# Any other harmful effects of soda ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2000, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774 "2000-02-03T19:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/1 "2000-02-04T06:03:00Z")
I have been a Coca-Cola junkie for most of my life. I paid for it with my teeth, which were extracted and replaced with dentures two months ago (I’m only 21). Ten days ago I quit smoking cigarettes and noticed that to replace them, I’ve been drinking more coke than ever. Can my ultra-acidic elixir cause any other health problems? Anyone know if it’ll harm the dentures in large amounts? * * * Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion. –Writer Ron Hubbard in 1949 who later founded the Church of Scientology ---
**Author:** ![ignatiusjreilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@ignatiusjreilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatiusjreilly)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/2 "2000-02-04T06:08:00Z")
A dentist friend once told me that soda is the teeth’s worst enemy. It’s liquid sugar, it’s acidic, and it can touch every piece of the surface of your teeth. Not good. As far as other unhealthful effects. Here are three: 1. Caffeine is a diuretic and can really dehydrate the body if consumed in large quantities (as is found in soda) 2. It’s very acidic and can cause pretty hefty indigestion in some people 3. Three words: Lots o’ calories. I’m sure there’s a few more… ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/3 "2000-02-03T19:29:00Z")
First, you had to get dentures at 21 purely from drinking coke? That seems hard to believe. Are there other factors? Is your water fluoridated? (Fluorinated? sp?) Do you brush, floss, gargle/rinse? See the dentist regularly? (Hey, don’t look at me that way.) Exactly how much coke do you drink per day? Another side effect, Caffeine is an amphetamine. Large doses will make you hyper and jittery. I found out in college it is _evil_. Did the typical all-nighter with caffeine a few times, found it made me literally sick to my stomach and unable to eat as well as jittery as a chihuahua in ice-water drinking espresso. I’m not sure if there are potential mental ramifications. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/4 "2000-02-03T19:42:00Z")
I drink over a gallon of coke a day. When I told this to my dentist, he said “Yeah, you can’t drink that much coke and expect to keep your teeth for long.” And caffeine is not an amphetamine. It’s a stimulant, but not all stimulants are amphetamines. * * * “I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There’s a knob called ‘brightness,’ but it doesn’t work.” –Gallagher ---
**Author:** ![TheUnforgiven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TheUnforgiven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheUnforgiven)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/5 "2000-02-03T19:52:00Z")
I would think that cigarettes would have something to do with the bad teeth too? Or am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/6 "2000-02-03T20:55:00Z")
Yeah, cigs will turn your teeth yellow, but soda actually eats away the enamel of the teeth. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-harmful-effects-of-soda/6774/7 "2000-02-03T21:59:00Z")
A **gallon** of coke?? You drink a **gallon** of coke _every day_??? Good heavens, I’d be amazed if the only thing wrong with you was loss of your teeth! This is an addiction, man! You need help. Get help for yourself! You are 21 years old and you have lost your teeth already due to this addiction. Keep it up and you’ll kill yourself! -Melin