A bone to pick with cola
A team of scientists from Boston have published a study showing that cola drinks may cause bone loss in older women. The Framingham Osteoporosis Study took bone measurements in over 1,400 women. Their diets were assessed and results showed that the more cola they drank, the more bone was lost from the hip (but not the spine). Similar results were seen for diet-cola, but not for non-cola fizzy drinks. Scientists have suggested several possible reasons why this happens. The phosphoric acid in cola may be to blame, or it may be that cola is drunk in place of healthier drinks that contain calcium, such as calcium-fortified soya milk.
Tucker KL, Morita K, Qiao N, Hannan MT, Cupples LA and Kiel DP. 2006. Colas, but not other carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in older women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 84 (4) 936-942.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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