A TYWYN man who can be “poisoned” by regular diet drinks has welcomed a new product on the market.

Mark Edwards suffers from Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition that is congenital.

The condition means the body is unable to break down a substance called phenylalanine, which builds up in the blood and brain.

High levels of the substance can damage the brain and patients can develop severe learning difficulties if the condition is left unchecked.

Only one in 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with PKU, and maintaining the necessary low-protein diet can be a challenge, Mark said.

Most diet drinks contain phenylalanine, but fortunately Mark can now enjoy a new product ‘Green Cola’.

“Diet Coke / Pepsi has phenylalanine, so if I consume too much it could lead to other health issues, anxiety and irritation – the aspartame in Diet Cola acts as a poison to us PKU sufferers,” said Mark.

“Having this Green Cola is so much better, for people with this condition and others.

“There’s no aspartame. It’s zero per cent sugar and tested on other people they say it “tastes just like Pepsi”.

“For somebody who has a sugar dependant illness Green Cola is perfect.”

The drink is sweetened with Stevia, a natural plant extract and caffeinated with green coffee beans, hence its name.

Green Room Brands’, who make Green Cola, CEO Paul Woodward was delighted Mark and other people with PKU could enjoy the drink.

“Mark’s thrilled because at last he can drink a diet cola, when previously, the drink would make him irritable – worst case scenario, Aspartame can be lethal for PKU sufferers,” he said.

“It took over two years to perfect our cola, with literally thousands of attempts and recipe tinkering.”