Re: caffeine, carbonation, bone loss

January 30, 2004

Amber, thanks so much for the info. I'm sending a copy to the ossg-grad list.

I think it's really important and there should be great interest. I'm still

on no-mail status, as I'm still in Colorado, but people can email me directly

instead of thru the list. Hope you don't get " bombarded " with q's as a result

of my posting it.

Carol A

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In a message dated 1/29/2004 8:19:49 PM Mountain Standard Time,

rehab2@... writes:

> From Duke University

>

> Subject: Cola Bad to the Bone

>

> New evidence points to a link between the phosphoric acid content of

> carbonated cola drinks and lower bone mineral density in women.

>

> Researchers have long believed that phosphoric acid hastens bone loss

> because it binds calcium. Colas, unlike most other soft drinks, contain

phosphoric

> acid (44-62 mg/12 oz of regular cola and 27-39 mg/12 oz of diet cola).

>

> To assess the impact of phosphorus on bone mineral density, L.

> Tucker, PhD, and her team took bone measurements at the spine and three hip

> sites of 1,672 women and 1,148 men from 1996 to 2001; all participants are

part

> of the Framingham Offspring cohort.

>

> Dietary intake was assessed from each participant with a food frequency

> questionnaire that specifically asked about the number of servings of cola and

> other carbonated beverages consumed daily, and differentiated between regular,

> caffeine-free, and diet beverages. Each participants' body weight, height,

> age, level of physical activity, smoking habits, alcohol use, use of

medication

> for bone, use of calcium or vitamin D supplements, intake of calories,

> calcium, and vitamin D from diet were considered. Women also were surveyed for

> menopause status and estrogen use.

>

> Tucker and colleagues reported their findings on September 19, 2003, at the

> 25th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

>

> They found that women (and not men) who drink more than three 12- ounce

> servings of cola per day were found to have 2.3-5.1% lower bone mineral

density

> in the hip (2.3% lower in the trochanter, 3.3% lower at the femoral neck, and

> 5.1% lower at Ward's area) than those who consume less than one serving of

> cola per day. There was no significant relationship between non-cola

carbonated

> beverage consumption and bone mineral density at any site for men or women.

>

> The study suggests that cola, but not other carbonated soft drinks,

> contributes to lower bone mineral density in adult women. Because similar

results

> were seen with diet and non-caffeinated cola, these associations may be due to

> the phosphoric acid content of cola, the researchers concluded. This article

> was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.

>

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> -- In DukeandtheDoctor_Osteoporosis , Duke and the

>

> Doctor <dukeanddoc@y...> wrote:

>

> A new study of menopausal women reported in the

>

> American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides

>

> evidence that too much caffeine can weaken bones in

>

> older women. Unclear, however, is whether this is due

>

> to its direct effect on bone health or its effect on

>

> increasing urinary excretion of calcium.

>

> Calcium, essential for good bone density, reaches its

>

> peak strength early on. The absence of good dietary

>

> habits and exercise depletes calcium stores and can

>

> result in osteoporosis, a painful and debilitating

>

> disease. Vitamin D helps to maintain calcium stores

>

> in the body.

>

> The nearly 500 women in the study ranged in age from

>

> 66 - 75. After three years it was found that those

>

> who consumed more than 300 milligrams caffeine from

>

> coffee (3 six-ounce cups), tea and other beverages,

>

> had greater loss in bone material density than the

>

> rest. Furthermore, those women who were identified at

>

> the beginning of the study as having a particular

>

> vitamin D receptor, a genetic factor, had an even

>

> greater loss.

>

> Study author, Dr. J.C. Gallagher of Creighton

>

> University, believes the results clearly show a

>

> relationship between caffeine and bone loss. But

>

> nutritionist Heller isn't so sure, saying

>

> that other studies suggest differently. She believes

>

> the connection has more to do with urinary calcium

>

> loss. Regardless, until more research is conducted,

>

> it is advisable to consume caffeine products in

>

> moderation and make sure to get adequate calcium both

>

> from diet and supplementation.

>

> To replenish calcium that is lost Dr. McBarron

>

> recommends taking OsteoProtect by Vitalogic, available

>

> at your local health food store, the Institute for

>

> Healthy Living at 1-, or at www.dukeandthedoctor.com

>