Regular Cola Consumption Linked to Lower Bone Density in Women Women who drink dark colas daily may have lower bone density than those who drink clear soda, according to findings of a study of women who were part of the Framingham Offspring Cohort. While various studies have been done on soft drink consumption and bone health in children and adolescents, this study looked adults, said Katherine Tucker, PhD, associate professor of nutritional epidemiology at Tufts University. In other studies, there has been an assumption that increased soft drink consumption meant lower intake of dairy and other calcium sources. But in this cohort, "we looked at total calcium, and that was similar across the groups we studied. [Decreased bone density] wasn't because of lower calcium," she told Medscape in an interview. Dr. Tucker presented her findings here at the 25th annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. The problem appears to be increased levels of phosphoric acid, which can interfere with bone absorption. A typical can of cola contains 44 to 62 mg of phosphoric acid per 12 ounce serving, and diet cola contains 27 to 39 mg. Data were presented on a total of 1,672 women and 1,148 men studied from 1996 to 2001. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were taken at the spine and three sites of the hip. The cohort was divided into two groups, those who consumed cola daily and those who drank cola (or other sorts of carbonated beverages including clear sodas) once a week or less. The average daily phosphorus level of cola drinkers was 1,146 mg compared with 1,105 mg in nondaily cola drinkers, but this included all dietary sources. Among the female subjects, regular cola drinkers had decreased BMD compared with the infrequent drinkers. BMD was 2.3% lower in the trochanter, 3.3% lower in the femoral neck, and 5.1% lower in Ward's area. Yet, daily drinkers of cola had a slightly higher physical activity score and were similar to the infrequent cola drinks in all other respects. "We've shown it was not due to lower calcium, it was not due to the caffeine in the cola, it was not due to the sugar, and we adjusted for calcium and vitamin D as well as body size. It seems the thing that's left is the phosphoric acid," Dr. Tucker said. While phosphoric acid is present in other dietary sources, including dairy products, it may not cause the same sort of problem. "When phosphoric acid comes packaged with other nutrients, it's absorbed normally and everything is in balance. We think the problem with cola is that you're getting those doses of phosphoric acid without any calcium. It's not balanced, and that extra phosphorus binds with calcium and prevents it from being absorbed," Dr. Tucker said. This latest study still doesn't answer all the questions, said Dennis Black, PhD, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco. "This kind of study is hard because you ask people at one point in time 'what do you drink?' If you asked them a month earlier they may have drunk something different. It's very difficult to assess," he said. The study also found that while cola consumption was associated with lower BMD in women, the same did not hold true for men. Dr. Tucker reported no financial disclosures. 25th ASBMR: Abstract SU259. Presented Sept. 21, 2003. Thanks to MEDSCAPE Arch Ped Adolesc Med, 5/04 J Am Diet Assoc, 10/04 J Pediatrics, 1/04 Pa Dent J, 9-10/2000 LINK to website with ideas for healthy, organic lunches for kids Ctr for Science in the Public Interest, 8/05 Soft drinks associated with heart disease parameters Soft drink consumption & risk of developing cardiometabolic risk factors Regular Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption LINK to study "The results of this mega-experiment indicate that APM is a multipotential carcinogenic agent, even at a daily dose of 20 mg/kg b.w., much less than the current acceptable daily intake (ADI). On the basis of these results, a re-evaluation of the present guidelines on the use & consumption of APM is urgent and cannot be delayed". Am J Clin Nutrition, 10/06 Commentary by Integrity in Science Watch March 12, 2007 Posted June 2007 The Independent, UK newspaper Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.