DRINKING soft drinks every day, whether it contains sugar or not, may weaken the immune system and upset the balance of good bacteria in the stomach and the intestines, according to a new study.
In the research, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, scientists gave rats only soft drinks (cola) to drink for eight weeks. One group drank sugary cola, another drank diet cola and a third group drank water.
Even though the rats did not gain weight and their blood sugar and cholesterol levels stayed normal, those that drank cola showed signs of health problems.
Both the sugary and diet cola groups had fewer white blood cells. White blood cells help the body fight infections, so having fewer of them may mean a weaker immune system.
Rats that drank sugary cola also showed changes in organs linked to immunity. Rats that drank diet cola did not have the same spleen changes, but they showed higher liver enzyme levels, which can be a sign that the liver is under strain.
Both cola groups had lower levels of total protein in their blood, which may affect overall health.
The researchers said that the results suggested that the health effects of cola are not only due to sugar. Artificial sweeteners and other ingredients may also affect the body.
However, the scientists stressed that this was an animal study and the rats drank only cola and no water, which is not how most people drink soft drinks, as such more research is needed to know if the same effects happen in humans.