The experiment that proves sugar really is poison: Man who drank 10 cans of Coke a day for a month gains TWO STONE and sees his blood pressure soar

• George Prior, 50, from Los Angeles, had a fit and healthy physique before
• Decided to drink 10 cans of Coca-Cola a day for an experiment
• Says he took on the challenge to highlight the harmful effects of sugar
• He gained 2st in weight, lost muscle and developed a protruding belly
• Also saw his blood pressure soar to an unhealthy 145/96
• Reported feeling intense sugar cravings and being so full he couldn't eat
• One can of Coke contains more sugar than the recommended daily intake

By Madlen Davies for MailOnline

Published: 06:33 EST, 1 December 2014 | Updated: 08:05 EST, 1 December 2014

A protruding belly, high blood pressure and intense sugar cravings.

This is what happens to the body after drinking 10 cans of Coca-Cola a day, according to one man who took up the challenge.

George Prior, 50, decided to embark on a 'Coke diet' in order to show the harmful effects of the high levels of sugar found in the world's most popular drink.

In just 30 days he saw drastic changes to his formerly healthy and muscular physique.

He developed a protruding stomach and waistline and his weight ballooned from 12 stone (168lb) to 14 stone (192 lb).

His blood pressure soared from 129/77 to 145/96. This is way above the ideal level of 120/80 - and above this level, the risk of heart disease or stroke is greatly increased.

Scroll down for video

George Prior, 50, put on two stone in weight and gained a protruding belly after drinking more than three litres of Coke a day for a month. He is pictured before (left) and after (right) embarking on the challenge

Mr Prior also saw his blood pressure soar from 129/77 to 145/96. High blood pressure is linked with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke

'The most dramatic change was in weight: 23lb of gain over thirty days,' Mr Prior said. His weight is pictured rising throughout the experiment (left). After a month he weighed almost 14 stone (right)

As well as the fast weight gain, Mr Prior, a father-of-two, said he feared he was becoming addicted to Coca-Cola after experiencing intense cravings.

While he tried to stick to his normal Paleo diet – a low-carbohydrate diet which focuses on eating lean meats, vegetables and berries – he began experiencing sugar cravings that were difficult to ignore.

'The most dramatic change was in weight: 23lb of gain over 30 days,' Mr Prior, who lives in L.A., said.

'I also seemed to develop a craving for Cokes, or other sugars, during the time I was drinking Cokes.'

'[As a result], I'm urging people to examine the amount of sugar in their diets.

'People need to be aware of the real and powerful damaging effects of sugar on their health.

Mr Prior's experiment comes shortly after New York assemblyman Karim Camara said fizzy drinks 'are the new smoking' and called for sugar-laden beverages to carry warning labels similar to those found on cigarette packets.

Mr Camara said the aim of his bill, which would introduce warning labels on drinks, is to educate the public, and lower the consumption of the drinks.

In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the recommended daily intake of sugar to be slashed from 50g to 25g - or from 10 to five cubes a day.

A regular can of Coke contains 35g of sugar, the equivalent of seven cubes, so that alone would exceed this limit.

As part of his challenge, Mr Prior drank 10 cans of Coke a day - a total of 350g of sugar - the equivalent of around 70 cubes.

Experts warn fizzy drinks contain sugar but have no other nutritional value, and Mr Prior said he found it hard to eat as much food because the Coke left him full at lunch and dinner times.

The BBQ accessory entrepreneur said he wanted to stir up debate: 'I did the experiment to get people thinking and talking about how much sugar they eat and how unhealthy it is.

'I would prefer not to do it again.

'I don't like being this heavy.

'The actual drinking of the 10 Cokes got to be an irritating chore every day.

'There were a lot of visits to the restroom, a feeling of constant fullness, and a clutter of cans everywhere.'

After Mr Prior stopped drinking the fizzy soft drink he lost 5lb in four days.

He now concerned about the effect of sugar can have on children.

He said: 'Kids shouldn't drink Cokes.

'But then kids shouldn't drink juices, either, and that's going to be a very hard sell to parents who believe that juice is "natural", or even "organic".

'It's sugar, and not only do kids not need it, it's bad for them.

Indeed, past research has found sugary drinks are a primary contributor to type 2 diabetes and tooth decay, especially in children.

As part of his challenge, Mr Prior drank 10 cans of Coke a day - a total of 350g of sugar - the equivalent of around 70 cubes. Pictured are the cans left over from his experiment

A 330ml can of Coke contains 35g of sugars, the equivalent of sevent cubes. This is more than the recommended daily intake of 25g, or five cubes, set by the World Health Organization (WHO)

A 500ml bottle of Coke contains even more sugar- 53g or almost 11 cubes. This is twice the WHO's recommended daily allowance for a normal adult

And experts warn that fizzy drinks are also fuelling the obesity epidemic - and, in turn, other serious illnesses, including cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Mr Prior added: 'I think there are a lot of people suffering health problems like diabetes and heart disease, who aren't aware they could help themselves by just stopping sugar.'

He also blasted Coca-Cola for their marketing techniques to make consumers believe 'they care' when they are just creating more products to sell.'

The latest member of the Coca-Cola family, called Coca-Cola Life, is marketed as having less sugar than regular Coke but none of the artificial sweeteners that increasingly worry Diet Coke drinkers.

The new naturally sweetened drink - which contains a third less sugar and calories than regular cola - has been created amid calls for the company to do more to tackle the global obesity epidemic.

Sold in a green can or a recyclable bottle, it is already available in the UK, U.S., Chile, Argentina and is due to hit Australian shelves in April.

Bur Mr Prior said: 'Sugar's legal, soft drinks are legal,' he said. 'The responsibility is with consumers.

'Coke's genius plan is "reduce" the amount of sugar in their drinks.

'It's genius because it makes them look like they care, but still continue to sell sugar.

'I'd like to see controls on the lobbying and spending of big corporations who sell sugar and don't want the government to tell people how bad it is.'

MailOnline has approached Coca-Cola for comment.