Soft drinks may raise fracture risk in teen girls

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenage girls who drink lots of soda may be more prone to bone fractures and osteoporosis than girls who do not drink large quantities of soft drinks, a new study reports.

The study, which found an association between soft drink consumption and bone fracture, suggests that soda is replacing milk in the diets of teenage girls and robbing them of the bone-building mineral calcium during a critical period of bone formation.

According to Dr. Neville H. Golden of Schneider Children's Hospital of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, between 40% to 60% of peak bone mass is built during the teenage years.

"Adolescence is therefore a crucial time for bone development, and any factors adversely impacting on bone acquisition during adolescence can potentially have long-standing detrimental effects," Golden writes in an editorial accompanying the report.

The investigators found that cola may be particularly detrimental to adolescent girls, possibly due to large amounts of the mineral phosphorus that is found in colas. Previous studies have shown that phosphorus can interfere with the skeleton's ability to absorb calcium.

This effect, coupled with a decline in milk consumption, can have a lasting health impact on girls.

"Teens have doubled or tripled their consumption of soft drinks and they have cut their consumption of milk by more than 40%," study author Dr. Grace Wyshak of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, writes.

In addition to milk and other dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, rich sources of calcium include dark green vegetables, dried beans and fortified juices and cereals, according to the American Dietetic Association. Weight-bearing exercise, such as jogging or walking, can also help to strengthen bones.

To investigate the effects of soft drink consumption on bone fractures, Wyshak gave a questionnaire to 460 girls in 9th and 10th grades that asked them about their diet and exercise habits, and history of fractures.

The study results, which lend support to a growing body of research linking soft drinks with risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis, show that girls who drank soft drinks were more than three times more likely to sustain a bone fracture. Physically active girls who drank cola were nearly five times more likely to have had a bone fracture, the study revealed.

According to Golden, osteoporosis and fractures related to the disorder cost about $13.8 billion a year and affect 25 million to 30 million American adults.

Golden concludes that "osteoporosis should no longer be considered only a geriatric disease but rather a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences."

This another demonstration of the detriment that the phosphorous and phosphoric acid plays in removing precious magnesium from the body. This is the reason that the calcium cannot be absorbed in the presence of soft drinks. To supplement your diet using dietary supplement magnesium and calcium, please visit the ionic minerals product section.

[HOME]
[DISEASE TREATMENT NATURAL THERAPY]
[ONLINE CATALOGUE | MAIL ORDER FORM]
[ORDERING & SHIPPING POLICY | CONTACT INFORMATION]

Please send Email to: questions@ionicminerals.com

The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet, supplements or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications.

Copyright ©1999-2001 IonicMinerals.com