The "carcinogenic" and "chlorinated water"风波 over cola has not yet subsided, and recently, it has been reported that cola contains alcohol. So, where does the alcohol in cola come from?
Don't worry about consuming excessive alcohol from drinking cola.
Actually, what we care about is what kind of health impact drinking such "alcoholic cola" will have on the human body. Moderate alcohol intake can increase gastric secretion, promote appetite, and dilate blood vessels; however, excessive alcohol can inhibit brain function, affecting judgment, memory, and comprehension, and damaging the stomach and liver.
Therefore, the Chinese Dietary Guidelines recommend that the daily alcohol intake for adult Chinese men should not exceed 25g, and for women, not exceed 15g. Calculated based on the alcohol content in cola, a woman would need to drink 1500 liters of cola to consume 15g of alcohol. This dose is impossible to achieve in a normal diet. The average person's daily cola intake does not exceed 2 liters, and the alcohol intake is only 20mg, so there is no need to worry about consuming excessive alcohol from drinking cola.
Trace amounts of alcohol intake are harmless to most people, but what about those who are allergic to alcohol? This cannot be generalized. People with alcohol allergies usually only experience symptoms like skin itching, red bumps, or red spots after drinking large amounts of alcohol, and have no symptoms from small amounts. Therefore, drinking a bit of cola is not a big problem for this group; however, for extremely allergic individuals who react upon any contact with alcohol, it is recommended to avoid drinking cola.
According to national law, a blood alcohol content of 20mg/100ml is considered drunk driving. The vast majority of people drink no more than 2 liters of cola per day, which amounts to 20mg of alcohol. Not all of this alcohol will be absorbed, and most of what is absorbed will be metabolized by the liver. The residual alcohol in the blood (an adult has an average of 5000ml of blood) cannot possibly reach the standard for drunk driving. Therefore, there is no need to worry about drunk driving from drinking cola.
Cola is not a healthy drink.
As can be analyzed, the trace amounts of alcohol in cola will not have any adverse effects on the human body, so there's no need to dwell on it. If that's the case, can friends who love to drink cola have two cans every day? Long-term consumption of high-sugar, high-energy cola can easily lead to malnutrition, obesity, and cavities, and increase the risk of diabetes and gout. Cola contains phosphoric acid, which can increase calcium loss. Here are the hazards of drinking cola:
1. Malnutrition: The feeling of fullness after drinking cola can affect regular meals, easily leading to malnutrition.
2. Obesity: The sweetness in zero-calorie and diet cola brands comes from zero-calorie sweeteners, while the sweetness in regular cola comes from refined sugars like white sugar, which are high in energy. If you drink it often without increasing exercise, it increases the risk of obesity.
3. Cavities: Because it contains refined sugar, if you drink it frequently and do not brush your teeth diligently afterwards, it increases the risk of cavities.
4. Diabetes: Drinking one can of sugary drink per day increases the risk of diabetes by 20%, and drinking two cans increases the risk by 50%.
5. Gout: Surveys show that men who drink the most sugary drinks have a 102% higher risk of gout compared to those who drink the least. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink sugary drinks like cola frequently.
6. Impact on children's growth and development: Drinking sugary drinks increases the risk of osteoporosis in adults. Calcium is very important for the body. Whether for children, adolescents, adults, or the elderly, calcium deficiency affects health, and the phosphoric acid in cola can accelerate calcium loss.