Too many fizzy drinks found to be bad for the penis

Fizzy drinks have perhaps rightfully received plenty of bad press in recent years on a regular basis. After all, the high sugary drinks have been closely linked to tooth decay, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and can even quicken up the aging process.

Now there could be another reason to leave the fizzy drinks well alone, with scientists reporting there is a link between soda consumption and problems ‘down there’ for men – more specifically fertility and erectile dysfunction.

Scientists based at Copenhagen University Hospital made the findings after looking at consumption of Coca-Cola. For the study they looked at 2,554 men who drank large amounts of coke and found that drinking 1 litre of the fizzy drink on a daily basis could cut a man’s sperm count by a staggering 30% and also cause impotence problems.

Those addicted to fizzy drinks were found to have an average sperm count of 35 million per millilitre, compared to 56 million per millilitre in those who consumed less coke. Despite 35million per millilitre falling within the normal range, it will place men more at risk of eventually becoming infertile.

Even though many would probably assume caffeine to be the culprit for the men’s health risks, researchers in the study discovered there does not seem to be any direct correlation between the caffeine consumed in other drinks such as coffee and tea, meaning there is something else within fizzy drinks that is the root of the problems.

The scientists did note that while getting an erection also depended on both physical and psychological factors, they believe that there is a sweetener used in the drink which could cause damage to arteries in the penis, hindering the blood flow through it.

The failure of being able to achieve and sustain an erection may in fact be a result of large amounts of fructose corn syrup, a sweetener added to many fizzy drinks. In addition, visceral fat deposition, caused by unhealthy diet habits such as drinking fizzy drinks, is also a factor in erectile dysfunction.
In conclusion, the scientists report that drinking the odd can of coke or other fizzy drink should be OK and not lead to any catastrophic side effects, but those guzzling more than a litre per day should try and cut down.