Dr Pepper -- a soft drink in a category all its own -- with the color but not the taste of cola, contains essentially the same ingredients as other soft drinks. Like colas, Dr Pepper contains carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring and artificial flavoring as well as a hefty dose of caffeine. Although the ingredients in Dr. Pepper may not be the healthiest, none has proven to cause any type of cysts.
Caffeine and Cysts
Although caffeine has been blamed for increasing the risk of breast cysts, it has not been clinically proven to increase the risk of any type of cysts, including breast cysts, Dr. Susan Love reports. Caffeine may increase premenstrual breast tenderness by raising levels of cortisol, which can increase your stress hormones. Stress hormones, in turn, can affect reproductive hormones that can increase breast tenderness, according to MayoClinic.com.
Artificial Flavors
Although artificial flavors and preservatives have also been blamed for many health problems, the only proof of negative health effects from food additives is an increase in hives in people who consume FD&C Yellow No. 5. Around 1 in 10,000 people may have a reaction to this dye. The FDA reports no increase in any type of cysts from food additives.
Sugar and Cysts
The sugar found most often in Dr Pepper is the most commonly used sweetener in the United States: high-fructose corn syrup. Many alternative practitioners and herbalists, such as Carlos Guerra of HerbWorld, believe that high sugar intake can increase the risk of different types of cysts, including acne cysts. The evidence, however, is primarily anecdotal.
Considerations
There is no proof that Dr Pepper increases the risk of developing any type of cysts. If the ingredients in this specific brand of soda increases cysts, then the same holds true of other sodas, which contain the same ingredients, although in different well-guarded formulas. Cysts, which can be fluid-filled solid or air-filled, have many different causes, all of which should be examined by a doctor.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Does Caffeine Cause Breast Cysts?
- Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation: Breast and Nipple Problems
- Food and Drug Administration: Food Ingredients and Colors
- HerbWorld: Ask the Herbalist - Cysts
- Dr Pepper: Nutritional Facts
- MayoClinic.com: Caffeine Content For Coffee, Tea, Soda and More
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