Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk

http://health.yahoo.com/news/167458
Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk


FRIDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Cola may not be so sweet for women's
bones, according to new research that suggests the beverage boosts
osteoporosis risk.

"Among women, cola beverages were associated with lower bone mineral
density," said lead researcher Katherine Tucker, director of the
Epidemiology and Dietary Assessment Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

There was a pretty clear dose-response, Tucker added. "Women who drink
cola daily had lower bone mineral density than those who drink it only once
a week," she said. "If you are worried about osteoporosis, it is probably a
good idea to switch to another beverage or to limit your cola to occasional
use."

The report was published in the October issue of the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.

About 55 percent of Americans, mostly women, are at risk for developing
osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

In the study, Tucker's team collected data on more than 2,500 participants
in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, averaging just below 60 years of age.
The researchers looked at bone mineral density at three different hip sites,
as well as the spine.

They found that in women, drinking cola was associated with lower bone
mineral density at all three hip sites, regardless of age, menopause, total
calcium and vitamin D intake, or smoking or drinking alcohol. Women reported
drinking an average of five carbonated drinks a week, four of which were
cola.

Bone density among women who drank cola daily was almost 4 percent less,
compared with women who didn't drink cola, Tucker said. "This is quite
significant when you are talking about the density of the skeleton," she
said.

Cola intake was not associated with lower bone mineral density in men. The
findings were similar for diet cola, but weaker for decaffeinated cola, the
researchers reported.

The reason for cola's effect on bone density may have to do with caffeine,
Tucker said. "Caffeine is known to be associated with the risk of lower bone
mineral density," she said. "But we found the same thing with decaffeinated
colas."

Another explanation may have to do with phosphoric acid in cola, which can
cause leeching of calcium from bones to help neutralize the acid, Tucker
said.

One expert agrees that women should reduce the amount of cola they drink.

"I would expect this finding," said Dr. Mone Zaidi, director of the Mount
Sinai Bone Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City.
"It's probably a caffeine-related problem."

Women should limit their caffeine intake, Zaidi said. "Caffeine interferes
with calcium absorption, which results in less bone formation," he said.

This can be a problem for younger women who never develop peak bone
density, Zaidi noted. "Younger women who have a lot of coke will not form
bone to an extent their peers would; so, years later, in menopause, they are
going to be disadvantaged," he said.

More information

There's more on osteoporosis at the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

http://www.mercola.com/2006/sep/28/7...ous_limits.htm

7-Up's Audacious New Ads Exceed Outrageous Limits


A few months ago, I warned you about the deceptive reformulation of
7-Up, allowing soft-drink manufacturer Cadbury Schweppes to market their
uncool "Uncola" as a natural product.

Despite warnings to the contrary and the threat of a lawsuit from
the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 7-Up sales have risen an
amazing 18 percent since the campaign began nearly four months ago versus
the previous year.

No wonder, considering this deceptive advertising campaign shows
people treating 7-Up products like natural produce (picked from trees in an
orchard or treated like a fruit in your neighborhood grocery store's produce
department).

It is very clear the food industry continually seeks to manipulate
and deceive you so you will purchase their conveniently tasty wares to make
them richer and you sicker. Typically, it is a bit more subtle and less
obvious than the blatant attempts by Young and Rubicam to capitalize on
natural foods.

7-Up has clearly gone over the edge with their blatant and
fraudulent attempt to gain market share. It is shocking to me that the FTC
doesn't slap them with the huge fines they deserve for this deception.
Fortunately, we don't need the FTC to punish them. We can do it.

I don't believe anyone can justify drinking soda, and hopefully
those of you who are reading this don't drink any, but I'm sure you know
someone who does, which is why Cadbury Schweppes' actions clearly call for a
boycott.

Of course, soft drink companies won't tell you consuming one extra
can a day over the course of a year can add up to 15 pounds. Nor do they
mention their products displaced white bread as the leading source of
calories in the American diet last year.

Fortunately, making the switch from soft drinks to pure water is one
of the best and easiest steps you can make to improve your health. Because
soft drinks can be as addictive as nicotine, making quitting all the harder,
I encourage you to learn Turbo Tapping, a modification of the Emotional
Freedom Technique that can speed up your transition to healthier living.











Related Articles:


The Amazing Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop

Soda Causing Nutritional Deficiencies in Children

Another Reason Sodas Cause Cancer