Cans of Coca-Cola have been recalled after reports of high chlorate levels, but the world famous fizzy drinks can do a lot more damage to your health than you may think
Cans of Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke and Sprite have been recalled due to high Chlorate levels, sparking alarm among lovers of the fizzy drinks.
But apart from accidental contamination, what are the other effects and dangers of drinking the popular drinks? For full-fat Coca-Cola, experts say that a string of alarming reactions within the body take place almost instantly.
British pharmacist Niraj Naik shared the horrifying results of drinking a 330ml can of Coke, claiming the effects are similar to those from heroin. One can of Coca-Cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar – enough to make people instantly vomit, Niraj says. It’s recommended people should have only six teaspoons of sugar a day, and it’s only because of another added chemical that Coke lovers can apparently keep it down.
“The intense sweetness of Coca-Cola resulting from its high sugar content should make a person vomit as soon as it enters the body. However, the phosphoric acid in the beverage dulls the sweetness, enabling people to keep the drink down,” the expert told Medical News Today.
Within just ten minutes, tooth enamel is attacked. “The phosphoric acid attacks the enamel in your teeth, while the artificial sweeteners like aspartame hit your system. Aspartame may trigger taste receptors and trick your body into thinking it has just processed sugar.”
Because of the huge spike in blood sugar from the non-diet versions, after just 20 minutes, it also causes a spike in insulin and means the liver has to turn the “high amount of sugar into fat”.
After 40 minutes, the body has absorbed all of the caffeine from the Coke, which causes pupils to dilate and an increase in blood pressure. The drink by now will have also “blocked the adenosine receptors” in the brain which will prevent drowsiness. Five minutes later, there is a production of dopamine.
“Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the pleasure and reward centres of the brain,” Medical News Today further explained, and added: “The way that Coca-Cola stimulates these centres is comparable to the effects of heroin. It triggers a person’s urge to drink another can.”
The dopamine hit is what causes the cravings, but after an hour, the sugar crash will hit, which can cause “irritability and drowsiness”, and the body will have “cleared the water from the cola, along with vital nutrients, in the urine.” Niraj stated: “Coke is not just high in high fructose corn syrup, but it is also packed with refined salts and caffeine,” on his blog.
However, Coca-Cola issued a statement about the high sugar content. They stated the drink contains sugar and caffeine, and is “fine in moderation” but claimed too much “isn’t good for anyone”. The statement read: “Like all food and beverages, soft drinks with sugar can be consumed as part of a balanced lifestyle as long as people don’t consume them to excess.”
They also highlighted they offer a “variety of great-tasting beverages with reduced, low or no sugar and calories,” and added: “That’s also why many of our beverages come in small pack sizes. We also provide information on how much sugar and how many calories are in our beverages, so people can choose what makes sense for them and their families.”
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