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Hey, Blisstree Reader! We recently updated this Coke post, and also just posted two brand-new ones: What Happens to Your Body After You Drink a Coke Every Day, For a Long Time and Drink Diet Coke For Good Health? Not So Much., which many of you commented on wanting to know more about. Read on, and check out these other new posts, below.
Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? Because it gets you high. They removed the cocaine almost 100 years ago. Why? It was redundant.
- 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 cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it down.
- 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. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)
- 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.
- 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.
- > 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.
- > 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, electrolytes, and water.
- > 60 minutes: As the rave inside 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 hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth.
This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) Want to know what happens after that? Check out what happens to your body after you drink a coke, every day for a long time.
Coke itself isn’t the enemy here. It’s the dynamic combo of massive sugar doses combined with caffeine and phosphoric acid, which are found in almost all sodas. Moderation, people!
photo: Thinkstock
This post was originally written by Wade Meredith.
As a health writer who meticulously fact-checks everything I put out in public, I was pulled up short by the glaring error in your very first paragraph. Coke did NOT remove cocaine from the formula because it was redundant. They did it because of public pressure. Cocaine had previously been regarded as a pick-me-up and alternative to alcohol, but in the earlyh 1900s, people started to blame it for a rash of violent crime. A New York newspaper did an article in 1903, revealing that Coke contained cocaine and there was a back-lash so they took it out. They continued to to use coca leaves from which the cocaine had been removed for a few more years for flavor. When you make a mistake like this, it calls into question everything else you write. Please fact check before you publish.
Sugar in excess is bad for your health; that is a widely known fact. Else than that, I find the rest of the claims in this article dubious at best, sometimes contradictory (we are told “Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat.”, and then “… as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.”), and some totally ludicrous.
who wants this
people: coke has sugar. a lot of it. when you ingest sugar you pancreas releases insulin to put that sugar into the muscles. coke has so much sugar that you pancreas is releasing a lot of insulin. my doctor forbade me to drink coke or any soda, because she said it is like shooting sugar directly into your veins. If I can’t trust my doctor who i am going to trust? a 15 year old kid that drinks a liter of coke a day and says they have not gained any weight :S
I was a coke addict for years. As a kid loved grape and orange crush too. Was always skinny. Not a big eater. Just ate until I had enough. In my late thirties got Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Went from 115 to 138 after moving from Illinois to Wisconsin. Never been that big in my LIFE. It was horrible.
In my 40′s they found a brain tumor on the pituitary gland. It was not big so they were able to shrink it. The neuro specialist said most people have tumors waiting to be activiated by something. That’s what happened to me. Don’t know what did it. In fact he said they don’t know where tumors come from. What! (???)
Anyway. I had a thirst for nothing but water after taking the medication for ten days. I lost all desire for soda. I dropped two dress sizes in a month with no change in diet whatsoever.
By the way, I was an artist all my life until that tumor and somehow that native skill just disappeared. Couldn’t draw anything since then.
I’m learning again now like I never knew how to draw. I thank God for saving my life.
Since then I don’t use sugar, white flour and other things that help you die early. Youngsters are strong but not wise. Better health is amazing. Fast food is not great, full of sugar and fat. Don’t eat any fast food either after Kentucky Fried Chicken made me feel sluggish every time I ate it.
Water won’t get rid of the bad fat that is slowly being stored in evry part of your body. One day you will blow up like a balloon and as someone said, laying in a hospital bed being awaken in the middle of the night is not my idea of living. Interesting hospitals don’t recommend coke or fast food during your hospital stay. Lol.
After dinner that’s it. They make you rest. ‘Maybe’ some crackers. And uh—lots of water. How many people leave the hospital having gained weight unless they have someone sneak food in from outside?
As far as coke is concerned. A friend once melted the battery acid on my car battery with a 1/4th bottle of warm Coca Cola poured on it. Soda is killing off the natural acid in your stomach that digests food. Give it some time. You’ll see the effects.
Man im 16, Im skinny like 8 stone but near 6ft tall, coke dont put weight on if it does i aint gained nothing ive been drinking coke for years and 2011 probley drinking 3-5cans aday but now i drink about 5-6 because its easier to drink instead of going to get some juice to refill, i know its bad for you but christ it aint that bad i would be dead surely by now, it dont give u diaheur ive never got it the only thing its causes for me is burping lol and if u drink it on an empty stomache dont matter just gives ya bubbles in ya belly causing it to rubble alot i find.
Hello Mark I just read your comment about the soda. I’m about to be 42 years old next month. During my teens I drank a lot of water, ice tea and then soda occasionally. During my 20′s I drank a lot of soda and now I reverted back to drink it occasionally. Over the years I have noticed differences in how I felt. It sounds like you are an ectomorph there is a link below. Or it sounds like you have a higher content of brown fat. Another link below. There are a lot of genetics that have to do with. If the person gains weight easily off of high suger things such as soda etc. But even though you might be blessed with a body such as this. Don’t abuse it. There are other chemicals used in sodas. Such as potassium, phosphorous, sodium. Which is ALL bad for you in excess. You may say that I don’t eat or drink these chemicals all the time. YES, you do. it’s in most of the foods at different levels. Especially in processed ,canned types of foods deli meats etc. Example to much postassium will stop your heart. To much phosphorous can make your bones very easy to break. A lot easier than you think. I have had this personally happen to me. I bumped my hand and toe and broke them. Even though I was born with certain health problems that eventually caught up with me. Prior to these problems. I have NEVER broken a bone so easily. When I found out they were broken and how easliy. It made me feel like I was much older than I am. I have to watch for things such as these now. But it can effect anyone over time. WE ALL ARE MADE TO LIVE AND DIE. With keeping that in mind then you can make decsions on what you put into your body. Then with to much sodium this will cause blood pressure problems that will effect your heart eventually. Then effect your kidneys and then further destroy you internally. But like I said earlier that we are all going to die. It’s just how fast do you want to do it? Food and sodas, drinks are much like sex, or (drugs with some people). It’s very attractive and hard to resist.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_adipose_tissue
Man im 16, Im skinny like 8 stone but near 6ft tall, coke dont put weight on if it does i aint gained nothing ive been drinking coke for years and 2011 probley drinking 3-5cans aday but now i drink about 5-6 because its easier to drink instead of going to get some juice to refill, i know its bad for you but christ it aint that bad i would be dead surely by now, it dont give u diaheur ive never got it the only thing its causes for me is burping lol and if u drink it on an empty stomache dont matter just gives ya bubbles in ya belly causing it to rubble alot i find
i know coke is not the best thing to drink,but it is the only thing I drink..
( well I do drink milk & apple juice now & then)
I have been drinking coke all my life ( I’m 35 going on 36 soon) & I’m not fat (only 130 pounds) & I’m a mother of 3 boys. I do home cooked meals ( some times I do eat out but not alot) & I do very little excersise. The only thing that is wrong with me is my teeth but that is it.. I do not do drugs or smoke & I drink very little only if I go clubing with friends ( I have not been out for 2 years now.. I Need to go out & drink)
So I’m good drinking only coke everyday ( I have 2 to 3 cans a day)
Although this may not be affecting you now, you could develop Diabetes as well as other diseases. Just because you haven’t gained weight does not mean you are healthy. I would watch out if I were you and drink a lot more water than anything else. Good Luck.
Now tell us what happens when your body eats a carrot. That way there can be comparison.
Great post and a lot of valid points. I like the methodical way you discussed what happens to the body after consuming Coke. Do you have primary sources on this? I didn’t see any listed in your blog. That would be very helpful. All the best, Lauri
I find coke to fill a huge void when I drink it. I am not hungry because i drink it and it fills that void along with thirst. I also feel more alive and content. thats the sugar and caffeine I suppose. I ALSO notice it lubricates my skin unlike drinking lemonlime or menonade which dry it out. It lubricates my mouth as well. I used to drink diet coke or any diet for years. i quit a few years ago and tried plain water. I need the soda to keep my metabolism going. Water slows it up and PLUGS me up. I get very blah zay as well, meaning life is a bore when you cant have something to satisfy yourself to keep you going. just keep going!
Seems to be a lot of debate over this drink. But the truth is simple: It doesn’t matter how anyone anywhere justifies this drink. You CANNOT put excess sugers, salts and fats into your body if you wish to live a healthy lifestyle. End of story.
If you want to live right, don’t consume packaged goods, and reserve dining out to once a month or less.
Who says it’s excess sugars? Sugar is carbohydrates, and depending on your diet, they might be fine. There’s also low sodium and salts in soda and no fats. So basically, you said nothing of any value here.
too much to drink coke, will reduce the calcium in your body .. trust me!
The author wisely questions phosphoric acid and additives, but as its core soda is nothing more than carbonated water,flavoring,sugar, in other words no different than ice tea or lemonade, the caffeine is a red heering, should we tell folks not to drink green tea and coffee, is caffeine bad?his
Your insulin can spike from eating white rice,pasta,bread,flour,etc Even fruit juices that have more sugar when you have enough vitamin,shakes
Given that soda has been around for 100 years and we have only had an obesity problem for 20-30 years, I question whether this is specific to an agenda or directed at the beverage of cola itself, obviously there is a difference between acid,coloring,additives in cola
What happens… i am hungry when i drink cola
blah, blah, yadda, yadda, ………….. what is that quote, “you can fool all the people some of the time, you can fool some of the people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people, all of the time”? or something to that effect. Caffeine is bad for you, 5-10 years later, caffeine is good for you, 6 mos. later, some caffeine is good for you. Baby food is bad for babies, 3-5 years later, baby food is good for babies. Would somebody please make up my mind?
bottom line – living isn’t good for you – you’re going to die. would you rather die healthy or unhealthy? let me know when you’re 60-80 years old, or right before the truck runs over you, ok?
They make it sound like drinking 1 coke is as bad as eating a whole cake
I know coke isn’t good for you,but it’s not that bad!!!
I’m 100% sure that 95% of what this post said is bogus and extremly exaggerated. Believe me, that Wade Meredith do not have a science background, I do.
I have been drinking a can of Coke everyday for the last 3 years. I never experienced anything that was described in this article. None of this so called Caffeine rush and sugar crash that kind of thing.
I think this article is another one of those Internet trash being forwarded from one to another without checking the fact.
I know someone that drinks diet coke by the case every week, and has a belly …..a big fat belly….and gets fatter by the week….awful to look at.