Soft drinks trigger hypokalaemia

If gulping down a bottle of cola is part of your everyday life then think again. Health experts warn that excessive consumption of soft drinks can lead to a variety of symptoms from slight weakness to muscle paralysis. The main reason for this is that the potassium level in the blood will reduce drastically due to regular consumption of cola. This is summer time and soft drinks sell like anything in the market. People tend to favor the colas rather than water, tender coconut or buttermilk mainly because of the difference in flavor. But in an attempt to delight your taste buds you may degrade the physiological working of your body. In the past people have been reported of diseases like tiredness, loss of appetite, vomiting and even lung paralysis due to excess cola consumption. But they felt recovery once they stopped their cola drinking habit. The three major ingredients found in soft drinks are glucose, fructose and caffeine and they are responsible for hypokalaemia. Potassium is a vital mineral that plays a crucial role maintaining the water balance in the body acting as an electrolyte and also aids in the proper working of the heart. Heavy cola drinkers will see a significant drop in the serum potassium levels over a period of time. Cola makers stress that consumption in moderate amounts will cause no harm. But it is always better to be safe than sorry later. So it is high time that we realize what we are doing and tame our cola consumption habit swiftly.