The ingredients of cola drinks vary, with some healthier than others. Generally, however, regular cola is nothing but a sugary beverage that adds no nutrition to your diet. It contains sugar and caffeine, both of which can affect your health negatively. Read nutrition labels carefully to determine if the cola products you choose contain significant amounts of these unhealthy ingredients.
Sugar
A 12 oz. can of cola might contain 33 grams of sugar, from which most of its 136 calories come. Different brands might have more or less sugar and calories. People who often drink cola with their meals add a significant number of calories to their diets, but don't obtain any nutritional benefit. If you're not exercising enough to burn the calories you take in with your diet, eventually you will gain weight. If you reach a level of obesity, you face an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
Caffeine
A 12 oz. can of cola might contain roughly 30 to 50 g of caffeine, depending on brand. If you only drink one can of cola a day, you fall well within the safe range of caffeine intake, which is 200 to 300 g per day, according to MayoClinic.com. But if you have caffeine sensitivity, or if you drink many cans of cola daily, you might experience negative health effects, including restlessness, irritability, stomach upset, nervousness, insomnia, fast heartbeat and muscle tremors.
Warning
Some cola manufacturers spike the amount of sugar and caffeine in their products, often claiming their beverages will give you an energy boost. As long as your total daily intakes of sugar and caffeine stay low, you might not experience any negative health effects from drinking these beverages. The problem with them, however, is that you might not realize how much sugar and caffeine you're consuming.
Alternative
Drinking cola occasionally shouldn't pose a risk, especially if you usually follow a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly. But each time you drink cola, your body is taking in a substance that provides little nutritional benefit. A healthier option is to choose another beverage, such as milk or a low-sugar juice, which provides healthy nutrients. Another option is to choose diet colas that don't contain sugar or caffeine. For sweetness, these types of cola use artificial sweeteners, which add few or no calories.
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