Too much soda can be bad for the bones

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Too Much Soda
Can Be Bad for the Bones

Women who are heavy soda drinkers may be putting themselves at risk of developing brittle bones as they grow older, according to the results of a new study.

While experts have suspected a link between soft drinks and reduced bone density, researchers from University believe that the phosphoric acid found in cola drinks may be the cause. In the study, they compared the bone mineral density results of more than 2,500 adult men an women to self-report soft-drink consumption patterns. They found that women who drank more than three 12-ounce servings of cola per day had 2.3 percent to 5.1 percent lower bone mineral density in the hip than women who drank less than one serving of cola per day.

The same pattern, however, was not seen in men, nor did non-cola drinks appear to have the same effect.

Researchers have yet to identify exactly why phosphoric acid has a negative effect on bone. Some believe that excess phosphoric acid attaches itself to calcium and prevents it from being absorbed, or that it may adversely affect parathyroid hormone levels in the body, which regulate bone density. Others, however, are doubtful that the level of phosphoric acid in cola drinks is high enough to adversely affect bone mineral density. Instead, it may be the women forgo milk in favor of soda as they get older, thereby reducing their intake of calcium.

Lead researcher Kathleen Tucker does not believe this to be the case in her study, explaining that they "did not find that people drinking cola beverages drank less milk than other people."

So, why do men appear to be immune from the bone-leaching effects of cola drinks? Tucker suggests that men have different beverage consumption patterns and, in particular, tend to drink more beer than women, which may have a protective effect on bone due to its silicone content.

Source: American Society for Bone an Mineral Research

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