Carbonated Drinks and Fractures

July 21, 2000 - An association between consumption of carbonated beverages (soda pop) and bone fractures has been reported in a study of 460 girls in high school. Girls who drank the most soda had three to four times the risk of those who drank none. Physically active girls were at the higher end of the risk ratio [ http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v154n6/abs/poa90400.html ].

More than half the girls did not participate in any physical activity, so they should have been at low risk for fractures. There did not appear to be any differences between colas and other types of sodas. The typical soda drinking teenager consumes less milk, and this may contribute to thinner bones.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The authors admit their data cannot be used to infer causality because this was not a longitudinal study in which girls who drank soda were identified at the beginning of the study and then compared to girls who did not drink these beverages. But this is the second report of such an association, suggesting more thorough studies of soda drinking should be done. It also suggests osteoporosis may become a much greater problem as soda drinking young women get older.

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