COLA NOT

Studies at Tufts University show that there may be a link between drinking cola and bone loss in women. In the study, the more cola and soda that women drank, the lower their bone mineral density was. Drinking cola isn’t just bad for your teeth but it may be eroding your jawbone as well.

This bone loss was present even in women who still drank a significant amount of milk.

The study was conducted by studying bone mineral density in three areas on the hip. This link between cola drinking and bone loss wasn’t affected by smoking, drinking alcohol, age or calcium consumption.

Phosphoric acid may be the ingredient to blame for bone loss. While phosphorus is an important bone mineral, getting a disproportionate amount of it compared to calcium could lead to bone loss. While caffeine is long known to interfere with calcium absorption, non-caffeinated sodas had a similar, if lesser, effect.

Interestingly, the men in the study were unaffected by cola consumption.

So, how can you off-set this bone loss?

• Eliminate or reduce the amount of cola in your diet.
• Get more calcium and vitamin D into your diet.
• Add weight bearing exercise into your routine such as walking up stairs.

If you have questions about your own bone density, call your doctor and set up a simple bone density test. If you are concerned about the effects of cola consumption on your teeth and jawbones, give us a call today.