Coca-Cola lovers, brace yourselves for a startling revelation about your favourite fizzy drink. A pharmacist has dropped a bombshell by claiming that the dopamine rush from a can of Coke is comparable to that of heroin.
But wait, there's more. The instant gratification your brain receives from that first sugary sip should theoretically lead to immediate vomiting due to the excessive sugar content.
However, health guru Niraj Naik explains that certain ingredients in the drink prevent this reaction. He breaks down the impact Coca-Cola has on our bodies with every swig we take, reports the Mirror.
"The intense sweetness of Coca-Cola resulting from its high sugar content should make a person vomit as soon as it enters the body," he explained to Medical News Today. "However, the phosphoric acid in the beverage dulls the sweetness, enabling people to keep the drink down."
And within a mere ten minutes, your teeth are under siege. "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."
Due to the massive surge in blood sugar from non-diet versions, just 20 minutes in, it triggers an insulin spike and forces the liver to convert the "high amount of sugar into fat". After 40 minutes, all the caffeine from the Coke has been absorbed by the body, leading to dilated pupils and increased blood pressure.
By this point, the beverage will have also "blocked the adenosine receptors" in the brain, warding off sleepiness. Five minutes on, dopamine production kicks in.
"Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the pleasure and reward centres of the brain," Medical News Today further clarified, adding: "The way that Coca-Cola stimulates these centres is comparable to the effects of heroin. It triggers a person's urge to drink another can."
This dopamine rush is what sparks the cravings, but after an hour, the sugar crash sets in, which can lead to "irritability and drowsiness", and the body will have "cleared the water from the cola, along with vital nutrients, in the urine."
Niraj pointed out: "Coke is not just high in high fructose corn syrup, but it is also packed with refined salts and caffeine."
Coca-Cola has acknowledged concerns over the high sugar content in its drinks, stating that while the beverage contains sugar and caffeine and can be enjoyed "fine in moderation", excessive consumption "isn't good for anyone". A company statement read: "Like all food and beverages, soft drinks with sugar can be consumed as part of a balanced lifestyle as long as people don't consume them to excess."
The company also emphasized that it offers a range of lower-sugar options, saying: "That's also why many of our beverages come in small pack sizes. We also provide information on how much sugar and how many calories are in our beverages, so people can choose what makes sense for them and their families."
This comes as over 10,000 cans of Coca-Cola have been recalled due to concerns that a "foreign object" may be present inside the cans. Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, LLC, issued a recall of 12-packs of 12oz Coca-Cola Original Taste on March 6 after discovering plastic inside, prompting a Class II recall by the US Food and Drug Administration.
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