Everyone knows that Coca Cola and sugar-filled drinks aren’t doing their waistline any favors, but we often convince ourselves that just one can’t hurt. Well thanks to Niraj Naik, a UK pharmacist who runs The Renegade Pharmacist blog, we can see exactly how quickly the potent soft-drink affects our bodies.
Accoding to Naik, regularly consuming the drink, which stimulates the brain the same way as heroin, can lead to higher blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Take a look at what happens one hour after drinking a can of Coke:
“1. In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid and other flavorings cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
2. 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
3. 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
4. 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
5. >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
6. >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
7. >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.“
And if you think that reaching for a Diet Coke would be a healthier choice, think again. Diet Coke is full of chemicals, is highly addictive, and like regular Coke, makes insulin levels skyrocket. Take a look at what happens to the body in the 60 minutes after drinking just one can of Diet Coke:
“First 10 Minutes – Tricks Your Taste Buds And Attacks Your Teeth
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.
20 Minutes – May Switch On Fat Storage Mode
Like regular Coke this can trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode.
40 Minutes – Can Cause Addiction
The potentially deadly combination of caffeine and aspartame creates a short addictive high similar in the way cocaine works. Excitotoxins are released which may exhaust your brain by overstimulating it’s neuroreceptors, especially if consumed on a regular basis.
60 Minutes – Depletes Nutrients, Makes You Hungry & Thirsty For More
Unlike the small amount of satisfaction you get from regular coke your body may still crave sweets. This makes you likely to reach for another soda, or worse, some other junk food you consider to be safe and the cycle continues.
A can of diet coke provides no nourishment and would replace a more nutritious drink you could have drunk while potentially depleting your body of essential minerals
It will never quench your thirst as it dehydrates rather than hydrates your body. A lack of vital water can lead to brain fog, poor concentration, fatigue and feeling irritable.“
Are you shocked by how much Coke actually affects your body in just one hour? Let us know in the comments.
[Featured image credit: www.coca-colacompany.com]