It’s no secret that soda can be oh-so-delicious, but that bubbly beverage we all love comes with a price. Doctors have been waving the warning flag for years, cautioning us about the dangers of chugging down sugary, calorie-packed drinks on the regular. Not only can these beverages wreak havoc on our pearly whites and expand our waistlines, but they can also lead to a seriously painful medical condition that might even require surgery to fix.
Recently, Brazil-based urologist Dr. Thales Andrade shared a shocking story about a man who consumed 2 to 3 liters of cola every day and ended up with a whopping 35 kidney stones in his bladder. In a jaw-dropping Instagram video, Dr. Andrade displayed a dish filled with large, yellow stones while the patient lay on the operating table behind him. Not a pretty sight, that’s for sure.
What exactly are kidney stones, you ask? Well, they’re solid objects that form in the kidneys when certain substances in urine, like calcium, sodium, oxalate, and uric acid, get out of whack. When there’s an imbalance of these particles and not enough liquid to flush them out, they clump together and crystallize, creating those painful stones we all dread. Depending on their size, kidney stones can either pass without a fuss or cause excruciating pain. So, it’s no surprise that when they start to travel down the urinary tract, things can get pretty uncomfortable.
Not really sure why this matters, but it turns out that drinking soda, especially the ones loaded with high fructose corn syrup, can spike up uric acid levels in the body. This can lead to the formation of crystals in the kidneys, ultimately resulting in those dreaded kidney stones. And let’s not forget about phosphoric acid, a common ingredient in sodas, especially colas, that makes your kidneys more acidic, creating the perfect setting for stones to take shape. Oh, and caffeine in sodas acts as a diuretic, nudging you towards dehydration, which, surprise surprise, can also contribute to the formation of kidney stones.
A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that folks who gulp down one or more sodas each day face a 23% higher risk of kidney stones compared to those who sip on less than one serving a week. Artificially sweetened drinks like fruit punch can also up your risk. Not to mention, the 63% of Americans who indulge in sugar-packed beverages daily are not doing their kidneys any favors. But hey, the silver lining here is cutting back on soda can actually help. In a study, kidney stone sufferers who ditched soda, especially the ones with phosphoric acid, slashed their chances of developing another stone by 15%. So, maybe it’s time to rethink that daily soda habit, huh?
Kidney stones tend to pick on men in their 30s and 40s most, but hey, they don’t discriminate. Anyone, regardless of age or gender, can fall victim to these pesky stones. Dehydration, a diet rich in protein, salt, and sugar, and popping large doses of vitamin C supplements can all up your odds of developing kidney stones. Not to mention, if you’ve had stomach or intestine surgery, take certain medications, or have a family history of kidney stones, you might want to keep an eye out for these little troublemakers. And let’s not forget about medical conditions like cystic fibrosis, diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity, which can also increase your risk.
So, the moral of the story here? Watch what you drink, stay hydrated, and maybe cut back on the soda. Your kidneys will thank you.
