Billions of people in the world include Cola in their diet everyday. But does coke belong in our daily diet? Or does it even belong in the human diet?
Although most people are aware of the effects of sugary drinks on health conditions, According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of the United States population will drink at least one sugary beverage on any given day. Young adults are known to be the most regular consumers of sugary drinks.
Coca-Cola includes in the top 5 most sugary drinks in the world. In a single can of Cola, there are 37 grams of sugar added, which is equivalent to almost 10 teaspoons. Now, how much do you add sugar into your daily tea or coffee? Isn’t even 5 teaspoons considered too much? But most of the people tend to gulp a can full approximately 10 spoons of sugar within an hour in the form of Cola.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), for optimal health, it is recommended for a person to consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar daily. But by drinking one serving of Cola a day, a person easily exceeds this amount in a great extend. Now, what could be the impacts of consuming so much sugar in just one day?
EFFECTS OF COCA-COLA ON BODY
- An info-graphic by a British pharmacist Niraj Naik shows how a 330 millilitre can of Coca-Cola damages a body within just an hour of consumption. According to Naik, the intense sweetness Cola is supposed to have due to the high sugar content would actually make a person vomit as soon as it enters the body. However, due to the phosphoric acid added in the beverage, it dulls the sweetness and enables people to consume the drink.
- The blood sugar level of a human increases dramatically within 20 minutes of drinking the Cola causing a burst of insulin. The liver then turns the high amounts of sugar into fat causing excess body fat quickly and drastically. Gaining excess weight increases the pressure on the immune and cardiovascular systems as well as joints and bones.
- Within 40 minutes of the consumption of Cola, the body would have absorbed all of the cocaine the drink has. This caffeine can cause the pupils to dilate, causes sleep depreviation, leads to high blood pressure; increases chance of heart attack and it can also cause anxiety.
- The phosphoric acid and caffeine in Cola starts washing nutrients and vitamins out of the body after approximately 60 minutes of consumption. If this continuous to happen daily, it could lead to a vitamin deficiency easily.
- The high acidity and sugar content of Cola can cause tooth enamel and cavities. If the levels of calcium becomes low due to vitamin deficiency, it can make the teeth rot inside and outside in a short period of time.
- According to a mini literature review in 2018, it highlighted that the sugar sweetened beverages can increase the levels of certain compounds and chemicals that interfered with brain activity, increasing the risk of stroke and dementia.
- Due to the presence of benzene molecules in Cola and due to its plastic package, doctors recommend sticking to one can of Cola a week to reduce risk of cancer.
- Drinking coke daily has almost the same impact of smoking on your skin. Again, due to the high sugar content of Cola, it has an inflammatory effect on the body. It dehydrates the skin, emphasizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also accelerates skin aging, making it saggy and dull.
- Cola has proven to be very addictive, so even if you decide to cut your daily dose of Cola, it is likely for you to experience headaches, irritability, fatigue, or even depression.
COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is marketed as apparently a healthier version of the original sugar-sweetened beverage, Coca-Cola Classic, because it has no sugar. So for those trying to control their weight by consuming less sugar, find it appealing as it contains zero calories and sugar while providing the signature Coca-Cola flavor. But does this really make Cola Zero Sugar healthy?
The Cola Zero is actually worse than the original Cola classic. Hard to believe? Let me explain! The Cola Zero contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. From the recent studies, we now know that the Cola Zero can actually really mess with our Metobilism. How? We have trillions of bacteria in our gut that regulates our metabolism and our emotions. So the gut bacteria keeps us healthy and functioning normally. However, the artificial sweeteners in Cola Zero destroys the gut bacteria effecting our normally functioning body.
Despite all this, In a press statement, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola says that the beverage is “perfectly safe to drink and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle.” But is it really safe to drink as part of the human diet? You decide!
