A documentary maker who embarked on a high-sugar diet for 60 days to demonstrate the dramatic effect of sugar on the body has weighed into the debate about controversial new coke product, 'Coke Life'. Health experts have accused Coca Cola of ‘health washing’ consumers with the launch of its new ‘lower-calorie’ soft drink as it still contains the full amount of an adult’s recommended daily allowance of sugar. Damon Gameau spent two months eating so-called 'healthy' foods such as juice, cereal and sports drinks for a documentary called That Sugar Film - exposing the prevalence of 'hidden sugars'. Australian actor Damon Gameau reintroduced sugar into his diet after three years with shocking results . Coca-Cola Life (left) comes in a green can and although it has less sugar than regular Coca-Cola (right) it still contains six teaspoons of sugar . Dr Rooney highlighted research carried out in the eighties where rats were given a sugar solution, a saccharin [artificial sweetener] solution and only drank a certain amount. But when the rats were given both sugar and saccharin mixed together they drank more than they normally would. ‘It’s called a super mix, a little bit of sugar and sweetener drives over consumption… if this translates to the human population then that is fantastic for Coke’s profit line,’ Dr Rooney said. Coke Life has its very own ‘super mix’ of both sugar and Stevia - a type of sweetener. ‘Coke will be pushing more products but we will be doing more detriment to our health,’ Dr Rooney warned. When it comes to the green colour of the Coke Life packet it can give off a ‘healthy vibe’, Dr Rooney said. He noted Coke would have done a great amount of market research before they launched the product. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley launched Coca-Cola Life - sweetened from natural sources with a blend of sugar and stevia leaf extract - back in London in September . In documentary 'That Sugar Film' he aims to highlight the sugars that are often hidden in 'health' foods . ‘There would have been some work that went into the association of green with health. I can understand how on some superficial level at least that it is seen as a healthier product. ‘But people should be aware that a sugar sweetened beverage is still an excessive calorie product with no nutritional benefits,’ he said. Dr Rooney explained that ‘liquid calories’ are the worst type of calorie source because the body metabolises them differently to solid food. ‘If you are looking to improve health the very first step is to remove your liquid calories,’ Dr Rooney said. The best drinks to consume are water and milk, he advised. And when it comes to Coke’s claims that they are trying to help battle the obesity epidemic, Dr Rooney said it is ‘disingenuous, duplicitous and highly inappropriate for Coke to frame their products as healthy.’ Dr Rooney said it is 'disingenuous, duplicitous and highly inappropriate' for Coke products to be marketed as healthy . Coca-Cola Life uses a mix of sugar and natural plant Stevia, which has been in Japan as a sweetener for over 30 years . Sugary drinks do not just cause weight gain they rot teeth, increase fat on the liver and fat around the waist, he explained . ‘I think it is deceitful and they are sitting there saying the only health worry is weight, which is absolutely wrong.’ Dr Rooney explained that 'liquid calories' are the worst type of calorie source because the body metabolises them differently to solid food . Professor Amanda Lee of Queensland University of Technology, and former chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council's Dietary Guidelines Working Committee, told the Sydney Morning Herald the launch of Coca Cola Life is an example of ‘greenwashing’. ‘It reminds me of the stage we were up at 30 years ago when manufacturers were making healthy cigarettes. I'm worried, it's trying to make a product that's intrinsically unhealthy, healthy,’ she said. ‘There's a high risk that many consumers could be confused, thinking that it's a low-energy option when it's not.’ The product, which hit Australian shelves on Monday, has more natural ingredients than Diet Coke because it doesn’t use artificial sweeteners like Aspartame. Lisa Winn, Coca-Cola South Pacific Marketing Director, said: ‘Coca-Cola Life truly is another example of us keeping in step with consumer demands. ‘We’re confident that the new product is what consumers have been looking for. We’ve achieved the taste you’d expect from Coca-Cola with 35% reduced sugar and kilojoules, compared to Coca-Cola.’ ‘Coke Life isn’t simply a new product from Coca-Cola – it’s another great choice for people who want a delicious Coca-Cola to fit their lifestyle. There is a Coca-Cola option for everyone,’ she said. It is only the fourth drink to be launched in the Trademark’s 128-year history. Peach flavour Lipton Ice Tea has over eight teaspoons of sugar, while Vitamin Water has seven . V Energy Drinks which promise to give you 'energy' have 13 teaspoons of sugar in them . The new addition to Coke's range of 3,500 beverages, should also not be mistaken for Coke Zero, which is a low-calorie drink that is marketed at men who don't like the word 'diet' and is meant to taste exactly the same as classic Coca-Cola. Coke Life is roughly inbetween Diet Coke and classic Coca-Cola when it comes to calories – you will still find 27 in a can. However, it has 35 per cent less sugar than classic Coke because it uses the natural plant Stevia and sugar as sweeteners, rather than just sugar. Aspartame is a man-made sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. The safety of aspartame has been the subject of several political and medical controversies. However, the European Food Safety Authority concluded in its 2013 re-evaluation that aspartame and its breakdown products are safe for human consumption at current levels of exposure. People with the genetic condition phenylketonuria are however told to avoid it. Coke Zero (left) is a low-calorie drink that is marketed at men because they are shown to associate 'diet' drinks with women. Unlike Diet Coke (right), which is completely sugar free, Coke Life still has sugar . Nutritionist Aloysa Hourigan from Nutrition Australia said that Stevia is not known to have any health risks but that doesn't necessarily mean it is healthy to drink Coke Life. 'Nutrition Australia would still say that while it's safe it's still encouraging people to want to eat sweets. Stevia is the name of the plant from which stevia sweetener (steviol glycoside) is obtained. You can buy stevia in a powdered form as a sugar substitute that you can add to food and beverages at home – or you may find it in icecream, water-based beverages, brewed soft drinks, plain and flavoured soy beverages. It can be used in cooking and baking according to the Stevia Australia website, excepting that it does not caramelise like sugar. It has been used in Japan as the main sweetener for over 30 years and safety reviewed by both FSANZ and many other national food standard agencies in other countries e.g the EFSA and USFDA. FSANZ has concluded that the use of steviol glycosides at proposed levels does not raise any public health and safety concerns. 'The problem with all these artificial drinks is they still have high acidity levels and dental erosion. 'The other thing is there is some research that suggests that cola based colour drinks, whether sweetened naturally or artificially, are potentially impact negatively on insulin resistance meaning you are more likely to gain weight,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'It is not proven or definite but there is some concern around it. No matter what, the best drink is water and that’s we’d still agree.' If you’re wondering what the need for another low-calorie Coke drink is, the global brand which is worth an estimated $74 billion US dollars reportedly wanted a product for the growing number of people who are worried about artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, one of the most intensively scrutinised food additives. Aspartame is ingested every day by millions of people around the world in more than 6,000 well-known brands of food, drink and medicine. However, it has been the subject of a number of studies that appear to show harmful effects on human health. One study linked diet drinks containing Aspartame to premature births, while another suggested it could cause cancer. However, in December 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed aspartame and confirmed it as safe, so Coca-Cola has continued to use it. Powerade has over eight teaspoons of sugar and Gatorade has nine teaspoons . Coca-Cola Life does not contain Aspartame so may be seen as healthier – but it does contain more sugar than Diet Coke. 'I guess with the other artificial sweeteners there is not a lot of evidence unless they are in very high doses that they are harmful. But because research hasn’t been done checking Stevia it seems to be quiet safe in those respects,’ Ms Hourigan said. Coke Life is meant to taste similar to classic Coca-Cola but some have noted a slightly aniseed taste to the beverage. Rival soft drink brand Pepsi have also brought out a drink that uses Stevia as a sweetener in some markets. They have named it Pepsi Next.
A 330ml can of Coca Cola Life still has 22g of sugar and 89 calories . A can of regular Coca Cola has 35g of sugar and 139 calories . Experts say branding Coke Life as low-calorie is 'disingenuous'
Damon Gameau spent two months eating so-called 'healthy' foods for a hugely popular documentary called 'That Sugar Film'
He has weighed into the debate, criticising the sugar-laden beverage for marketing itself as a product for health-conscious consumers . 'Coke Life should not be considered a healthy option,' nutritionist says . It has its very own 'super mix' of both sugar and natural sweetener Stevia . 'People should be aware that a sugar sweetened beverage is still an excessive calorie product with no nutritional benefits,' expert says .