“A recent study reveals interesting findings”
I’ve heard about the “blood tonic”. Many times. But like this tweep, the tonic piqued my curiosity after I donated blood other donors recommended it to me.
I wondered how the tonic– mixture Coca Cola and tomato paste – even came about and how it works. And more, how, over the years, many people still believe it’s s a go-to for blood boost.
But as I do often when something triggers my interest, I read. Read. Reflect. And read even more.
But unfortunately I didn’t find any verifiable information.
Not this time. Maybe.
So Where From The Mixture?
As ecologist Allan Savory says, which has become an important theory for me, it shouldn’t always be about verifiable evidence.
Sometimes, as he describes, you may have to listen, observe, think and connect dots of reliable information. And recalling that reminded me of my mom — a sexagenarian — who likes to experiment.
I realized, if nothing, she may had tasted or possibly had oral history to share.
And I was right.
Though she hadn’t yet tasted the mixture and unluckily had no clue who’s brainchild the mixture was, she had an idea when it came on the scene.
Started trending in early 2000’s, as she recalled, she noticed information circulated by word of mouth that tomato paste increased blood volume.
And as she noted, the red color of the paste likened to the color of blood influenced many people to accept the claim that it boosts blood.
I paused her at that point. I needed to connect some dots.
I asked myself, what if that was a marketing strategy for the tomato paste that perhaps many had no idea?
I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. My research on how Lucozade uses health theme to make us look at the drink as best to buy when unwell or buy for the sick opened my eyes on some of these tricks.
Now, could you believe this was the same period Ghana import volume of tomato paste shot up?
And interestingly the time period where prevalence of anaemia – a condition characterized by a significant reduction in the total red blood cells or blood level – was at a record high?
I believe this may give us some clues on when and how the tomato paste as a component of the mixture came into being.
But When did Coke joined?
Again, I found no documented information.
But I chanced on a trace, an article, that revealed a Coca Cola research which was conducted to measure the effect of Coca-Cola on iron absorption – iron helps blood formation.
And this was 2007.
A period when information had spread that tomato paste boost blood level.
Something might have prompted the company to look into that. It may not be the reason above.
But the assumption is, some consumers may had noticed the iron absorption effect of coke — how the drink helps to absorb iron from food substances .
But I’m suspecting what they felt may rather be an energy boost from the glucose and caffeine contents in coke – and not a blood boost.
But the fact that Coca-Cola started looking into the iron absorption effect, which the results is yet to be posted, I believe the findings from the study by Rachel et al of Institute of Food Research, Norwich that noticed an iron absorption effect gives some credence to the claim.
And with that claim already in the air, the combination, I believe, became apparent.
But what actually called for the mixture?
As ethnopharmacological information describes, and as earlier mentioned, Anaemia was the reason.
But upon all the adverse effects the condition poses, accessibility to health care in early 2000s was still a challenge. There was low health education rate at that time too. People needed easy treatment access for their low blood level.
So many resorted to the use of the mixture to manage the condition.
Is the mixture even effective?
As recorded, the combo became popular among poor people and students, especially in Nigeria, as many of them signed up to donate blood at least once in a week to make money for their upkeep.
And when asked how they manage to replenish their blood within a short period, a significant number of them said it was the mixture of either one bottle of coke (or malt) and one tin tomato paste or milk (the smallest size).
And it worked for them as they claimed.
But some experts beg to differ.
From Akanmu Sulaimon, a professor of haematology and blood transfusion at the University of Lagos College of Medicine, about the mixture and I quote:
“It sounds funny to me. I have never heard of this combination. It is not in the pages of my text book. I haven’t heard colleagues make such a claim. It is definitely not an emergency blood tonic. It doesn’t make sense in the first place.”
Dr Madu Anazoezo of the department of haematology and immunology at the University of Nigeria also said and again I quote:
“There hasn’t been any study confirming that the combination is an emergency blood tonic,”
But a recent study carried out between April 2017 and June 2017 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology reveals something fascinating.
Sampled 20 Wistar rats and grouped them into 5 (4 rats each), the researchers, in 2 weeks, observed many interesting outcomes.
To note, the weight and blood test of the study animals were measured and analyzed throughout the study period.
Below is a summary.
Group 1: Control group was given only distilled water
Group 2: Were given only 2 mg (2,4-DNPH) each to cause stress induced anemia
Group 3: Were given 2 mg (2,4-DNPH) for the first 7 days and 20 mg tomato paste in 0.3ml distilled water from 8th — 21st day
Group 4: Were given 2 mg (2,4-DNPH) for the first 7 days and 0.5 ml coca-cola drink from 8th — 21st day
Group 5: Were given 2 mg (2,4-DNPH) for first 7 days and the mixture of 0.5 ml coca-cola drink + 20 mg tomato paste from 8th — 21st day
Results:
There was an observed general increase in the haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count and packed cell volume exhibited from the 8th — 21st day by the groups that were fed Coca-Cola drink alone, tomato paste alone and the combination of Coca-Cola and tomato paste. And the observed increase as recorded shows each of the fluids has the haematinic potential of causing the formation and development of red blood cells. The vitamins and minerals such as ascorbic acid, folate, vitamin B12, magnesium and vitamin D found in the mixture was noted to have caused this blood volume increase.
But there was an interesting observation where conclusion can be drawn that Coca-Cola drink work best as a blood in combination with other substances because there was an observed massive increase in blood volume in group (V) where Coca-Cola drink was combined with tomato paste. Hence, the possibility that Coca-Cola drink may require another medium in order to release a full complement of its constituents to the maximum effect.
Unsurprisingly, opposite results were observed among group 1 and 2. No significant increase in haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count and packed cell volume was recorded.
This indicates the popular mixture is scientifically effective in contrast to the myth propositions as also confirmed in Joynewstv report by people who had taken the mixture before.
As Nassim Taleb says, you may not know how and why something works. But the fact that something (in this case the mixture) has existed for years across a large group of people should give you an idea of how it has stood the test of time to proven to work.
