It’s no secret that soda can have drastic effects on the body. But this? I don’t think anyone saw this coming.

Researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital recently discovered something rather disturbing during a study of more than 2,500 young men.

The study’s main purpose was to determine if the men were fit for military service. It’s a standard test that all Danish men at the age of 18 have to complete.

The men were required to fill out a questionnaire regarding their soda consumption. And that’s where things got really interesting.

Scientists found that in excessive soda guzzlers, sperm count was as low as 35 million per milliliter while moderate soda guzzlers had a count of 56 million per milliliter.

That’s a roughly 30% drop – not good news for anyone who wishes to stay fertile.

The scary part? Researchers found that the amount of soda one needs to drink to achieve such a drastic drop is a mere 3 cans per day.

The Good News

On the bright side, you probably won’t notice.

Why? Because if you drink that much soda, your penis won’t be of much use. That’s because another study, conducted by scientists at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland found that many excessive soda drinkers also suffer from erectile dysfunction.

That adds a whole new meaning to the term “soft drink.”

giphy (38)

The Cause

The good news is that the caffeine in soda is not to blame for these drastic effects. So men, you can keep drinking your coffee (pro tip: not on an empty stomach).

Doctors have instead pointed the finger at the high fructose corn syrup in soda. The stuff is even worse than regular sugar. Past studies have shown that it’s responsible for everything from an increase in fat to impaired memory and learning capabilities. And now we know it also causes erectile dysfunction.

It primarily does this by damaging arteries and preventing blood flow to the penis. High fructose corn syrup also increases one’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes, which prevents the spongy tissue in the penis from getting enough blood.

Other Effects of Soda

Oh but you wind up with so much more!

Oh but you wind up with so much more!

If  you’re a woman, that doesn’t mean you get off scot-free when it comes to drinking soda. As we’ve highlighted in the past, drinking soda excessively also raises one’s risk for the following:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Weight gain
  • Tooth decay
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Insulin resistance
  • Heart disease
  • Dementia

Bottom line? It’s just not worth it.

Ditching soda doesn’t mean you have to deprive your taste buds of yummy beverages entirely. Check out this video from David’s Facebook page for an awesome, refreshing drink recipe!

https://www.facebook.com/DavidAvocadoWolfe/videos/10153374721461512/

Sources:
AdviceForHim.com
The Independent
PillAdvised.com
Huffington Post
OxfordJournals.org