A new study is warning about the negative effects of drinking too much cola. It seems that consuming cola in large amounts can drop blood potassium levels, which can lead to a muscle problem called hypokalemia, reported HealthDay News.
Symptoms of hypokalemia include anything from mild weakness to serious paralysis said HealthDay News, citing the researchers who conducted the study. Canada.com said symptoms can also include cramping, palpitations, and nausea, with extreme cases causing potassium deficiency, which can lead to cardiac problems and “profound paralysis.” The team looked at people who drank between two and nine liters of cola daily, including two pregnant women who required hospital admission because of low potassium levels, said HealthDay News.
Of the two, one was a 21-year-old woman who reportedly drank up to three liters of cola daily and “complained of fatigue, appetite loss, and persistent vomiting,” said HealthDay News. Results of her electrocardiogram revealed a heart blockage; she also had low potassium levels said HealthDay News, citing the researchers. The other woman drank up to seven liters of cola daily over a period of 10 months and suffered from low potassium levels and “increasing” muscle weakness, HealthDay News reported.
Canada.com note that, according to the study, hypokalaemia can be caused by excessive consumption of glucose, fructose, and caffeine, all of which are present in most cola drinks. Both women recovered fully when they stopped consuming cola and were placed on oral or intravenous potassium, said HealthDay News.
“We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before, and a number of health issues have already been identified including tooth problems, bone demineralization, and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes,” said Dr. Moses Elisaf, of the University of Ioannina, in a news release, quoted HealthDay News. Dr. Elisaf also pointed out that evidence is leading researchers to conclude that consuming excessive amounts of cola can lead to the potentially serious muscle disorder.
Dr. Elisaf noted that the study revealed that “… in most of the cases we looked at for our review, caffeine intoxication was thought to play the most important role. This has been borne out by case studies that focus on other products that contain high levels of caffeine but no glucose or fructose.” Elisaf added that cola drinks without caffeine can be problematic since, “caffeine-free cola products can also cause hypokalemia because the fructose they contain can cause diarrhea,” quoted HealthDay News.
Canada.com also wrote that a review of the research revealed that even small changes in potassium levels can significantly change “the body’s cardiovascular and neuromuscular” system functioning.
Clifford Packer from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in Ohio and who was published in the same journal as the study, stated in his commentary that physicians should be aware that, “Cola drinks need to be added to the physician’s checklist of drugs and substances that can cause hypokalaemia,” reported Canada.com.
The study and commentary are published in next month’s issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
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