How much myopia can a child get from drinking a bottle of Coke?

When we are born, our eyes are still semi-finished products, which is a kind of "congenital hypoplasia"; in order to continuously improve as we grow, we need "acquired development".

During the development of the eyeball, the eye gradually changes from hyperopia to emmetropia, and the length of the eyeball gradually increases. At the same time, the visual system is constantly improving as the body grows. If the anterior-posterior diameter of the eyeball grows too fast during the emmetropization process, myopia will form.

How do carbonated drinks aggravate myopia?

Regular consumption of carbonated beverages can not only cause a decline in physical fitness, but also cause worsening of myopia.

The occurrence and development of myopia is the result of the combined effects of genetic factors, environmental factors and nutritional factors. When we use our eyes at close range, such as reading and writing, our eyes will produce a convergence effect.

If you drink carbonated drinks frequently, not only do they contain a lot of sugar, but they can also reduce the amount of calcium in the body, causing the calcium content in the sclera to drop, causing the eyeball wall to lose its normal elasticity, and the eyeball can easily be stretched, causing myopia to increase too quickly.

Xu Fei, deputy chief physician and director of strabismus, amblyopia and pediatric ophthalmology at Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), said: After myopia occurs, most people will wear concave lenses for correction. The degree of most myopia lenses in the peripheral area is higher than that in the central area, causing the central optical focus of adolescents wearing glasses to fall on the retina, while the paracentral optical focus falls behind the retina, forming paracentral hyperopic defocus. The retina in the peripheral area will try to get close to the focus, causing the eyeball to lengthen. If you drink carbonated beverages frequently, the calcium content in the eyeball will be reduced, which will weaken the toughness of the eyeball wall and cannot effectively resist the trend of hyperopic defocus leading to the lengthening of the eyeball, but will make myopia worse.

Does this mean we can’t drink carbonated drinks anymore?

You can drink it, but don't drink too much. Some teenagers drink carbonated drinks as water and eat them as meals, which is not advisable. You should drink more boiled water and don't be picky about food, so as to ensure balanced nutrition, which is beneficial to the development of the body, especially the eyes.

Studies have found that most myopic people lack trace elements such as zinc and chromium. In addition, eating more sugar will reduce the content of growth factor "protein 3" in the body, which is an effective substance to inhibit eye growth.

Director Xu Fei reminds: teenagers should eat more foods high in calcium, such as animal cartilage, beans, dried shrimps, eggs, peanuts, and dates, and drink less carbonated drinks, especially cola drinks. Only in this way can they ensure daily calcium intake, strengthen their bodies, and slow down the progression of myopia.