Man Who Drank 7 Liters Of Soda Daily For A Decade Suffers Severe Health Consequences

A doctor has issued a stark warning that soda should only be used “reasonably and sparingly” after detailing a medical case where excessive consumption led to a man's collapse and disastrous health implications.

The YouTube channel Chubbyemu, which aims to raise awareness by chronicling medical incidents, reported on a patient identified as BA, a 48-year-old father who had been drinking seven liters of soda daily for “at least” ten years. He was brought to the emergency department “with sudden onset weakness.”

The doctor explained that BA “was a dad living a normal life” until, at age 30, he took a new job that offered “free, unlimited soda for employees to drink.” This revelation might make you view complimentary workplace sodas in a slightly different light.

According to the video, BA gradually increased his Coke consumption until it became an addiction, with unsettling effects on his body.

‘The More He Drank the Thirstier He Got’

Reports indicated that BA would “wake up thirsty” and immediately reach for “his normal morning soda.” However, “the more he drank, the thirstier he got. In the bathroom, for the 10th time in two hours.”

The father developed shortness of breath, stomach ache, and “brain fog,” which eventually progressed to him “stuttering and slurring his words.” Ultimately, BA was discovered comatose at his desk and hospitalized.

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Negative Health Effects of Drinking Seven Liters of Soda a Day for Ten Years

Due to the sweet nature of the drink, BA’s blood sugar levels had been “sky high for at least the last three months,” ultimately causing him to enter a “diabetic coma.” Reports also indicated that BA had elevated blood pressure and cholesterol.

Initially, BA did not identify his soda habit as a possible contributing factor to his health issues, so he didn't mention it to the physicians. He was merely advised to start exercising and eating a healthier diet.

Although he did manage to switch to drinking sodas with no added sugar half the time, he eventually quit his job and went out to buy multipacks for himself again. One day, after struggling to get up in the morning and experiencing excessive urination, he collapsed.

This time, the medical team identified 'hypokalemia' in addition to BA’s history of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, alongside his 'deep physical weakness'.

‘Life-Threatening’ Consequences

BA was found to have “life-threateningly low” potassium, a condition known as hypokalemia. Subsequent findings revealed that BA’s muscles were “damaged” and “spilling their contents out,” a condition known as “rhabdomyolysis,” and that his kidneys were also “shutting down.”

Doctors administered intravenous fluids, but BA experienced a “massive headache” and parched mouth. He called his wife, desperately asking her to bring him soda to quench his thirst.

Although his dry mouth and headache subsided, his test results the following day revealed persistent hypokalemia. Furthermore, he had produced 15.1 liters of urine, despite having received only 3.78 liters via IV. The potassium doctors were trying to replenish was being wasted by his kidneys, with water running straight through him.

A student, after observing BA receiving sodas from his wife, reportedly conducted some research and discovered that the soda’s excessive sweetener and caffeine “explained everything happening to BA.”

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Why Excess Sugar and Caffeine Consumption Can Be So Dangerous

The physician explained that “In the kidneys, huge excess sugar from drinking one to two gallons of soda every day for 10 years can make it harder to absorb water because the water will want to stay with the sugar.”

The other critical issue is caffeine. Caffeine “blocks inhibition” and prevents a bodily chemical from aiding in blood vessel dilation, which typically increases blood flow to the heart and brain and promotes sleep. Furthermore, by reabsorbing salt, this molecule also helps the kidneys retain water. As a result, the caffeine in the sodas prevented sodium reabsorption in the urine, causing BA to lose a significant amount of fluid. BA’s kidneys eventually shut down, and his muscles weakened due to the muscular proteins floating around in his blood from the excessive urination.

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What Happened to BA?

Fortunately, BA eventually received effective medical assistance. After being instructed to stop drinking soda, BA’s blood potassium levels began to normalize, his renal function improved, and his muscle weakness disappeared—“some baseline function achieved again.”

The doctor cautioned that even diet Coke still contains caffeine. And sugar-free, caffeine-free diet sodas? They can still pose various concerns.

The doctor concluded, “So take the study results with what you will. Type 2 diabetes and all its comorbidities like heart problems and nerve damage. Hypokalemia and all its consequences and kidney stones are what we’re thinking of when we’re speaking of excess chronic soda ingestion.”

Therefore, the advice is clear: “consume [soda] sensibly and sparingly,” but ultimately, “don’t put it in your body if you don’t need to.”

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