NEW YORK - Women who want to keep their bones strong may want to keep their
cola consumption to a minimum, a new study suggests.
In a study of more than 2,500 adults, Dr. Katherine L. Tucker of Tufts
University in Boston and colleagues found that women who consumed cola daily had
lower bone mineral density (BMD) in their hips than those who drank less than
one serving of cola a month.
"Because BMD is strongly linked with fracture risk, and because cola is a
popular beverage, this is of considerable public health importance," the authors
write in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Studies in teen girls have tied heavy soft drink consumption to fractures and
lower BMD, the researchers note, but it is not clear if this is because they're
drinking less milk, or if it is due to any harmful effects of soda itself.
To investigate this question in adults, the researchers measured BMD in the
spine and at three points on the hips in 1,413 women and 1,125 men participating
in a study of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
While there was no association between soft drinks in general and BMD, the
researchers found that women who drank the most cola had significantly less
dense bones in their hips. The greater their intake, the thinner the bones, and
the relationship was seen for diet, regular, and non-caffeinated colas.
Cola consumption had no effect on BMD in men.
Women who drank more cola did not drink less milk, but they did consume less
calcium and had lower intakes of phosphorus in relation to calcium. Cola
contains phosphoric acid, the researchers note, which impairs calcium absorption
and increases excretion of the mineral. Caffeine has also been linked to
osteoporosis, they add.
"No evidence exists that occasional use of carbonated beverages, including
cola, is detrimental to bone," they note. "However, unless additional evidence
rules out an effect, women who are concerned about osteoporosis may want to
avoid the regular use of cola beverages."
