cola and osteoporosis!

So ladies, if you drink more than four cans of brown fizzy stuff a week, so may be running a risk of osteoporosis in later life. But not if you drink non-brown fizzy stuff. Bizarre.

link

My wife drinks about two litres a week - time to tell her the happy news!

TD

That's very interesting. I'd also be interested to know, however, if women who drank more soda also exercised less, had poorer diets, or were heavier? Those are important factors in osteoporosis, as well.

Mariella

Hello BSL4doc

Nice to see you again! Hope the studies are going well.

Don't know - sounds like a few people are confused. I found a 2005 article on pubmed, but it was very short term and talked about cola replacing milk, which doesn't seem to be the case with the first article.

link

There's one I can' t access at my work station from the Mayo clinic about cola and childhood fractures.

link

I really have no idea, it's not my field.

You would have thought that *possibly* if Americans drink so much more coke compared to say, Europeans, and there was an association there would be a higher rate of OP.

Interesting, eh?

TD

Thank god I'm Male 'cause I'm addicted to Coke. Sometimes have 3-4 Cans a day.

Originally posted by PisTonZOR
Thank god I'm Male 'cause I'm addicted to Coke. Sometimes have 3-4 Cans a day.

Man can have bone density issues as well. As with everything in life, moderation is the key

I was under the impression that carbonation was the main culprit. I'd have to ask my doctor friend about the whys.

Here's something from Harvard stating that any caffeinated carbonated drink is bad for your bones:
www.intelihealth.com...

I thought is was the carbonation as well..................

I heard (but don't know for sure) that it's the phosphoric acid in the dark drinks. I don't drink sodas at all unless it's homemade.
Root Beer actually made from roots kicks ass.

Originally posted by Beer_Guy
I heard (but don't know for sure) that it's the phosphoric acid in the dark drinks.

I think this article offers a good breakdown about why soft drinks are bad for us:

1. quantities

Fifty years ago the average serving size for a soft drink was a six-ounce bottle. Today, soft drinks are sold in twenty ounce bottles and are consumed in much larger amounts courtesy of the large size of soda fountain drinks available at most stores and restaurants.

2. acid and carbon dioxide

Also, the phosphorous that is found in the fizz and bubbles emitted from soft drinks fights with hydrochloric acid in the stomach and causes the stomach to be ineffective. When the stomach can’t digest food, the person will have indigestion, gassiness, or bloating. The carbon dioxide that is emitted in the fizz is consumed when a person drinks a soft drink. Carbon dioxide is a waste product that humans excrete and can be harmful when digested.

3. bone loss risk

. The large amounts of sugar, bubbles caused by carbon dioxide, and phosphoric acid that are found in soft drinks remove nutritious minerals from bones allowing the bones to become weak and increasing the risk for them to break. This is done by the phosphoric acid disrupting the calcium-phosphorous ratio, which dissolves calcium from the bones.

4. caffeine

Most carbonated beverages contain caffeine, which is considered to be a mild drug and can have harmful effects, especially on children. Soft drinks are the most consumed caffeine-containing beverage in America. Caffeine is a drug that acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system. Large amounts of caffeine consumption can cause diseases and disorders such as insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, and deviations from the normal heart rate. Caffeine is an addictive subastance, which causes consumers to need more caffeine. A major concern about caffeine is that it increases the excretion of calcium in urine, which increases the risk for osteoporosis in heavy caffeine consumers. Some preliminary studies show that caffeine increases the risk of birth defects.

5. caramel coloring

Many soft drinks contain caramel coloring to allow them to have their dark appearance. The chemical polyethylene glycol is used to achieve this dark color. Glycol is used in antifreeze. Scientists are concerned that this caramel coloring may be a carcinogen.

6. dental issue & decay

Dental cavities are often associated with carbonated beverage. This association is important because the amount of sugars that are consumed is important in forming caries, which is when a cavity effects only the enamel, the outer protective layer of a tooth. Caries are caused by the bacteria mutans streptocci, which is a part of dental plaque. The bacteria attach to teeth and produce high amounts of acid from sugars and other types of acid.

Full report here:
members.aol.com...

I think I remembered the carbonation issue being associated with bone loss. This report reminded me that the real issue with carbonation is dental health problems.

Damn, I have huge amounts of Coke and I have no symptoms. Never go hypo or anything. OH well I will cut down from that article though

It's the phosphoric acid in cola that is the problem.

Milk also causes osteoporosis, contrary to popular opinion. It leeches calcium from the bones. Northern European countries, where there is the highest milk consumption, have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

Milk doesn't do a body good!

Originally posted by insertalt
It's the phosphoric acid in cola that is the problem.

Milk also causes osteoporosis, contrary to popular opinion. It leeches calcium from the bones. Northern European countries, where there is the highest milk consumption, have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

Milk doesn't do a body good!

Apparently it's *NOT* the phosphoric acid because females can drink other drinks, like 7up, without losing bone density.

Go figure. Don't think anyone is too sure at the moment why it's cola drinks.

TD

I would have thought it was the phosphoric acid too,my dentist told me it far worse than sugar for teeth.
Seen as its other uses include rust removal,and as the electolyte solution in some batteries,i would say this is to be avoided in foods/drinks when ever possible.
My mate way on stomach tablets for years after he quit his 2 litres a day coke habit.
His doctor blamed that on the acidity content in the coke.
BAD stuff.

OK I take it back, it maybe *is* the phosphoric acid - this is lifted from the original link.

It is thought the problem may be due to phosphoric acid which is found in cola, but not in many other fizzy drinks

I must have misread it/half-remembered it.

TD