Cola contains phosphoric acid. This acid can destroy the pH balance of your saliva and promote tooth erosion. It also lowers your body's pH balance. Your bones release minerals to buffer the low pH, bringing it back to a healthy level. Because soft drink consumption has increased dramatically in North America during the last 20 years, it's no wonder that cola is statistically associated with low bone-mineral density.
Cola
Soda-drinking teens get almost 15 percent of their calories from those drinks. The average soda consumption for teenage boys is three 12-oz. cans per day, according to the Washington University in St. Louis website. Cola companies provide a small amount of data about acidity, but a full ingredient list is a closely guarded secret. It is known that colas contain phosphoric acid, which interferes with calcium absorption. The pH of colas ranges from 2.5 to 3.2. Such a low pH forces your body to use its buffering capacity to neutralize the acidity.
Acid Alkaline Balance
Bone is very sensitive to pH changes. Cellular metabolism is dramatically affected by pH changes as small as one-tenth of a point. When increased cola consumption lowers your body's pH, your bones lose carbonate, sodium and potassium. Chronic acidosis causes your bones to release calcium, thus losing their strength. In a study by Dr. Grace Wyshak of Harvard University, bone fractures in active 9th- and 10th-grade girls were highly associated with cola drinking. The study was published in the 2000 issue of "Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.
Bones & Teeth
Both your bones and your teeth have the same minerals, but in different concentrations. They contain calcium, phosphorus and other mineral salts. Your tooth enamel is harder than your bones, but your bones can repair themselves, while your teeth cannot. Cola acids erode tooth enamel by overwhelming the buffering capacity of your saliva and causing the calcium and minerals to leach out, weakening your teeth. Inside your body, the ability to reduce the pH of urine for excretion from one 12-oz. can of cola would require a 100-fold dilution, or 33 liters of urine. Since that's not possible, your body draws buffer from your bones to reduce the pH, weakening your bones.
Considerations
Because optimal bone-mass formation occurs at puberty, increased cola intake during this time of life could cause osteoporosis to appear at a younger age. Consider decreasing your cola intake or nutritionally balancing acid foods with alkaline foods to assist your body in pH regulation, thus minimizing any loss of bone minerals.
References
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;" Colas, But Not Other Carbonated Beverages, Are Associated With Low Bone Mineral Density In Older Women...; Katherine L. Tucker, et al.; 2006
- New Castle University Dental Department: Saliva and Tooth Dissolution
- Washington University in St. Louis; Teens Drinking More Soda Then Ever Before, Study Finds; Neil Schoenherr; July 2005
- "Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine;" Teenaged Girls, Carbonated Beverage Consumption, and Bone Fractures; Grace Wyshak; June 2000
- "International Journal of Integrative Medicine;" Acid-Alkaline Balance And Its Effect On Bone Health; Susan Brown, Russell Jaffe; November/December 2000
