Former Pharmacist Creates Infographic Of Coca-Cola Effects on Our Body

August 1, 2015 By Kieron Robertson 0 Comments

There are few places around the world where the Coca-Cola logo wouldn’t be recognized, as the brand has made it in the category of most popular beverages of all time. Some people are so addicted to the fizzy drink that they even drink it as a substitute for water.
But the beverage’s effects on the human body have also seen enough controversy, and a recent infographic designed by former pharmacist Naraj Naik set out to establish, once and for all, what reactions take place when a person drinks Coca-Cola.
The chart entitled “What happens one hour after drinking a can of Coke” presents the whole process of the drink’s effect after ingestion, step by step.
Ten minutes in, our system takes a full-blown hit with 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is the equivalent for the upper threshold of our daily recommended intake. You know what keeps us from vomiting immediately? The drink is enriched with phosphoric acid that cancels out the otherwise overwhelming intensity of flavor.
At the 20 minutes milestone, the infographic presents the rising levels of blood sugar caused by the ingestion of excess sugar – something in the way our body reacts to an insulin shot. In its attempt to balance out the excess sugar in the body, the liver gets going and turns it into fat. You can now say hello to your muffin top.
Let 40 minutes pass and enjoy the dilation of the pupils and the increased blood pressure, both of which results from the caffeine our body absorbs from Coca-Cola. In response, the liver releases sugar in the bloodstream, and our brains work in drowsiness prevention.
Forty-five minutes in, our body starts mimicking the effect of a heroin shot by significantly raising the dopamine production. This is basically the reason we enjoy drinking the fuzzy drink so much: our pleasure centers in the brain are tickled every time we take a sip.
It’s been one hour after you’ve drank Coca-Cola and the phosphoric acid in the drink still acts out as a boost to our metabolism. By this time, the urge to pee comes along as the caffeine’s diuretic properties kick in.
Naik said that he was motivated in his research by the prevalence of obesity related diseases, as he was sure that it’s not just the fat that causes people to become obese. And he was right: the high content of fructose corn syrup found in fizzy beverages and processed foods are all contributing to America’s rising obesity rate.
Image Source: Coca-Cola Company