| MadSci Network: General Biology |
Hi Keanna, there is no evidence to suggest that Coca-cola is in any way a calcium blocker. If it were of use in that area it would save the medical profession a great deal of money. Excess metabolic calcium is a common cause of high blood pressure, and sufferers need to observe a special low calcium diet plus take a regular course of calcium blockers. These tablets are called calcium receptor antagonists and work by resembling calcium, and thus fool the system by blocking the receptor sites from absorbing more calcium. There should not be any need to supplement a normal healthy diet with extra calcium. Any excess calcium is gotten rid of through either nail growth or through the appearance of tiny hard whiteheads, often found on the upper cheeks. The adverse effects from excess Coca Cola stem from its high sugar content. A good source of calcium is broccoli, but whether the calcium is manufactured by the plant or merely drawn up from the soil via the roots I do not know. As far as the animal kingdom is concerned, Ca is number one at the top of the list of dietry requirements and their way of dealing with excess is the same as ours.
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