What Happens to the Body: The Hour After Enjoying a Coke

Despite known risks, the caffeinated sweet drink continues to enjoy major popularity. Read ahead to learn what a can of coke does to your body after that ice-cold indulgence.

Coca-Cola doesn’t just have too much sugar, it also creates other ill effects in our bodies. Health blogger and pharmacist Niraj Naik once analyzed the hour after a can of coke on his blog “The Renegade Pharmacist”…

What “ The Renegade Pharmacist” describes:

The first 20 minutes

10 whole teaspoons (50 ml) of pure sugar get into your system with one can of coke. Naik writes that, normally, the body would react by vomiting after taking is so much sugar all at once. However, the clever manufacturers have mixed phosphoric acid into the drink to suppress this natural reflex. It acts as the counterweight to the sweet taste, and thus prevents vomiting in the first 10 minutes.

After 20 minutes, your blood sugar level rises. The body needs to release more insulin to be able to process the sugar. The liver then begins to deposit fat reserves from as many carbohydrates as possible. The result of this, for the most part, ends up in your thighs or stomach.

Sense of pleasure after 45 minutes

Naik says that the caffeine begins to take effect a good 40 minutes after consuming the coke. Dilated pupils and an increase in blood pressure follow. The liver once again pumps more sugar into the bloodstream, making you feel awake and active. The caffeine also blocks the adenosine receptors in the brain, preventing drowsiness. Just 5 minutes later, you’re overcome with a pleasant feeling. That’s because your body is producing more dopamine. This messenger substance triggers feelings like happiness and comfort in the brain.

Finally, comes the crash

A good hour passes before the bladder calls and a trip to the restroom is unavoidable. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc, which were bonded by the phosphoric acid in the lower intestinal tract, are now excreted. These minerals are actually important for growing bones, especially in children.

After more than 60 minutes, the effects of the coke begin to fade. Insulin has conquered the sugar and consequently the sugar levels crash. The high is over. Consumers become irritable or get a voracious appetite. The water that was consumed with the coke has now been excreted, and lost with it are important minerals.