Drinking too much cola can cause "mild weakness to profound paralysis", doctors have warned in a report.

Research published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice includes several cases of people who fell seriously ill after drinking up to nine litres of cola a day.

One of them was an ostrich farmer who complained of muscle weakness and who then admitted to drinking four litres of cola and more daily during a trip to the Australian outback.

"Evidence is increasing to suggest that excessive cola consumption can ... lead to hypokalaemia, in which the blood potassium levels fall, causing an adverse effect on vital muscle functions," said Dr Moses Elisaf, from Greece's University of Ioannina.

"We believe that further studies are needed to establish how much is too much when it comes to the daily consumption of cola drinks."
Cola drinks linked to paralysis