The study from the National Osteoporosis Foundation has found that cola may contribute to lower bone mineral density in older women, a condition which increases risk for osteoporosis.
Researcher Dr Katherine Tucker, who reported the findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed dietary questionnaires and bone mineral density measurements of more than 2,500 people with an average age of 60.
She found that in women, cola consumption was associated with lower bone mineral density, regardless of factors such as age, menopausal status, total calcium and vitamin D intake, or use of cigarettes or alcohol. Cola drinking did not affect men in the same way.
The results were similar for diet cola and, although weaker, for decaffeinated cola as well.
“The more cola that women drank, the lower their bone mineral density was,” said Ms Tucker. “However, we did not see an association with bone mineral density loss for women who drank carbonated beverages that were not cola.”
The research also revealed that around 55% of Americans, mostly women, are at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease of porous and brittle bones that causes higher susceptibility to bone fractures.