Too much cola zaps muscle power

[bigdog5994]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8056028.stm

Excessive cola consumption can lead to anything from mild weakness to profound muscle paralysis, doctors are warning.

This is because the drink can cause blood potassium to drop dangerously low, they report in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

They tell of the curious case of an Australian ostrich farmer who needed emergency care for lung paralysis after drinking 4-10 litres of cola a day.

He made a full recovery and was advised to curtail his cola drinking.

Excessive cola consumption can lead to anything from mild weakness to profound muscle paralysis, doctors are warning.

This is because the drink can cause blood potassium to drop dangerously low, they report in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

They tell of the curious case of an Australian ostrich farmer who needed emergency care for lung paralysis after drinking 4-10 litres of cola a day.

He made a full recovery and was advised to curtail his cola drinking.

Manufacturers insist the products are safe when consumed in moderation.

In a commentary, Dr Clifford Packer from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Centre in Ohio said: "We have every reason to think that it is not rare.

"With aggressive mass marketing, super-sizing of soft drinks, and the effects of caffeine tolerance and dependence, there is very little doubt that tens of millions of people in industrialised countries drink at least 2-3 l of cola per day.

"It follows that the serum potassium levels of these heavy cola drinkers are dropping, in some cases, to dangerous low levels."

Moderation

The author of the research paper, Dr Moses Elisaf from the University of Ioannina in Greece, said it appeared that hypokalaemia can be caused by excessive consumption of three of the most common ingredients in cola drinks - glucose, fructose and caffeine.

"The individual role of each of these ingredients in the pathophysiology of cola-induced hypokalaemia has not been determined and may vary in different patients.

"However 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."

Despite this, he warned that caffeine free cola products could also cause hypokalaemia because the fructose they contain can cause diarrhoea.

"We believe that further studies are needed to establish how much is too much when it comes to the daily consumption of cola drinks."

Excessive consumption has already been linked with obesity, diabetes and tooth and bone problems.

A spokeswoman from the British Soft Drinks Association said: "The examples used in this paper by the IJCP are all very extreme cases - moderate consumption of cola drinks is completely safe and people can continue to enjoy such drinks as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle.

"The soft drinks industry is committed to encouraging responsible consumption of all its products. Nutrition labelling is included on pack so people can make an informed choice about the products they are drinking."

im glad i dont drink cola on a regular basis.

How much cola do you guys drink?

 

[dutchfire]

Well, dude, 4 litres is not a healthy amount. Hell, drinking 4 litres of anything is probably too much.

 

[bhsup]

I have a 64oz mug and have one or two of those a day.

 

[dutchfire]

I have a 64oz mug and have one or two of those a day.

What's that in normal European units?

 

[mrt144]

I have a 64oz mug and have one or two of those a day.

My Man bringing up the 64oz mug!

 

[bhsup]

What's that in normal European units?

1 US fluid ounce = 29.5735296 mL

So, two 64 oz mugs is roughly 3,785 ml or 3.75 liters, minus the ice. Probably 2.5 to 3.0 liters.

My Man bringing up the 64oz mug!

Yeah! Any chance to plug Nascar and Camels!

 

[emzie]

Crap. 8 - 10 cans of diet coke a day minimum: 2.8L - 3.5L :x

 

[BSmith1068]

"4-10 litres of cola a day"

I can only imagine the withdrawal headache he is going to get when he cuts back!

 

[warpus]

I have 400mL or so max a day... on average.

Used to drink a ton of the stuff but decided to lead a healthier lifestyle.. and diet coke wouldn't really count - it tastes like water and contains aspertaine.

 

[Earthling]

Calling it cola is rasist.

On average less than a can/10-12 oz a day.

 

[Phlegmak]

They tell of the curious case of an Australian ostrich farmer who needed emergency care for lung paralysis after drinking 4-10 litres of cola a day.

Good lord! I thought I drank too much. I have at the absolute most, 1 liter per day. I think I drink on average around 10 ounces per day, which is a little more than 0.25 liters per day.

Regarding the muscle draining power of colas: I agree with it. When I weightlift, if I don't drink any colas during the day, I do better.

 

[Dachs]

I haven't really noticed this, but even I don't drink as much Coke as the Australian farmer dude. Mostly.

 

[ArneHD]

Ehr, I drink about 3 liters of Pepsi Max a day.

Better cut back.

 

[LucyDuke]

If I drank ten liters of anything in a day I probably wouldn't leave the toilet.

I drink maybe a quarter to a half of a liter on weekends, around a liter to a liter and a half on workdays. Mostly coke zero, so no glucose/fructose problems, but plenty of caffeine.

I'd hate a 64floz serving, it'd be way too flat by the end.

 

[nc-1701]

I drink a 20oz most days when I go out of the house, so 4-5 days a week I guess. That's not too much I hope... I guess 20oz is ~0.5 liters?

 

[Gabryel Karolin]

Wow, I'm surprised some of you guys still have teeth at all, litres of that stuff per day sounds extremely unhealthy.

 

[warpus]

I drink maybe a quarter to a half of a liter on weekends, around a liter to a liter and a half on workdays. Mostly coke zero, so no glucose/fructose problems, but plenty of caffeine.

For some reason it turns me on to see you use the metric system.

 

[civ_king]

I drink 10 liters per month tops...

 

[Nylan]

4 litres per month tops, tbh. That's only if you exclude the month of finals though

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Too much of anything is bad. What a ground-breaking discovery.