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lining erosion. Far worse, the buffering of acidity throughout the body—which becomes essential when an acidic environment continuously prevails—is thought to contribute to bone loss. 113 litres per person (children and adults) in 1999.7_ When it comes to refined sugars, soft drink manufacturers since the 1970s have been opting to use high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a combination of fructose and dextrose, as opposed to sucrose from sugar cane. High-fructose corn syrup has been associated with poor development of collagen in growing animals, as it interferes with the absorption of copper. Further, since fructose must be metabolised by the liver, animals on high-fructose diets have been found to develop liver problems akin to those developed by alcoholics. HFCS may also be associated with diabetes and obesity. Diabetics and others who must monitor their blood sugar levels may not get accurate glycaemic readings after consuming fructose, which in the case of high-fructose corn syrup is highly processsed and hardly "natural".* With such high consumption levels of these sugary drinks, there is much more to be concerned about. Colas linked to bone fractures and osteoporosis An article by Grace Wyshak, associate professor in the Departments of Biostatistics and Population and International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, published in the June 2000 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine highlights that active girls who drink cola drinks are five times more likely to have had bone fractures than girls who don't drink carbonated beverages.'' Wyshak's study was based on an analysis of data drawn from more than 460 ninth- and tenth- grade girls who reported their activity levels, carbonated beverage drinking habits and history of bone fractures. This study succeeds two earlier attempts by Wyshak to examine the link between carbonated beverages consumption, physical activity and bone fractures, both of which yielded similar outcomes as published in the Journal of Orthopedic Research” and the Journal of Adolescent Health.” Evidently, nutritional choices affect health and, as this case indicates, bone health. The US National Osteoporosis Foundation indicates that approximately 55 per cent of Americans, mostly women, are at risk of developing osteoporosis, which makes this question all the more pertinent: are colas in any way linked to the development of osteoporosis? A report published in the October 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition cites a recent epidemiological research study by Katherine Tucker, PhD, Director of the Epidemiology and Dietary Assessment Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, and colleagues which presents convincing evidence that the intake of colas is also linked with lower bone mineral density in older women, which in turn increases the risk of osteoporosis.'* Tucker and her colleagues conducted the Framingham Osteoporosis Study by correlating dietary responses and bone mineral density measurements at the spine and three different hip sites of more than 2,500 people whose average age was just below sixty. They found that cola consumption was associated with lower bone mineral density—almost four per cent less—at all three hip sites in women, irrespective of the respondent's age, menopausal status, total calcium and vitamin D intake, or use of cigarettes or alcohol. Interestingly, the team also found that cola consumption was not associated with lower bone mineral density for men at the hip sites or the spine for either men or women. The results were similar for diet cola and, although weaker, for decaffeinated cola as well. Male respondents in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study reported consuming an average of six carbonated drinks a week, with five being cola, and female respondents reported drinking an average of five carbonated drinks a week, four of which were cola. A serving size was defined as one bottle, can or glass of cola. Since the findings do not correlate bone mineral density loss in women with the consumption of non-cola carbonated beverages, let's consider the probable reasons for the outcome. This study noted that more than 70 per cent of the carbonated beverages consumed by the subjects were colas, all of which contain phosphoric acid, an ingredient that is not likely to be found in non-cola carbonated beverages. A typical can of cola or one 12-fluid-ounce serving contains Yellow teeth, anyone? Another consequence of a high intake of soft drinks is the loss of tooth enamel, causing yellow teeth and tooth rot. The culprit is the phosphoric acid in soft drinks, which is also thought to have an adverse impact on digestion. Why does phosphoric acid cause this fallout? The body tries to maintain the normal pH level of saliva as slightly alkaline, or more specifically at 7.4. However, since soft drinks are extremely acidic—considered to measure 2.0 on the pH scale, or to be about 100,000 times more acidic than pure water’—when they are consumed frequently they leave an acidic residue in the mouth which lowers the saliva's natural alkalinity. This imbalance activates the body's natural repair systems. In order to reverse the acidic pH level, the body uses calcium ions available in the teeth, thus depleting tooth enamel. Apparently, even drinks labelled "sugar free", "reduced sugar" or "low sugar" can contain enough sugar to cause damage to teeth, in addition to having the same acids as the standard carbonated drinks.'’ These acids may cause inflammation of the stomach and duodenal lining, and over a longer period of time they can lead to gastric Pas pac Ff TED CARBoONA SOFT pei s - Sen arvitie "In the interests of global warming, we are initiating an international ad campaign encouraging our customer base to refrain from burping." 28 = NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2007