Junk food and cola are part of the standard diet for any cool kid. Nevertheless, it turns out that cola is compromising the strength of their bones, as revealed by a new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"There is enough evidence that high consumption of soda and carbonated
beverages is associated with somewhat lower bone mass in children, and that's a real concern and people should be aware of it," said Dr Lawrence Raisz, director of the University of Connecticut Centre for Osteoporosis.
The precise reason of this effect is not known, but a few theories have been emitted so far. Cola consumers may replace nutritious beverages (like calcium rich milk or calcium fortified juice) from their diet with cola, consuming less calcium and vitamin D. The caffeine in cola has also been connected to bone mass loss.
Another culprit could be the phosphoric acid in cola, because it takes calcium from the body while attempting to neutralize it and, in the case of an already calcium poor diet, it will come from the bones.
"Phosphate is in milk, but milk also contains calcium and vitamin D. In soft drinks, there is just phosphoric acid and no calcium. Extra overzealous drinking may lead to a phosphoric acid imbalance, and if there's not enough calcium, the body goes to the bones to restore the balance," said Dr Primal Kaur, director of the Osteoporosis Centre at Temple University Health Sciences Center in Philadelphia.
Low calcium amounts cause osteoporosis, when bones get thin and brittle. Over 50% of Americans, especially postmenopausal women, display a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
The new research, carried out at Tufts University, was made on a poll of over 2,500 subjects with an average age of about 60. High cola consumption in women was linked to decreased bone mineral density at three hip sites, no matter the age, calcium and vitamin D consumption, or whether they had reached menopause or not.
The women consumed an average of 5 carbonated drinks weekly, of which at least 4 were colas. Decaffeinated cola had a weaker effect, but "light" cola had similar effects to regular one. The study didn't detect a connection between cola consumption and lower bone mass in men.
"If you really like soft drinks, you don't need to take them out of your diet completely, but limit yourself to one or two glasses a week. And make sure you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D to protect your bone health. Vitamin D needs vary by age, and where you live, so check with your doctor to find out how much vitamin D you should be consuming each day. If you're not getting at least 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily from your diet, you should take a calcium supplement to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of the mineral," said Kaur.
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