Excessive cola intake leads to muscle problems

Thursday May 21, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- The results of a new study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice add another health risk from cola beverages to an ever growing litany: hypokalemia. Hypokalemia is a condition resulting from plummeting potassium levels. It produces an adverse reaction in the muscles; symptoms range in severity from mild muscle weakness to “profound paralysis.”

The link between the condition and cola consumption is so direct that merely dropping the cola beverages and giving the afflicted patient either oral or IV potassium leads to full recovery.

The study was performed by Dr. Moses Elisaf of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Ioannina, Greece; Dr. Elisaf and his team reviewed cases of muscle weakness that were directly related to consumption of 2-9 liters of cola per day.

Dr. Elisaf maintains that the condition is the result of the negative synergy of glucose, fructose and caffeine that are all abundant in cola drinks. However, he is quick to point out that caffeine seems to be the biggest contributor, citing cases of caffeine toxicity in other studies.

Prior studies have revealed that cola drinks can lead to tooth problems, bone demineralization, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. One study by the National Institutes of Health made a stunning discovery linking cola drinks and kidney disease in 2006 (published in the journal Epidemiology). Researchers studied the diets of 456 people with kidney disease and compared them to a control group of 457 healthy people. Those who drank two or more cola drinks per day increased their risks of renal problems twofold.

Other carbonated beverages do not pose the same risks for kidney disease that cola does, due to the high levels of phosphoric acid contained in the drink. The acid pulls calcium away from the bones, increasing the risk of kidney stones and other serious renal complications.

(By Rachel Stockton, and edited by Heather Kelley)