My future on 10 litres of Coke a day
Uncontrolled diabetes, amputations, severe dental decay, obesity, heart attacks and strokes – that could be my future if I consumed an excessive amount of soft drink every day.
For Invercargill mother of eight Natasha Harris this was her reality. Natasha Harris died in 2010 from cardiac arrhythmia caused by hypokalemia which was potentially related to the large quantities of Coke she drank, an inquest found. A postmortem found she had a fatty liver, gallstones and absent teeth among other medical conditions.
I set about finding out what would happen to a woman of my height, age and weight if I were to consume similar amounts of soft drink. I’m an average height and weight for my 25 years, and I exercise three to four times a week. I have a mild case of asthma but otherwise no medical conditions.
When I inquired about the potential health hazards of drinking 10L of soft drink a day, Dr Simon Thornley, a public health physician and researcher from the University of Auckland, immediately had one question: ‘‘You’re not actually going to do that, are you?’’
After an explanation, he had a simple word of warning: ‘‘Don’t do it!’’
The health repercussions were seemingly endless.
‘‘Considering that three teaspoons [12g] per day for three years is enough to get caries [tooth decay and crumbling] then I think the first thing you would notice is severe dental decay,’’ he said.
This would most likely be followed by uncontrolled diabetes, which could potentially lead to amputation and dialysis.
‘‘There is also ample evidence that you would send yourself down the road to an early death from diabetes (high blood sugar), weight gain, obesity, heart attacks and strokes.’’
He also warned that my mild asthma would likely worsen.
But the warnings didn’t stop there. My risk of cancer was likely to increase, the volume of liquid I was consuming could cause low blood sodium, which leads to cramps and lethargy, or I could get a fatty liver and low potassium levels, which could lead to heart disturbances and death, as was the case for Harris. But everyone is different. Registered dietitian Anna Sloan from Nutrition Connection said some people might experience gastro-related symptoms as bloating and burping, while others may get pimple or acne outbreaks.
Aside from the obvious health concerns, even my behaviour would change. I would most likely struggle to sit and write articles such as this.
‘‘Behaviourally, I think you’d find it hard to concentrate, as you’d be craving sugar and sugary drinks. If you decided to stop, you’d face nasty withdrawal symptoms, so cutting down would be difficult. Like other addictions, you’d probably lose interest in relationships, your job and maintaining your health,’’ Thornley explained.
Sloan agreed. ‘‘Mood swings and irritability can be the result of addiction to caffeine, but some people also feel quite ‘wired’, only to slump when the shortacting energy wears off.’’
At present, I reserve soft drinks for weekends, allowing myself a glass or two in the afternoon or evening, so consuming between six and 10 litres a day was an unfathomable amount, but it wasn’t uncommon.
Data from the Ministry of Health’s 2008/2009 adult nutrition survey found 30.5 per cent of adults aged over 15 years consumed soft drinks or energy drinks three or more times a week, while 8.8 per cent consumed it seven or more times a week.
My three to four days a week of exercise wouldn’t be nearly enough to counteract the damage this drink was doing to my body. Thornley said the ‘‘metabolic mayhem’’ caused by the sugar might even make it impossible to exercise off.
Harris’ Coke consumption was found to not have caused her death, but contributed to it. A lifestyle like hers, which included smoking around 30 cigarettes a day and barely eating, could also lead to various nutritional deficiencies, such as scurvy and thiamine deficiency, Thornley said.
‘‘In short, the health effects would be shocking.’’
So was there a healthy limit for soft drinks? Unfortunately not.
All of these health hazards could affect even mild consumers of soft drink, according to Sloan. So she suggested choosing water over sugary drinks.
‘‘There are no guidelines to say that people should aim to include soft drinks in their diet.’’
Thornley, who overcame an addiction to sugary fruit juice himself, said there was ‘‘no safe lower limit’’ for soft drinks, so he now avoided them altogether.
My three to four days a week of exercise wouldn’t be nearly enough to counteract the damage this drink was doing to my body.