Carbonated drinks have always been associated with scores of health concerns including leveraging obesity, kidney damage, and even certain cancers. For many years, Coca-Cola has been linked with alternate usage apart from being consumed as a beverage.
For example, it was found as an effective solution for scrubbing out rusts, some use it to unclog drains while others swear by it being an effective bleaching agent for cleaning floors.
A new study has revealed surprising effects of Coca-Cola in treating stomach blockages too. Coca-Cola was invented by a pharmacist named John Pemberton in 1886. And that was the only link Coca-Cola has to medicine. Mr. Pemberton invented the drink in hope of leveraging commercial success in beverage market since soda fountain was gaining popularity as a gathering spot for socials.
What is Phytobezoar?
Phytobezoar is a disorder of the gastrointestinal system, brought on by the accumulation of trapped mass in the stomach consisting of components of indigestible plant materials. Most common ones include cellulose, pumpkin seeds, prunes, raisins, vegetable, and fruits. It is a relatively infrequent disorder of the stomach which can lead to a few symptoms like vomiting, nausea, gastric obstruction, tummy ache and even bleeding.
Treating Phytobezoar
Studies suggest Coca-Cola as an effective solution for clearing stomach blockages. Following are the results gathered through the research conducted on 46 patients with Phytobezoar at the Medical School of Athens University:
- Full Recovery from Phytobezoar — 23
- Additional Non-Invasive treatment — 19
- Full Surgery — 4
According to a study published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Coca-Cola was found as the best cure for treatment of Phytobezoar with a success rate of 91.3 percent. It is still a question mark as to how the said beverage is able to clear up the gastric track, one possibility revolves around linking its behavior to that of gastric acid. The presence of sodium bicarbonate found in coke is said to have a loosening effect while combined with bubbles from carbon dioxide may have a hand in aiding dissolve and clearing up the blockages.
