Intuitively, you probably know that cola is just plain bad for you. But if you need to see tests and studies as a reminder that your favorite vice has consequences, here is yet another one. According to a Tufts University study involving 2,500 people (average age 60), regardless of age, menopause or total calcium and vitamin intake, cola consumption by women was associated with lower bone mineral density at three hip sites. These women only drank an average of 4 or 5 colas per week! Experts can point to several ways that cola affects bone density. Here are just three: 1. Caffeine is linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis and is in most colas. 2. The ingredient Phosphoric Acid, found in most colas, creates an imbalance in the body which causes the body to take calcium from the bones. 3. People who drink colas are less likely to get calcium from more nutritious drinks, like milk or calcium fortified juice. Low levels of calcium are associated with osteoporosis, a disease that thins your bones until they fracture. To help battle against this terrible disease, avoid cola, or at least limit intake to two per week, make sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D and, just as important, exercise! So keep on running, your bones will thank you for it!
