Would Coca Cola Harm My Baby? Something Every Mom Should Know

Originally invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca Cola was created with the intention to be sold as a patent medicine! The bubbly drink, with its unique flavor, quickly caught the attention of everyone’s palate to reach the heights it has today. The first ever drink of it’s kind, Coca Cola has now become the most purchased soda on a commercial scale. However, it does raise a pertinent question – can I give it to my little one?

Coca Cola contains carbonic acid. It also contains caffeine, artificial flavoring, coloring agents as well as substances such as phosphorus. The digestive system in an adult’s body is far more developed than that of a baby’s, thus allowing grown-ups to process the various constituents in soft drinks. A baby’s digestive track, however, is a lot more delicate and sensitive to stimulants such as caffeine.

Caffeine is a psychoactive drug that keeps your mind awake. Excess consumption of caffeine can lead to insomnia. Since babies are more sensitive to drugs, even a small amount of Coca Cola could lead to insomnia and disrupt a baby’s sleep cycle. Which is not fun. Furthermore, caffeine is a well-known diuretic, so if you aren’t sufficiently hydrated, it could cause dehydration.

In This Article

Coca Cola And Breastfeeding

There is a myth that consuming a glass of Coca Cola before feeding your baby will help promote breast milk flow. That is completely false. Your nipples are a modified sweat gland; just as sugar and caffeine do not make you sweat profusely, they do not stimulate the flow of breast milk either. In fact, the caffeine levels in Coca Cola will lead to dehydration. This, in turn, will affect the quantity of your breast milk.

What Is Coca Cola Made From?

Coca Cola is concocted by mixing water containing carbonic acid along with the concentrated syrup created by the founders. It is said that the concentrated syrup is composed of sucrose/high-fructose corn syrup, phosphoric acid, caffeine, caramel colour and natural flavoring.

There are rumors that Coca Cola contains hints of cocaine in the drink (no wonder the drink is so addictive!). The original drink itself contained the drug opiate. The word ‘Coca’ comes from one of the ingredients in Coca Cola: Coca leaf. This is the same plant used in the manufacturing of the illegal drug: cocaine. Coca Cola’s manufacturers say that they use coca leaf extract free of any cocaine.

Coca Cola Consumption And Bone Density

A study carried out by researchers at Boston’s Tufts University in the year 2006 found that women who consumed carbonated cola drinks such as Pepsi and Coca Cola on a regular basis had lower bone density than women who didn’t consume these drinks.

This study was carried out on 1,413 women over the course of five years where they had their bone density and daily dietary records measured on a regular basis. It was found that women who consumed cola drinks more than thrice a week had a notably reduced bone density in comparison to those women who consumed the drink only once every week.

It is hypothesized that the reason for reduced bone density is the presence of phosphorus in cola drinks. When our body encounters phosphorus, it requires minerals such as magnesium and calcium. The higher the amount of cola you consume, the greater the amount of calcium your body requires in your bloodstream to process the excess phosphorus.

The next time you contemplate whether a few sips of cola won’t harm your baby, remember the harm they do to your own body and try to imagine that harm on a greater scale. It is a safer bet to stick to good old milk for now mommy!

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