Blistered and peeling away, this teacher says the damage done to his tongue is as a result of his consumption of energy drinks.
Dan Royals drinks at least six a day and he puts the damage done inside his mouth down to his addiction.
He is now warning people about the dangers the drinks – which contain up to 13 teaspoons of sugar.
Dan revealed that his doctor told him excessive sugar and various chemicals found in the energy drinks were likely to blame for his flesh being eaten away.
He wrote on Facebook: ‘Who drinks energy drinks? Addicted to them? You may want to think again.
‘Have a look at the second pic… That’s what that s*** does to your tongue, imagine what’s it like on your internals?
‘Up until recently when this started to occur I was drinking at least 5-6 a day (lack of energy teaching kids usually) and I brush daily, went to the doctor and boom! Found out it’s the chemicals in these drinks that are causing it… It literally eats away at your tongue.
‘So be wary guys.’
Dan also smokes, but firmly believes the tongue damage is a result of the drinks.
He added: ‘Just to make it clear, I actually do care for my oral health but this is purely from these drinks… I do smoke but has nothing to do with the eating away of my tongue.’
World Health Organisation researchers said: ‘A study in the US showed that dental cavities can result from the acidic pH and high-sugar content of products such as energy drinks.
‘Another study showed that consumption of energy drinks can cause erosion and smear layer removal in the teeth, leading to cervical dentin hypersensitivity.’
What happens when you drink energy drinks regularly?
Vessels become less flexible as the cells that line them respond to food and drink derived fats and sugars circulating in the blood.
This makes them more susceptible to the build-up of cholesterol that can lead to heart disease.
Short term changes are normal and usually last for several hours. But if we repeatedly have unhealthy foods or drinks it can lead to cardiovascular diseases.
FMD is an ultrasound measurement.
The researchers believe caffeine, taurine, sugar and herbal ingredients in energy drinks are bad for the endothelium – the lining of the blood vessels.
Caffeine can cause the walls of blood vessels to contract – leading to a narrowing of them.
It also releases extra stress hormones – such as adrenaline – which can temporarily increase blood pressure.
