Coca-Cola is indeed one of the most popular beverages around the globe but many studies have pertained to it as something that has ill effects on one's health. A former pharmacist named Naraj Naik revealed what the beverage does to the body immediately after a person consumes it. In his inforgraphic from his website, he detailed the time frame and how Coca-Cola is digested and processed in the body.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the consumption of sugary drinks is abundant among teenagers and young adults. In fact, around half of the US population reported that they drink sugary drinks at any time during the day. Furthermore, there are around 10 table spoons of sugar in one can of sugary drinks while the World Health Organization only recommends to consume less than six tablespoons per day, reports Medical News Today.
In his info graphic entitled, "What happens one hour after drinking a can of Coke", he says that drinking Coke is comparable to heroin on the way it stimulates one's brain centers for pleasure and reward.
According to KCTV5, the former pharmacist said in his website, TheRenegadePharmacist.com, the breakdown of the beverage starts in the first 10 minutes. The sugar content of Coke hits the system with 10 tablespoons of added sugars in contrast to the recommended six tablespoons. The body does not immediately react to the sugar overload because the overwhelming sweetness is halted by phosphoric acid.
However, by 20 minutes, the sugar levels in the blood would spike which will cause an insulin boost. The liver will respond to the sudden increase in sugar levels in the blood and would turn any sugar into fat. After 40 minutes, the body will now absorb the caffeine level in the beverage wherein it may cause symptoms like pupil dilatation, increased blood pressure, and the adenosine receptors in the brain would be blocked causing wakefulness.
Five minutes later, the neurotransmitter dopamine would increase in production. This neurotransmitter is in charge in controlling brain areas for pleasure and reward. That is why Naik compared Coke with heroin, a very potent illegal drug abused by users.
By one hour after intake, the phosphoric acid in the beverage would bind with calcium, magnesium and zinc. When this happens, further absorption and digestion happens and would lead to excessive excretion of calcium in the urine.
After an hour, caffeine would release diuretic properties in the body. Hence, all the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that are supposed to be absorbed in the bones would be excreted with other important electrolytes.
"After seeing so many people suffering from obesity related diseases like heart disease, diabetes and the side effects of the medication they were taking, I was strongly motivated to research what actually causes people to become obese, it clearly was not just the fat they were eating," Naik wrote as reported by The Weekly Observer.
