Cola drinking could lead to broken bones
The increasing popularity and consumption of cola-type carbonated drinks seems to be responsible for increased fractures (broken bones) in teenage girls, according to researchers at the famous Harvard School of Public Health in the US.
The researchers found that in the past few years, teenagers in the US have doubled or tripled their consumption of carbonated drinks, while reducing their intake of milk by 40 per cent.
The study looked at 460 high school girls. It demonstrated that in girls who were physically active the chances of breaking a bone were high, with one in 5 reporting a bad fracture. Eighty per cent of the girls questioned drank carbonated drinks, usually of the standard sugar-containing type.
The reasons for the increased fracture risk are thought to be alterations in the proportions of calcium and phosphorus in the diet. Cola drinks are high in phosphorus, and milk has lots of calcium.
Too much phosphorus can lead to weakened bones, which are more likely to break when subjected to the stresses of physical activity. If your teenagers are always opening cans of fizzy drinks, try to encourage them to drink plenty of milk as well.
Last Reviewed: 31 May 2001
