An infographic about the negative health effects of Coke has gone viral across social media. It reportedly describes what happens in the body 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes after drinking a can of Coca-Cola.
Health writer Wade Meredith originally posted "What Happens One Hour After Drinking a Can of Coke" about five years ago
on Blisstree.com. The infographic appeared to get attention after Niraj Naik highlighted Meredith's work
on his blog The Renegade Pharmacist in May. It was widely shared on Twitter.
"First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don't immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavour, allowing you to keep it down," reads the infographic.
"20 minutes in: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)."
The infographic goes on to detail the drink's effect through the time it starts to leave the body.
"60 minutes: As the rave inside you dies down, you'll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You've also now, literally, p***ed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth."
In citing Meredith's infographic in May, Naik said that having a Coke now and then should not do your body much harm but regular use could have serious effects.
"Coke is not just high in fructose corn syrup, but it is also packed with refined salts and caffeine," Naik wrote on his blog. "Regular consumption of these ingredients in the high quantities you find in Coke and other processed foods and drinks, can lead to higher blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity."
The blog was picked up by the Huffington Post United Kingdom, which has been shared more than 7,200 times and liked more than 1,900 times on the Renegade Pharmacist's Facebook page.
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