Carbonated soft drinks are a staple in the diets of many Americans. Having several soft drinks with your meals or during your break may even be a daily habit. But consuming too many carbonated beverages can cause you to lose calcium, a mineral vital to bone health, muscle contraction, heart function and nerve impulses.
Calcium
Calcium is the most prevalent mineral in your body, 99 percent of which is concentrated in your teeth and bones. In addition to constituting the mineral integrity of bone, your body relies on calcium for hormone secretion, cardiac function, nerve impulses and muscle contraction. When calcium in body fluids gets too low, your body will break down bone, a process called demineralization, to supply the calcium demands of metabolism, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Phosphorus
Carbonated beverages contain phosphoric acid, the same chemical used in fertilizers, detergents and pharmaceuticals, as a rustproofing substance in the steel industries and in water softeners to remove calcium from water. In the food industry, phosphoric acid is used as a flavoring agent in soft drinks, jams, jellies, cheeses and beer. Ingesting foods high in phosphoric acid increases phosphorus levels in your body. Phosphorus is your body's second most abundant mineral, 85 percent of which is found in bones and teeth. A balance between phosphorus and calcium levels must be tightly maintained for optimal health.
Soft Drinks and Health
When your diet contains more phosphorus than calcium, parathyroid hormone secretion increases, triggering demineralization of bone. A 2006 study of 1,413 women and 1,125 men published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" set out to assess the effects of carbonated beverages on bone mineral density. Researchers concluded that regular cola consumption, but not intake of other carbonated beverages, caused decreased bone mineral density in the female subjects, but not the male. A study published in the July 2007 issue of "Epidemiology" found consuming two or more cola beverages daily doubles the risk of kidney disease.
Other Adverse Effects
In addition to bone demineralization, excess consumption of carbonated beverages has been linked to other health problems. The World Natural Health Organization links soft drink consumption to obesity, tooth decay, malnutrition, kidney stones and aging skin. Scientists at both the Linus Pauling Institute and the University of Maryland Medical Center voice concern that substituting soft drinks for calcium-rich beverages such as milk can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
References
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; The Framingham Osteoporosis Study; Katherine L Tucker, et.al., October, 2006
- Linus Pauling Institute; Micronutrient Information Center; Calcium
- Colorado State University: Endocrine Control of Calcium and Phosphate Homeostasis
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Phosphorus
- World Natural Health Organization: Soft Drinks -- Hard Facts
- SciFun.org: Chemical of the Week: Phosphoric Acid
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