Is Coke Healthy?
You must be thinking that when everybody is shouting about the minute by minute effect of coke inside the body then why I have opt for the other side. Before answering your question, I want to ask one thing that if coke is bad then will you put the same tag on chocolates, sugary or salty delights, artificial sweetener, and genetically modified food. Do you know what artificial food does to your body?
It is not a Coke – It is your habit which is bad
Everything whether it is natural or artificial has some share of negative effects but the difference between these two is that natural things has low intensity effects while one can’t be very sure about the ill effects of a synthetic product. When we are aware about the above stated difference then it is up to us that how we are using the products. You must know that extreme of anything is not good and excessive intake of artificial product is harmful as it can cause a chemical buildup in your body. It is true that coke can enhance your blood sugar, has diuretic effects and its content reacts to your bone calcium but you will not cut down your coke intake because you want to MAKE YOUR BODY FAT AND BONES LEAN. Right??? If it is not true then why are you consuming it on daily basis? Remember one thing, Coke will not harm you unless you make it your daily drink. Overdo it and be ready for some bubbly actions on your teeth and bones. Best solution to avoid such thing is changing your habit.
What coke does to your body?
It is better to understand the effect of coke on the body to know how you can avoid any damage to your body. The famous infographic by a pharmacist shows that after drinking a can of coke, 10 teaspoons of sugar enter your blood stream which causes a spike in blood sugar level in first 20 minutes. After 40 minutes caffeine from coke is fully absorbed into the body which causes rise in blood pressure, dilation of people and make your liver dump more sugar into blood. The adenosine receptors in the brain gets blocked which prevents drowsiness and you feel energetic. In next five minutes, dopamine level shoots up which stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain. After an hour of coke consumption, the phosphoric acid binds the calcium, magnesium and zinc in the intestine and causes leaching of bone calcium. In next moments, you will feel an urge to empty your bladder. As the blood sugar will go down, you will feel low on energy.
This is the entire synopsis of the graphic but it didn’t mention how much leaching of calcium will occur in the body. There are many organic and inorganic agents which can make your bones shed off the calcium NOT JUST COKE. Rather than blaming your entire bone problem on your coke intake, try to observe your overall diet.
After the world wide criticism of sugar containing coke, many coke companies has launches zero sugar content coke such as Coco Cola Zero. Watch the difference here:
What diet coke does with your body?
As you have seen above in the video that diet coke or Coke zero contains very low amount of sugar which gets evaporated on heating which shows why it is first choice of the soda fans who seeks frizzy drink without calories. If you believe that diet coke won’t affect your health much because it is zero on calories then you are mistaken. The famous infographic which reveals the bad side of coke to the world came with a sequel about the diet coke. Here are some excerpts from the second infographic about how diet coke affects the body after drinking it
After 10 minutes of drinking diet coke – the artificial sweetener like aspartame in the coke will hit your system and make your body perceive it as a processed sugar. The phosphoric acid has already worked on your teeth enamel and damaged some regions of it.
After 20 minutes – the consumption of coke will trigger the insulin hormone which will turn on the fat storage system in return. Some studies has shown that regular intake of artificial sweetener can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases.
After 40 minutes – you will find yourself on cloud nine because the combination of caffeine and aspartame creates a short addictive sensation just like cocaine. Excitotoxins are released in your brain which over stimulates the neuroreceptors especially if you drink it on regular basis.
After an hour – there is a difference in effect of regular coke and diet coke because regular coke will give a little satisfaction while diet coke will leave you craving for more sweet. This will make you go for another can of diet coke or junk food. Although, it has no calories but it can make you dehydrated and you will feel thirsty even after drinking it means you will drink another can then one another and the cycle goes on.
Watch here some experiences of diet coke or other sweeteners’ lovers and what Aspartame have done it for years everyday and what they actually get:
What coke does to your teeth?
Dentist says that fizzy drink like coke has sugar and acid in it which coats your teeth while you drink it. These contents will cause acid erosion and tooth decay. The color used in the drink can cause staining of the teeth means you will get a different yellow shade on your teeth and also become sensitive to hot and cold temperature. Watch this video to see how and how much soda can damage your teeth:
Solution: If you can’t imagine yourself without coke as it is part of your lifestyle then do a favor to your body by using straw while drinking or have them with a meal to reduce the sugar contact with your teeth. You can chew a sugar free chewing gum after drinking coke to neutralize the acid effect. This will lower the harmful effect of your favorite drink.
If you drink coke, look at the benefits too
What is the best thing about coke, its frizz, color or its taste? I think the only positive thing about coke is its caffeine content which keeps me awake. Caffeine is approved by FDA as safe additive and coke contains 34 mg of caffeine which is less than average of one cup of coffee. It means you can still have the effects of coffee without having loads of caffeine into your system by drinking coke. But regular coke drinking will negatively affect you due to high caffeine concentration in the body.
What if you mix coke and milk together?
The phosphoric acid content of coke reacts with the calcium contained in the milk and precipitates the content giving you a clear solution. The milk proteins will settle in the bottom and cola being lighter will float on the top. Watch this to see the reaction.
Better and healthy alternatives of drinks
If you are a believer of “precaution is better than cure” and ignoring the coke to avoid any harmful effect then you can opt for other healthy alternatives to quench your thirst. Here are few homemade drinks which you can try as your coke substitute.
Lemon – cayenne pepper drink
Squeeze a slice of lemon and add a pinch of cayenne pepper to drinking water. The lemon enhances the taste and maintains the healthy pH balance because it is basic in nature. The cayenne pepper raise energy level and it is good for your heart. 4 – 5 glasses of this drink will keep you hydrated throughout the day.
Honey – ginger drink
This drink will keep you alert, boost up the energy level, speeds up metabolism and increase the blood circulation. It is not recommended during night as it can keep you up. To make this amazing drink, you will need 2 tsp of honey, 1 inch of fresh ginger root, ¼ tsp of grounded cardamom, ¼ tsp turmeric and hot water. Cut the ginger into thin slices and put it into your mug and add the remaining ingredient into the mug. Put hot water at the end of procedure and stir it well. This drink helps in digestion if you take it after lunch and keep your energy level elevated.
Banana – almond – whey protein mix
This drink is very rich in protein which is best for women and for gym goers. You will need a ripe banana, ¼ cup almonds, 1 scoop of high quality whey protein, 2 washed kale leaves, ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 tbsp ground flax seeds and 1 cup milk. Blend all the ingredients in a mixer thoroughly and drink in the morning. This is refreshing and filled with energy which will keep you going whole day.
Other healthy drinks
Besides above stated recipes, there are many other healthy options available in the market such as green tea, mint tea, reduced fat milk, soy milk, hot chocolate, low sodium tomato juice, cranberry juice and orange juice etc. which are equally refreshing and energetic. These drinks are full of fiber and nutrients which gives you health benefits and also take care of the taste factor.
Conclusion, what should you do with Coke then?
As we have discussed above, coke can be refreshing and tolerable if it is taken in moderate amount. You have to look at the things you are putting into your stomach and it includes coke too. You can enjoy this bubbly delight either by drinking or by using it in these funny tricks. Watch this.