Confused about Carbonation?

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Today's Question

Confused about Carbonation?

The carbonation in canned soda has been cited as detrimental to bone

health. Does the natural carbonation in waters such as Perrier also

pose a risk for bones?

-- Linda Hicks

 

Today's Answer

(Published 01/02/2003)

I can give you a number of reasons to avoid drinking colas and other

sodas but the carbonation they contain is not one of them. The notion

that the carbonation in sodas is bad for bones comes from studies

performed in the early 1990s which suggested that drinking carbonated

beverages, specifically colas, raises the risk of bone fractures among

adolescent girls and older women (former college athletes). No such

association was found for non-cola drinks. The researchers also found

that a high intake of calcium was protective.

More recently, results of a study published in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition looked at the question of whether carbonated

beverages increase urinary excretion of calcium. If so, this effect

might provide a plausible link between consumption of carbonated

beverages and an increased risk of fractures.

The researchers, (from the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton

University), found that excess urinary excretion of calcium occurred

only when the carbonated beverages consumed contained caffeine. At

least one earlier study had suggested that caffeine consumption can

have a deleterious effect on bone health if not counteracted by

sufficient calcium. The Creighton researchers found that the caffeine

effect they say was balanced by less excretion of calcium later in the

day so that the net result was only a negligible loss of calcium. This

led them to conclude that any effect on bone associated with carbonated

drinks would stem from lowered calcium intake due to displacement of

milk as a beverage. Incidentally, this study was sponsored by the dairy

industry, which would have had an interest in the opposite result.

I wouldn't worry about the carbonation in sodas. My concerns about

consumption of soft drinks focus more on the unhealthy amounts of

sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine they contain. The carbonation

itself is not a problem, and Perrier and other carbonated mineral

waters are perfectly safe.

Dr. Andrew Weil

www.drweil.com