put ice in the cup, coffee from the pot and then either the cream and sugar from a dispenser or actually just put the creams from the little cartons that they hand coffee customers and then two packets of sugar.
On Jan 8, 2009, thirstyfox said:
they ARE very inconsistant from one resturant to the next. they are great if made right and yes will help you go to the bathroom - I don’t take fiber anymore. that said, I think they are hardcore loaded with caffine and therefor not for the faint of heart. if it tastes nasty get it from somewhere else or just tell them to make it right. when made right they are lighter in color. when made wrong they taste like sewage. I know which places make them right and only go there but had to cut back to one every few days due to heart palputations I can only figure must be due to all the caffine. still, they counter the drowsieness caused by my antiseizure meds and taste great so thats why I drink them.
On Feb 1, 2009, coffee said:
some of the stories about this coffee’s after effects are ridiculously funny
On Feb 4, 2009, UtopiaLizard said:
Coffee is natural laxative. There’s one chemical that causes this: caffeine. When caffeine is metabolized it produces three chemicals; paraxanthine, theobromine, and theophylline. These are the ones that cause the sweet sweet effects of caffeine. Theophylline is the smooth muscle relaxor, and since your bowels are smooth muscles, there you go! Coffee drinkers feel it more, since they do tend to take in more caffeine. Maybe because Sarah stated she loves them (meaning she had more than once)…she’s had so much theophylline in her system that it just led to her bowel muscles letting loose that morning. Just a thought. I love McDonalds Hazelnut Iced Coffees and am a frequent drinker (drinking one right now) who’s never had any problems at all. However, when I do drink regular coffee, I do get a rumble and tumble in my stomach at times.
Have a good day
On Feb 17, 2009, Someone said:
Coffee is a diuretic ya know! Duh.
On Feb 23, 2009, Ron said:
I have a couple of large vanilla iced coffees per week and consider them a great inexpensive treat.
I have never had a problem as described but i might up my ration a couple of more just to see if they might (loosen) me up a bit!