Coca-Cola Used to Treat Gastric Phytobezoar

While Coca-Cola has been getting some bad PR in the health circles, linking it with rising rates of obesity and diabetes, some of the doctors have come out with a unique way of making the drink useful, in a good way, by using it to treat a painful stomach condition. Researchers at University of Athens found that doctors are using Coca-Cola to treat gastric phytobezoar, a condition which causes stomach blockage and unless treated quickly can also lead to bowel obstruction. Conventional treatment for the condition includes lasers, non surgical endoscopy and even surgery.

However the researchers found that using Coca-Cola proved to be effective in 90 percent of the cases as the chemicals present in the drink, and any other fizzy drink, produces an effect similar to gastric acid by dissolving the fibers while the bubbles speed up the process.

“Coca-Cola administration is a cheap, easy-to-perform and safe procedure that can be accomplished at any endoscopy unit”, the researchers wrote in their report, which has been published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Source-Medindia