Doctor issues warning after treating serious affliction of patient who drank 3 liters of Coca-Cola daily: 'Essential measures'

A man who drank up to three liters of Coca-Cola each day experienced a painful complication that could have consumers reconsidering their soda intake.  

What's happening?

As detailed by the New York Post, Dr. Thales Andrade warned against guzzling soda like water after he removed 35 kidney stones from the man who consumed two to three liters of Coca-Cola every day. The Brazil-based urologist shared footage of the stones on Instagram.

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A post shared by Dr. Thales Franco de Andrade - Urologista (@drthalesandrade)

"Maintaining adequate hydration and avoiding excessive consumption of soda are essential measures for prevention," Andrade said. "Kidney health begins with the daily choices of what we drink."

Why is this important?

One study found that drinking just one soda per day could increase the risk of having a kidney stone by 23%. Kidney stones can cause stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, fever and chills, and blood in urine, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

While Coca-Cola original doesn't contain petroleum-based artificial food dyes found in some sodas, according to its ingredients list, it does use caramel coloring, which the Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends avoiding when possible. Meanwhile, diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which is connected to cancer like caramel coloring.

Beyond the health risks, soda consumption can also contribute to longer-term environmental issues. While major soda makers such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have initiatives underway to reduce plastic waste, they also regularly top the list of the world's worst plastic polluters, contributing to overcrowded landfills and landscapes contaminated with toxic waste.

What can be done about this? 

Thomas Galligan, the principal scientist for food additives and supplements at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told The Cool Down that a diet soda is a better choice than a sugar-filled soda because "sugar can cause weight gain and metabolic effects and cardiovascular disease risk and all these terrible things that we know very clearly."

However, healthier options include tea, water, and other unsweetened beverages without artificial food dyes. While limiting soda intake is better for your body, avoiding single-use plastics and packaging can help maximize the short- and long-term health and environmental benefits.  

University of Newcastle researchers found that the average person ingests around a credit card's worth of plastic — derived from dirty fuels — each week. Studies have linked microplastic exposure to cancer, fertility issues, dementia, and other issues.

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