Interesting...
I don't know about this. I was a heavy diet coke drinker. I went off them 9 days ago. Cold turkey. My bones have really been aching and I feel like crap.
I heard this years ago. However, I always drank ALOT of soda (diet) an alot of caffiene, up until the past year or so, and my recent bone density tests proved that my bone denisty is fabulous. Perhaps it was all that weight bearing exercise in my 20s and 30s, I don't know.
Perhaps it's genetics, as osteoporosis does not appear to run in my family.
susie
I don't think so. Phosphorous is essential to bone growth, and phosphate does scavenge calcium ions, but only to make Hydroxyapatite, the mineral component of bone, tooth enamel, and some types of kidney stones.
Here:
Phosphoric acid, phosphates and orthophosphates
Free orthophosphate is the major form in which phosphorus is absorbed from the diet. The amount and rate at which other phosphates are available for absorption depends on their enzymic hydrolysis to orthophosphates.
The level of inorganic phosphate in the blood is stabilized by exchange with the mineral deposit in the skeleton through the action of parathyroid hormone. This hormone inhibits tubular reabsorption of phosphates by the kidney and brings about demineralization of bone tissue through the action of osteoclasts.
The amount of parathyroid hormone that enters the circulation is probably regulated by the calcium level of the blood. Intestinal absorption depends on requirements and is therefore limited.
Excretion takes place mainly in the faeces as calcium phosphate so that the continuous use of excessive amounts of sodium phosphate and phosphoric acid may cause a loss of calcium.
As a result of physiological regulating mechanisms, man and animals can tolerate large variations in phosphate intake without the balance being upset.
Some investigators have considered that the formation in the intestinal tract of insoluble salts of phosphate with calcium, iron and other metal ions might result in decreased absorption of such minerals.
From studies dealing with this aspect (Lang, 1959; van Esch et al., 1957; Lauersen, 1953; van Genderen, 1961) it is concluded that moderate dose levels of phosphates do not impair absorption as shown by results from carcass analyses or haemoglobin determinations.
Doses of 2-4 g of phosphate act as weak saline cathartics.
Phosphate supplementation of the diet of rodents has been shown to lead to reduction in the incidence of dental caries and different phosphates have different powers in reducing the cariogenic potential of the carbohydrates in a diet (van Reen & Ostrom, 1962; Konig et al., 1961; McClure, 1960).
Phosphate supplements seem to exert their cariostatic effect on the tooth surface either directly during eating or by excretion in the saliva (Anon., 1968a,b).
I am very suprised this study says nothing about the effects of Potassium in colas.
I thought it was already a pretty well known thing that phosphoric acid which is in most soft drinks causes bone density loss as it blocks calcium from being absorbed and deposited correctly. Its a topic that comes up a lot and is used as reasoning to keep kids off too much soda.
And actually it makes me kinda mad that they didn't include this, or they did this study without researching basic well known reasons for this problem.
Its true women and young children should avoid too much soda if they're worried about that, but to say things like "maybe its the caffeine" seem ridiculous and lead to obvious questions like why then coffee tea or chocolate don't do the same and they don't even follow up with what else is unique about soda thats already been known for 20 years and researched to death.
I think it has to do with the amount of phosphoric acid that is taken with each drink. Not sure of the connection, but the research is out there.
health ping
If you're drinking soda, you're not drinking milk. That makes it a double whammy.
For your perusal.