Cola linked to brittle bones risk

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Cola linked to brittle bones risk By Jane Kirby, PA Published: 06

October 2006 http://news. independent. co.uk/uk/ health_medical/

article1814750. ece

 

 

Drinking cola could lead to weaker bones, experts have said.

 

A US study found that drinking just four cans of regular or diet

cola a week led to lower bone density in women - a condition which

increases the risk of osteoporosis.

Experts from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre

analysed questionnaires and bone mineral density measurements at the

spine and three different hip sites of more than 2,500 people aged

just under 60.

 

They found that drinking cola led to lower bone mineral density in

women's hips, regardless of age, timing of menopause, total calcium

and vitamin D intake, or cigarette use and alcohol intake.

 

However, drinking cola was not associated with lower bone mineral

density in men's hips or the spine for either men or women.

 

Dr Katherine Tucker and colleagues reported their findings in the

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

 

She said: " The more cola that women drank, the lower their bone

mineral density was.

" However, we did not see an association with bone mineral density

loss for women who drank carbonated beverages that were not cola. "

 

Men in the study drank an average of five colas a week.

 

Previous studies have suggested that cola leads to bone mineral

density loss because it replaces milk (a source of calcium necessary

for healthy bones) in the diet.

But this study related to women whose intake of milk was the same as

for women not drinking cola.

 

Dr Tucker called for further studies to work out if regularly taking

in phosphoric acid, found in cola, was to blame.

 

She said there was no concrete evidence that an occasional cola

harms the bones, but added: " Women concerned about osteoporosis may

want to steer away from frequent consumption of cola until further

studies are conducted. "