Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick

by Murray Carpenter

How Coca-Cola makes Americans sick—and makes sure we don’t know it.


If we knew that Coca-Cola was among the deadliest products in our diet, would we continue drinking it in such great quantities? The Coca-Cola Company has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure we don’t find out, as this damning exposé makes patently clear. Marshaling the findings of extensive research and deep investigative reporting, Murray Carpenter describes in Sweet and Deadly the damage Coke does to America’s health—and the remarkable campaign of disinformation conducted by the company to keep consumers in the dark.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are the single item in the American diet that most contributes to the epidemic of chronic disease—in particular, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease—and Coca-Cola is America’s favorite sugar-sweetened beverage, by far. Carpenter details how the Coca-Cola corporation’s sophisticated shadow network has masterfully spread disinformation for decades to hide the health risks of its product from consumers—risks disproportionately borne by Black, brown, and low-income communities. Working from a playbook of obfuscation and pseudoscience that has worked well for other harmful products, from tobacco and trans fats to opioids, Coca-Cola has managed to maintain an aura of goodness and happiness. This eye-opening book finally and fully reveals the truth behind that aura.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Health, Food, Business, History

344 pages, Hardcover

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Murray Carpenter is the author of Sweet and Deadly; How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick (MIT Press, March 2025), and Caffeinated, How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts and Hooks Us (Penguin USA, 2014). As a journalist focusing on science, health, climate, and environmental stories, he has reported for The New York Times, the Washington Post, Wired, National Geographic, NPR, and Maine Public Radio. His work has taken him across the United States, and to Guantanamo, the Colombian llanos, and a factory town in China.

Reviews

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm about to start going up to random people and tell them to stop drinking soda

[Jason McCracken]

DNF. I'm not sure who this book is written for but the author seems to think his revelation that sugary drinks are extremely unhealthy and will make you fat will blow your mind. Also, did you know that billion dollar companies constantly lie to their customers to cover up just how damaging their products are? 🤯

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I book telling the story how a major company can ruin the health of millions of people and face no consequences. How Coca cola literally became a major influencer of health promotion in the US by feeding money into research, buying people off, and fighting against acknowledging what a large role intake of added sugars plays in one's health, by blaming fats, insisting that a calorie is a calorie regardless of its source, and lots more misinformation out there. The book referenced a lot to salt, sugar, fat book by Michael Moss, which is a book I really enjoyed, but felt at times then repetitive.
I did not like coca cola as a company to begin with, but after this makes me boycott them further for thinking only of money and not the lives they're ruining.

[tintedwindows · Rating 3 out of 5]

lost me at some point

[Chelsea Flint · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a soda drinker and haven't been for many years but I still DNF'd at chapter 3.

I think there's an interesting topic here - I initially wanted to read the book based on a chapter excerpt published in a magazine. However, the author's sensationalization and downright lack of scientific knowledge is immediately clear and offputting.

He conflates all types of sweeteners into "sugar sweetened drinks" and says right off the bat he won't dive into artificial sweeteners or diet sodas, despite our bodies having different reactions to sugar vs different types of sweeteners. He claims Coca Cola invented the energy drink because the original 8oz version contained 80mg of coffee, "the same size and caffeine content as a can of Red Bull." I suppose "the same size and caffeine as the cup of black coffee with a splash of cream and sugar that millions of people drink every day with no ill health effects" did not have the same scary effect. There's a weird emphasis on the caffeine added to Coke, when there are many other (naturally!) caffeinated beverages out there.

He refers to "ascorbic acid" like it's a scary chemical when it is, in fact, the scientific name for vitamin C. Then we dive into a racism-tinged description of how these chemicals are synthesized in dirty, overseas plants before being shipped here to poison the bodies of poor innocent Americans. (Hey Murray - Puerto Rico has cities, and infrastructure, not just small mountain towns and banana groves.) In just a few chapters the book began to take on a very MAHA vibe, like I was watching an Instagram Reel of a tradwife or gym bro explaining to me why almond flour is toxic.

I think artificial sweeteners are largely not great for you. I think pounding soda all day is too. I think there's a lot of junk in our food! But these conversations should be rooted in science, and it's impossible to have those conversations when the argument boils down to "chemicals bad" at best and an inherent misunderstanding of the science at worst. I also think anything in moderation is key - even I indulge in a (Mexican, real sugar only, please) Coke once a year or so. There's an argument to be had here, but this book is not making it effectively.

[Aniko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up in NYPL. I’d been in a pretty bad reading slump, so it took me quite a while to finish this book. The short chapters—some only 2–3 pages long—probably helped, as I could get through it in bite-sized portions.

I’ve always known that sugary drinks are bad for your health, but I had no idea about the extent of the soda industry’s efforts to cover it up. This is a great read if you want a behind-the-scenes look at why certain companies operate the way they do.

It’s worth noting that while the book does mention third-world countries, it doesn’t go into much detail about the impact there, which I found a bit disappointing. The focus is largely on the American market.

[Ryan T · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the book states, most people know sodas are bad for you. This book’s main focus is the decade 2010-2020 (what is it called ???) and how Coca Cola specifically strategized to keep its products in stores and stomachs. Some good information here , sure, but the passages were often 1-2 pages and filled with unnecessary details , like what color tie the CEO was wearing.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Beware where we get our health info.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsurprising and somewhat obvious in its point. But also written in a sensational voice that makes me almost doubt the author's credibility, despite agreeing with their central point.

[Lisandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,6

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book pulls back the curtain on an overlooked public health issue with precision and purpose. Clear, compelling, and packed with essential insight, it’s a well-structured read that never overwhelms. Highly recommend if you want to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a sugar lobby in the United States and this book will have you understanding what that lobby has to do with the various epidemics that the world currently faces.