Eating hamburgers, french fries, and drinking Coke, this seemingly warm and happy scene hides unimaginable health risks. Today, let's take a look at what's in cola and how it affects our health. Hello everyone, I am nutritionist Wang Yan, health is our greatest wealth, let us protect it together.
In Coke, 12 ounces per jar is equivalent to 12 teaspoons of sugar. If you drink a large glass, it's three or four times the amount. To add a pungent taste, many acids such as citric acid, tartaric acid, and carbonic acid are also added. In addition, sparkling water contains extremely high levels of fructose, corn syrup, as well as artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
What are the effects of these ingredients on our health? First, there are problems related to high sugar, such as obesity. The large amount of sugar ingested in cola is converted into calories and has no other nutrients and is completely an empty calorie. If you drink a lot of alcohol for a long time, you will gain weight. Over the past 40 years, at least 30 studies have found that cola is one of the key factors in the increase in obesity in the United States.
Secondly, there is also fatty liver that is also related to sugar. Corn syrup, in particular, is converted to triacylglycerol in the liver, which is an important cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Third, high sugar can make our body's pancreatic islet cells gradually fatigue. After each consumption of a high-sugar drink, the body needs to produce insulin to control the high sugar, and in the long run, the islet cells will fatigue and develop insulin resistance. At the same time, when body fat increases, insulin sensitivity decreases. As a result, people who drink cola have a greatly increased chance of developing diabetes and fatty liver.
I have a friend who was in good health but got into the habit of drinking Coke and likes to keep a can of Coke in his car when he travels by car and drink it every day. Later, he suddenly became emaciated, but instead of changing, his habit of drinking Coke became more serious. In fact, he had diabetes and passed away at a young age, which is very regrettable.
Some people say, then I add artificial sweeteners, there are no calories. However, studies have found that these artificial sweeteners have been linked to lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, glucose tolerance, and more. Still others are also very associated with brain tumors, mood disturbances, decreased mental function, migraines, and seizures. One of my patients told me that as soon as he drank Coke, he was prone to getting sick.
Drinking cola can also lead to tooth damage and osteoporosis. Because soda is high in acid and contains a lot of sugar, it can cause tooth decay and other problems. In addition, the phosphoric acid in sparkling water interferes with the absorption of calcium in the intestines, resulting in a decrease in the amount of calcium in the blood, and the body will take calcium from the bones, which can lead to osteoporosis. Studies have found that there is a significant association between cola consumption and decreased bone density in women.
On top of that, cola can also cause cancer. In the United States, 100 years ago, only 1 in 20 people got cancer, and now 1 in 3 people get cancer. Cola contains caramel pigments, which are made from ammonia compounds. During the manufacturing process, sugars, ammonia compounds, and sulfites form tetramethylimidazole or dimethylimidazole, both of which can cause cancer, including liver and lung cancer.
In addition, cola also contains benzene, which is also a carcinogen. Another health risk is that people who drink cola have a much higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis than those who don't. A friend said that Warren Buffett, a famous American investor, only drinks Coke, but he is fine. Probably, these people don't know how much he invested in Coca-Cola.
All in all, stay away from Coke if you want good health. So, what are some healthier alternatives to drinks if you don't drink cola? How do other types of carbonated drinks affect our health? What exactly are the benefits and risks of artificial sweeteners? These questions, I will continue in future programs**, I am nutritionist Wang Yan, thank you for watching my program. If you like it, please like, **subscribe, pay attention to health, and we'll see you next time!