What are the Harms and Benefits of Coke? Effects of Coke on the Body

Cola is a carbonated beverage loved by many and often consumed alone, alongside many sweet or salty foods. Cola colored with caramel has a unique taste and smell. Coke can be defined simply as a flavored and carbonated soft drink sweetened with sugar. In addition to containing significant amounts of caffeine, it is also sweetened with table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Coke, whose origin dates back to 1886, has become popular since the first time it was produced and started to be produced by many brands. Today, it is still one of the most preferred types of soft drinks, but it is consumed by many people from seven to seventy every day.

What are the Harms of Coke?

When considered as content, cola is only water, various flavorings, caffeine. It consists of carbon dioxide gas and sugar and various preservatives. Despite containing so few components, cola can cause many health problems, especially when consumed too often. Although the fact that it is cold and fizzy causes the sugar it contains to not be perceived as much during drinking, in fact, there is approximately 28 grams of sugar in a glass of cola. This amount of sugar is equivalent to 7 sugar cubes. Drinking more than one glass of Coke causes this amount to be multiplied, resulting in an unhealthy amount of simple sugar. Apart from this, it can harm the body in various ways due to its acidic structure and artificial sweeteners it contains. Among the harms of drinking cola, the following can be included:

• Prepares the Ground for Tooth Decay

Containing a high level of sugar and at the same time having an acidic structure, cola creates the growth environment in the mouth that bacteria need. In addition, because of its acidic structure, it also damages tooth enamel and causes tooth decay. increases the probability. Since even one glass provides about 122 kilocalories of energy to the body, consuming a few glasses of Coke a day makes weight gain inevitable.

• Can Bring Sleep Problems

Cola, which has a considerable amount of caffeine content, although not as much as coffee, can cause sleeplessness by causing stimulating effects in the body. Especially when you drink a few glasses of Coke at night, you may feel symptoms such as palpitations, high energy and you may experience insomnia. Although the caffeine content in cola is lower compared to coffee, people who have a habit of drinking large amounts of cola may develop a mild addictive state. This situation can be defined as cola addiction and may cause tension and headache problems on days when cola consumption is not used. However, colas sold under the diet or sugar-free label are sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which puts a serious strain on the kidneys when taken into the body continuously. Therefore, your chances of getting kidney diseases may increase.

• Can Cause Dehydration

Drinking cola can be much more refreshing than drinking water, especially in summer. Your water consumption will inevitably decrease when you drink too much cola, as it also relieves the feeling of thirst to a great extent. Some people may even have made it a habit to drink cola instead of water in the summer months. However, cola cannot meet the body's fluid needs and has a diuretic effect due to the caffeine it contains. This effect means that your need for fluids increases even more. Therefore, too much cola consumption can cause fluid loss, also called dehydration, if you do not drink that much water.

• Can Cause High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Diseases

It's not limited to sugar and preservatives. Cola is also a beverage with a very high sodium content. This amount of sodium causes water retention in the body, a load on the kidneys and an increase in blood pressure, just like the excessive use of table salt. Special Coke consumption can be very inconvenient for blood pressure patients. In addition, when you drink cola constantly, your risk of cardiovascular diseases may increase due to these effects.

The Harms of Coke During Pregnancy

It is very unlikely that consuming a glass of Coke occasionally during pregnancy will have a major impact on health. However, the harms of drinking too much Coke apply to pregnant women as well as to all individuals. In addition to its general negative effects, some of the disadvantages that can be counted among the harms of drinking too much coke in pregnant women are as follows:

• Cola with high sodium content causes an increase in the already increased kidney load in pregnant women. However, diet containing artificial sweeteners and long-term consumption of sugar-free colas may also impair kidney health. It can also increase the risks of pregnancy-related complications.
• Caffeine, found in cola and many other sodas, is a substance that should be limited in pregnant women. Caffeine, which enters the bloodstream directly and passes into the baby's blood via the placenta, may adversely affect the development of the baby. In fact, excessive caffeine intake due to excessive cola drinking can even cause miscarriages. Although it is necessary to drink a large amount of cola to exceed this amount, its consumption should be reduced as much as possible considering that the intake of caffeine from outside may cause undetected effects on the baby. It only increases caloric intake. Therefore, drinking Coke while pregnant can cause excessive weight gain. The baby may be larger than expected due to unhealthy weight gain. As a result, there may be a need for difficult delivery or cesarean delivery; also, the possibility of some health problems in the baby may increase.

What are the Benefits of Coke?

As mentioned above in many ways, cola is artificially known for its harmful effects on health. is a food. For this reason, it should definitely not be considered as a beverage with benefits. It is inevitable that these damages will affect the person, especially when excessive consumption is made a habit. However, some positive effects that can be felt for that day can be mentioned in people who drink a glass of cola from time to time. For example, because it contains caffeine, cola causes stimulant effects just like coffee. Due to this effect, it can help you stay awake on some days when you need to study or focus on your work. However, for such cases, it may be a healthier alternative to choose a cola that does not contain sugar and preservatives, and can even be turned into a nutritious beverage with milk. Although there is no such thing as the benefits of drinking a lot of coke, it can be said that there may be benefits of coke in some different situations where it is not consumed as a food. For example, applying coke to the area in insect bites can relieve the pain, and using coke for cleaning on oily and rusty surfaces can make your job easier. However, when it is considered as a food, it is not possible to talk about the benefits of cola. The answer to the question of whether cola is harmful is yes, and cola should definitely not be defined as a useful beverage. you can choose. Instead, you can protect your health and meet your need for coolness in summer by turning to milk, ayran, freshly squeezed fruit juices or homemade cold tea and coffee.

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