|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutrition

Correlation Between Soda & Bone Disease

With its high sugar and calorie content and lack of nutrients, soda is often blamed for contributing to excess body fat and obesity, but health experts now have evidence that soda contributes to osteoporosis and other bone diseases that affect millions of Americans without their knowing it. Research is ongoing, but scientists have implicated cola and caffeinated sodas in particular as major contributors to low bone mass.

  1. Osteoporosis

    • According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, osteoporosis is the most common bone disease, affecting 10 million Americans over the age of 50. Another 34 million people have low bone mass, putting them at risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is characterized by deterioration of bone tissue, leading to frail, brittle bones that are highly susceptible to fractures, especially of the hip, wrist, and spine.

    Phosphoric Acid

    • Although experts have long suspected soda consumption might contribute to bone loss, scientists are only now beginning to understand why. Researchers at Tufts University believe that the phosphoric acid found in colas may bind to calcium in the gut, preventing it from being absorbed. They conducted a study showing that women who drank more than three 12 oz. servings of cola every day had 2.3 to 5.1 percent lower bone mineral density than women who drank less.

    Caffeine

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeinated sodas may damage bones even further; although the exact reason caffeine interferes with bone health is unknown, one theory is that it impedes the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it promotes water loss from the body by increasing urination which may cause mineral loss as well.

    At-Risk Groups

    • For reasons that aren't yet understood, females are significantly more at risk for bone loss from soda than males. The Tufts University study which concluded that bone density was lower in females who drank large amounts of cola did not have the same findings in males. A Harvard University study showed that just two cans of soda per day was significant enough to cause bone weakening in teenage girls.

    Considerations

    • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average woman already has built most of her bone mass by age 20, meaning that childhood and adolescence are especially crucial times for building bone and avoiding potential bone damage from soda. Getting the recommended daily intake of calcium and doing weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises can help build strong bones.

Nutrition - Related Articles