A Case Study: The Near Death Experience of a Slushy Drink

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There are a lot of things we consume that we do not know their effect on our body even when they are termed safe. I can say that a lot of people do not read the labels of what they consume, especially when they are not on a diet. I was talking to my sister and i asked her if she knew the ingredients used to make the drink she was having, and she said to me that provided it passed NAFDAC approval, it is safe to drink but that isn't always the case because some ingredients might be safe at certain levels but toxic when they go beyond that level.

I will be writing about a case that was published on Feb. 7, 2024 on the nypost. I was reading through and I saw the post which had to do with a boy almost losing his life after drinking what his parents presumed to be safe since they bought it from a company.

Albie a four-year-old boy started to show signs of irritation, and aggression an hour after taking a strawberry slushy. It wasn't his first time of taking the drink, so his mother didn't see a big deal in giving him a treat. he became restless, and began to hallucinate. He began to scratch and bite himself and then he became unconscious, going in and out of coma.

He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors said his blood sugar level was very low. Doctor predicted that he might have consumed insulin or he had taken a chemical. They also feared his low heart rate and thought that he might have mistakenly taken medications that were causing these after effects.

When transferred to a larger hospital, it was seen that his symptoms was similar to that of other children that were treated about a month ago on January 4th, and those treated about a year ago which were associated to the sweet frozen slushy. So what could have led to this?

When I checked what was present in slushies, I realized that its ingredient includes Water, Flavor, sugar, colored syrup, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, glycerin, and Natural flavors. So which of them could be the culprit?

Glycerin also known as glycerol or E422 is the culprit. Glycerin is a colorless and odorless liquid which is used as a sugar replacement and to bind the ice so it can remain slushy instead of becoming ice. Glycerin although marketed towards children can be harmful in children although not harmful in adult. This is why the UK food standard agency in August of 2023 reviewed it and began placing restrictions of food containing glycerin to be sold to children under the age of 4.

It isn't like glycerol just became a thing, manufacturers have been using it for years since the 70s but it is gradually becoming an issue now because of the sugar laws a lot of countries are putting in place to combat obesity and since glycerin can be used as a sugar alternative, manufacturers are starting to use it a lot in food and drinks instead of sugar.

Glycerol intoxication in the body can lead to the absorption of excess water in the body and this is why it is used in the treatment of glaucoma. It is also used to remove excess sugar in the body and they are passed out with the glycerol. The loss of water can led to headache, and the loss of sugar in the body can lead to low blood sugar in the body. When water rush into the blood stream, it gives the feeling of dehydration.