Coca-Cola Effect on the Body

The Coca-Cola Effect on the Body

Have you ever wondered about the Coca-Cola effect on the body? I have and I have often felt that its effects cannot be good for you but man, is it delicious! Anyway, I took an anatomy and physiology class a couple of years ago and I learned a lot about the human body and the things that effect the way the body works. I am going to try and explain in a brief hub here exactly what happens when you drink  a Coca-Cola… Don’t get discouraged after reading this because it is a delicious beverage and almost all bad things can be reversed at some point.

When Coca-Cola was first created, it contained cocaine. Its initial use was actually something of a medical remedy for various things. The beverage not only contained cocaine but caffeine as well. These two substances were and are very addicting. Cocaine has since been removed but the caffeine remains, making the beverage extremely addicting. Now… to the physiological talk:

Within the first 10 minutes of drinking a Coca-Cola, the equivalency of 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system which is 100% of the recommended daily intake. This amount of sugar dumped immediately into you system should make you vomit, however, because of the phosphoric acid in the beverage, the flavor is diluted and your body is able to keep it down.

Within 20 minutes, there is a major spike in your blood sugar which causes a major insulin burst. The liver then responds and turns any sugar within the body into fat, which, think about it, there are lots at this point, to the tune of 10 teaspoons at a minimum.

Within 40 minutes, all the caffeine in the beverage is absorbed by the body. The pupils have dilated and blood pressure has risen. As the blood pressure rises, the liver responds by dumping more sugar into the bloodstream.  With the adenosine receptors in the brain being blocked, drowsiness is prevented.

At around 45 minutes, the body will raise its level of dopamine production which stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain much like the way heroin does.

Just over 60 minutes, calcium is bound with phosphoric acid, zing, and magnesium in the lower intestine. This bond provides a boost in metabolism. This, along with the extremely high doses of sugar, causes a major increase in the excretion of calcium through urination.

Just a little more over 60 minutes, the caffeine, as a diuretic causes the urination sensation to become evident making the body have to urinate. At this point through urination, the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc is excreted keeping the calcium from getting to your bones and it assists in you losing all of the useful electrolytes and water leading to dehydration. The body then experiences a sugar crash and irritability and sluggishness kicks in. A caffeine crash follows within hours but as someone else has said, “Hey, grab another Coke, it will instantly make you feel better!”

Hubber, Anti-Valentine wrote a hub about the effect Coca-Cola has on the teeth... It is a very interesting read... Check it out:

It's True! Coca-Cola Ruins Your Teeth

I still enjoy Coca-Cola regardless of what it contains and/or does to me... Heck... I usually have about 3 per day. Enjoy!

William Cobb
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"What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"