A recent study reveals that carbonated low-calorie drinks cause teeth similar to those suffered by methamphetamine or cocaine addicts.

The article, published in the journal General Dentistry, described the case of an American woman who drank two liters of low-calorie soft drinks a day for more than three years, which eroded her teeth and caused her injuries similar to those they affect addicts to some drugs.

The study also involved a 29-year-old meth addict who consumed the drug for three years and a 51-year-old cocaine addict with 18 years of experience. As a result of their harmful addiction, they had to extract all the teeth from both.

Mohamed Bassoon, a professor of restorative dentistry at the School of Dentistry at Temple University in Philadelphia, said, quoted by the Health Day portal, that it is “surprising” that “the intensity of the damage in the three cases is more or less the same.”

According to Bassoon, soft drinks, both normal and low in calories, are very acidic, just like cocaine and methamphetamine. Without proper dental hygiene, the citric and phosphoric acid contained in soft drinks can cause cavities and even more serious damage. The woman also admitted that she had not gone to the dentist for years, so many of her teeth were eroded and had to be removed.

The American Beverage Association, which represents the manufacturers of soft drinks, said in a statement that the study should not be a reason to stop drinking low-calorie soft drinks.

The woman referred to in this article did not receive dental care for more than 20 years, the organization said, adding that it is “irresponsible” to compare the consumption of soft drinks with drugs and consider it the only factor that causes tooth decay and erosion.