We all know that soda is objectively bad for us. It’s way too sugary, it contains nothing nutritious, and it’s high in calories. Still, it’s hard to deny that sometimes you just want an ice-cold can of Coca-Cola. It’s refreshing and delicious, health be damned! But after hearing this gross fact about this soda, you just might change your mind (for now, at least). Apparently, drinking a can of Coke is actually supposed to make you vomit… and the only reason it doesn’t is because the company adds something to the drink to keep that from happening.
The reason this happens is simple: Coca-Cola is made with so much sugar that your body literally isn’t supposed to be able to handle it. So yes, what they say about Coke is true — it really is too sweet!
One can of Coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.
British pharmacist Niraj Naik wrote about the effects of sugar on his blog, The Renegade Pharmacist. He said that the amount of sugar in Coca-Cola is so intense that your body’s natural reaction is to immediately vomit. If you’re wondering why that doesn’t happen, it’s because Coca-Cola has thought two steps ahead: they added phosphoric acid to Coke, to “cut the flavor” so that you can keep the liquid down safely.
If that fact isn’t horrifying enough, here’s another one: 10 teaspoons of coke is almost twice the amount of sugar the average female is supposed to ingest in a day. So if you have even one can, you’re having way too much sugar for the entire day.
Niraj also said that within 40 minutes of drinking a can of Coke, your pupils will dilate, your blood sugar will spike, and you’ll get a huge caffeine hit. After 60 minutes, you’ll start to crash, you’ll need to pee, and you’ll become irritable. Then, of course, you’ll want another Coke. That’s because all of that sugar is addictive (researchers have even said sugar can be as addictive as heroin).
In a statement released to the press, Coca-Cola said that the beverage is “perfectly safe to drink and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle.”
Still, this is mildly terrifying, and definitely something to think about before you down that next can of Coke.
