Does drinking Coke or Pepsi increase testicle size & increase testosterone?

Hyderabad: A post claiming that drinking Coke or Pepsi makes the testicles larger and increases testosterone is doing the rounds on social media. The viral post says that according to a study, drinking Pepsi or Cola can increase the size of the testicles and produce more testosterones.

It reads, “Males who drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi had higher testosterone levels and larger genitals than their peers, according to a study conducted by Northwest Minzu University in China.”

Let’s debunk the claim.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false.

We started our investigation by performing a keyword search to find the Chinese study the viral post refers to. On analysing the study carefully, we found that the study has been done on mice, which clearly indicates that no human research has been done yet.

We contacted our expert, Dr. Gopichand Mutyalapati, consultant urologist at KIMS Hospitals, to debunk the claim.

“I must emphasise that it is important to evaluate the source and methodology of any study before accepting its findings as accurate and trustworthy. It is important to remember that correlation does not necessarily imply causation, and many factors can contribute to changes in testosterone levels and testicle size. Additionally, the health risks associated with excessive consumption of sugary drinks like Cola and Pepsi are well-documented. Therefore, it is important to approach such claims with a critical and sceptical eye and rely on reputable sources of information when making decisions,” said Dr. Mutyalapati.