cola
Beverages
Trigger checker for cola
See cola rated across every trigger — FODMAP, histamine, salicylate, oxalate, tyramine and more — plus diet compatibility, all in one quick ingredient profile.
Related checkers
Compare cola across criteria
Triggers
Diets
Serving size, prep, and portion notes for cola
Cola stacks up three things that bother sensitive people at once: caffeine (about 34 mg in a 12 oz can), phosphoric acid that gives it a tooth-eroding pH near 2.5, and a large dose of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. That combination is why cola is a classic driver of reflux and of the caffeine-withdrawal "cola headache," and the sugar load makes it pro-inflammatory and poor for SIBO. It is clean on histamine, gluten and lactose, so the issue is the caffeine-plus-acid-plus-sugar package, not a food-chemistry trigger.
Watch for
Moderate caffeine, enough to feed a dependence and to cause a rebound headache when you skip your usual can, which is the real "cola headache" / Phosphoric acid gives cola a very low pH (around 2.5), a common reflux and heartburn trigger and hard on tooth enamel, made worse by the carbonation / High in sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, so it rates pro-inflammatory, poor for SIBO, and carries moderate excess-fructose and polyol loads from the sweeteners / Diet colas drop the sugar but keep the caffeine and phosphoric acid, so they still hit the reflux and headache angles
Explore related in Beverages
Compare similar foods to build a personalized list of swaps that work for your system.
FAQ
What does the FODMAP rating mean for cola?
Medium FODMAP: portion size matters more than the ingredient itself.
Is cola generally well tolerated?
Low Fermentation (High) and FODMAPs (Moderate) Start with those if you react.
What should I check next?
Compare within the Beverages group.