Side Effects from Cherry Lemon Lime Soda

Hi All -

I made a cherry lemon lime soda for my boy for his birthday. When I drink a mug of it, I start feeling a little strange, kind of like I'm floating. I'm not the only one that gets this. My wife also feels the same way and my boy gets tons of energy.

I suspect this side effect is from the lemon-lime juice that I used, but I am wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences? And what it might be about lemon-lime juice that could make a person feel this way?

I found some articles out there talking about how lemon juice will increase oxygen in the bloodstream. I bet increased oxygen uptake would lead to a feeling of floating or increased awareness. Has anyone else heard of this? See : http://www.naturalhealth365.com/food_news/lemons.html

For reference, here is the recipe I used:
4 gallons of water with 8 cups of raw sugar
1 gallon organic cherry juice
4.5 cups of lemon-lime juice (freshly squeezed from 10 lemons and 73 key limes)

Then, I brought it all to a boil for 15 minutes, cooled it and kegged it. I felt the same way when I was making sample recipes that weren't carbonated, so I don't think the carbonation contributing to this effect.

I also have it on good authority (Sister Caruso, an older italian lady from Sicily) that a few drops of lemon juice in the eye will help with eye infections. :smack: I can only imagine how that feels.

I think it was just really tasty and that's why it makes you feel so good. My kids get hyper on their birthday or when I give them soda, too.

Did you wash possible toxins off the lemons and lime skins before squeezing? Also organic cherry juice could be at fault... cherry pits are toxic and could have been amateurly mishandled. Also the fraudulant legal definition of "organic" lets them use more dangerous, say, pest treatments than non-organic. It is scientifically provable that more dangerous treatments are allowed for organic (just because they are crunchy-granola "natural") which would be banned for non-organic use.

P.S. I used to consistantly get horribly sick from unpasteurized apple cider from local farmers... apparently their apple pickers gathered some ground apples. Cantaloupes are another major disease carrier due to it's grippy skin that actually grabs germs from animal waste and follows your knife to meet the fleshy part. But I assume you killed such live bugs from the boiling, and are left with the possibility of traces of toxins.

The cherry juice was probably not amateurishly handled as I used Knudsen Organic Just Tart Cherry Juice from Sprouts.

I didn't even think to wash to the lemons and limes off. I simply cut them in half and then juiced them on a hand juicer. While I touched the skins, the liquid rarely came in contact with the skins. The juice may have briefly came in contact with my skin a couple times, but I also did wash my hands throughout.

Do you really think this could be an issue of toxins given those circumstances?

MrFoodScientist said:

I also have it on good authority (Sister Caruso, an older italian lady from Sicily) that a few drops of lemon juice in the eye will help with eye infections. :smack: I can only imagine how that feels.

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I bet that acidity kills any microbes! LOL!

Some more info:

I remembered I took the pulp and lemon/lime seeds and put them in a hop sock with the boil in an attempt to get out any of the remaining juices in the pulp. Maybe I should have separated out the seeds before I did that. However, looking around online, it doesn't appear that lemon and lime seeds are poisonous like apple, cherry, or peach seeds. Also, I got this same feeling when I made the samples to see what mixture I prefered, and I did not do any boiling with those samples. I really doubt the lemon and lime seeds have added any effect given those facts.

It came to my mind, that sometimes when I eat a large grapefruit, I get a similar effect. So, maybe it really has something to do with the citrus.

I cut the soda with some Pellegrino water. I used a 50/50 mixture. With the cut soda, I might be feeling a little bit funny, but nothing like earlier. I think I will try a 75 Pellegrino/25 soda mixture next. It still tastes great. Maybe I just used too much lemon and lime juice...

Well, now this effect seems to have gone away. wtf?

ZenBrew said:

Well, now this effect seems to have gone away. wtf?

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Placebo?

Could it be that you both were esatic about your sons bday?
DId some great news come your way recently?

People who mediate also claim to reach a feeling of floating or flying.


Could it be that your just THAT relaxed??

EDIT: Or you've just discovered the next flesh eating drug

Natural high.

Send me some, I'll tell you if I get high.

It's the soda version of the Fatima.

Haha, good replies all. I don't think it was placebo. I think it was very real. Next time I make it I'll let it sit for a week before we drink it to see if that changes anything...