Is Sprite Better For You Than Coke?

I travel for work. A lot. And while I’m out and about, I see and hear things all the time that drive me crazy. I just feel like I should reach out and help.

My husband, Adam, has to almost restrain me sometimes from giving unsolicited health advice to random strangers. It just kills me that people are trying to do the right thing, but don’t have the right information!

Recently, I was at the airport and I sat at the bar to get a salad before my flight – it was the only place to sit in the busy restaurant. While I sat there and ate, the guy next to me polished off 4 mixed drinks in quick succession.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut!

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So I asked him about his unusual beverage choice – whiskey and Sprite. He told me that his friend had been drinking whiskey and Coke, and the friend’s doctor told him that the caffeine in the Coke was causing his high blood pressure.

So his friend had switched to Sprite as his mixer, and he had decided to as well, on the advice of his friend.

Well, they got it partly right…

Truth: Overdoing caffeine can definitely cause higher blood pressure, but so can too much sugar, which those drinks were loaded with. And heavy drinking – 4 drinks or more for men, and even less for women – can also increase blood pressure, according to scientific studies.

I wanted to tell him that he would do well to cut down on both the soda and the alcohol if he really wants to lower his blood pressure, but who wants random health advice from strangers?

I can’t help every stranger I meet, but I’m so glad I can pass the right information on to you!

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Jennifer Landa, M.D., is the Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD and author of the top-selling book, The Sex Drive Solution for Women. Dr. Landa is an internationally recognized speaker and medical sexual health expert, who helps men and women rediscover their libido and rekindle passion and sexuality in their lives. She practices anti-aging and integrative medicine and dedicates her practice to bioidentical hormone therapy, customized nutrition and fitness programs.