I drank 24 cans of Pepsi a day for decades

Do you feel guilty if you crack open more than one bottle of cola at work?If so, spare a thought for Nancy Smith, who downed 24 cans of Pepsi a day for decades – putting her health at risk.The 45-year-old would even polish off three cans during the night.Her addiction left her with flaky skin, lank hair and severe dehydration. But the mother of four claims she feels healthier after kicking the habit in October.She said: ‘I used to run around like a mad woman dashing here and there and cleaning the house. My energy came purely from caffeine.‘My addiction for cola was there all the time. I loved the fizziness and the feeling it gave me. Most people would take an hour to finish one, it took me five minutes.’Ms Smith’s compulsion for cola began when she was 19, as her mother let her keep a big crate of Pepsi in her room. The habit affected her diet and she mainly survived on cocktail sausages, cheese and packets of biscuits.Luckily, the constant supply of fizz didn’t damage her teeth.Over the past six weeks, she has taken part in an exercise programme to wean herself off Pepsi and lose weight.But Ms Smith, from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, confessed: ‘I have one occasionally at the weekends. I have a feeling I want one, then I do and it is always disappointing.’(metro.co.uk)ANN.Az