Soda is Bad! Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk

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Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk

October 6, 2006 08:42:19 PM PST

By Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Cola may not be so sweet for

women's bones, according to new research that suggests the beverage

boosts osteoporosis risk.

" Among women, cola beverages were associated with lower bone mineral

density, " said lead researcher Tucker, director of the

Epidemiology and Dietary Assessment Program at the Jean Mayer USDA

Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

There was a pretty clear dose-response, Tucker added. " Women who

drink cola daily had lower bone mineral density than those who drink

it only once a week, " she said. " If you are worried about

osteoporosis, it is probably a good idea to switch to another

beverage or to limit your cola to occasional use. "

The report was published in the October issue of the American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

About 55 percent of Americans, mostly women, are at risk for

developing osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis

Foundation.

In the study, Tucker's team collected data on more than 2,500

participants in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, averaging just

below 60 years of age. The researchers looked at bone mineral

density at three different hip sites, as well as the spine.

They found that in women, drinking cola was associated with lower

bone mineral density at all three hip sites, regardless of age,

menopause, total calcium and vitamin D intake, or smoking or

drinking alcohol. Women reported drinking an average of five

carbonated drinks a week, four of which were cola.

Bone density among women who drank cola daily was almost 4 percent

less, compared with women who didn't drink cola, Tucker said. " This

is quite significant when you are talking about the density of the

skeleton, " she said.

Cola intake was not associated with lower bone mineral density in

men. The findings were similar for diet cola, but weaker for

decaffeinated cola, the researchers reported.

The reason for cola's effect on bone density may have to do with

caffeine, Tucker said. " Caffeine is known to be associated with the

risk of lower bone mineral density, " she said. " But we found the

same thing with decaffeinated colas. "

Another explanation may have to do with phosphoric acid in cola,

which can cause leeching of calcium from bones to help neutralize

the acid, Tucker said.

One expert agrees that women should reduce the amount of cola they

drink.

" I would expect this finding, " said Dr. Mone Zaidi, director of the

Mount Sinai Bone Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New

York City. " It's probably a caffeine-related problem. "

Women should limit their caffeine intake, Zaidi said. " Caffeine

interferes with calcium absorption, which results in less bone

formation, " he said.

This can be a problem for younger women who never develop peak bone

density, Zaidi noted. " Younger women who have a lot of coke will not

form bone to an extent their peers would; so, years later, in

menopause, they are going to be disadvantaged, " he said.

More information

There's more on osteoporosis at the U.S. National Institute of

Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.