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The Truth About Cola
We all know the negative effects associated with drinking cola, but some may benefit from its consumption as well.
My husband drives an 18-wheeler cross-country, hauling everything from gourmet chocolate to toilet parts. Every once in awhile he hauls a load of hazardous materials, such as photo-processing chemicals, and is required to place the HazMat placards on his truck. On those occasions when he transports Coca-Cola in the concentrated form, he must use the placards designated for "highly corrosive materials."
While that might be considered insider knowledge, Coca-Cola's massive sugar content is no secret.
There are nearly fifty grams of sugar in one regular twelve-ounce can of Coca-Cola, which is equivalent to a quarter cup of sugar. Within the first few seconds of the initial gulp, blood sugar levels shoot through the roof, releasing a surge of insulin from an overwhelmed pancreas. The liver frantically turns as much of the sugar as it can into fat (which is why obesity is so often blamed on high consumption of soda) and afterwards, the inevitable sugar crash creates feelings of lethargy and malaise.
Knowing all of this, I was very intrigued recently when I heard rumors that cola might, in fact, provide positive health benefits. Apparently, results of early studies show that Coca-Cola may facilitate the absorption of iron in anemic young women, and there is a new cross-over trial underway in the United Kingdom to determine whether this is true. The study, led by Sue Fairweather-Tait, a professor in the School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice at the University of East Anglia, will provide sixteen female participants with pizza, a favorite food item for the young women involved in the research. After the meal, the participants will be asked to drink Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, or mineral water, in order to determine which drink is most successful at assisting the body in absorbing iron from the food.
According to Fairweather-Tait, iron deficiency anemia is a global problem, and Coca-Cola might just provide a cheap, easily accessible, and popular solution to that problem.
Interestingly, long before the discovery of a possible link between Coca-Cola and increased iron absorption, many people have used Coca-Cola to address health concerns.
The Miracle Kidney Cleanse requires the patient to drink 6 cans of Coca-Cola within a two hour period to rid the body of kidney stones.
The Coca-Cola Liver and Gallbladder Flush, which requires 5 ounces of cola, 6 ounces of virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, is reputed to be an effective purge for worms and parasites.
Which brings me back to the "highly corrosive" HazMat placards that my husband must place on his truck before hauling cola concentrate. It is the phosphoric acid contained in Coca-Cola (ph of 2.8) that is the corrosive element responsible for breaking down kidney stones (not to mention leeching calcium from bones, creating a rise in the number of cases of osteoporosis). It is also worthwhile to note that, due to this high level of phosphoric acid, Coca-Cola is infamously used to remove rust from chrome, loosen rusty bolts, and clean corrosion from car battery terminals, while doing (some say) a marvelous job of removing worms and parasites from the body.
Considering the above, it is easy to imagine them fleeing for their lives.
For more on cola, visit the EnvyMyHealth.com Nutrition Channel!
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