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Consuming Sodas Causes Osteoporosis
in Teenagers
Teenagers who drink a lot of soda have now been documented
as being more prone to bone fractures and osteoporosis
than those who do not drink much soda pop.
A questionnaire was given to 460 girls in the 9th and 10th grades,
asking them about their diet and exercise habits, along with
any history of fractures. The study results showed that girls
who drank soft drinks were more than
three times more likely to have a bone fracture.
And physically active girls who drank Cola were nearly five
times more likely to have had a bone fracture.
Studies have linked mineral loss before to Cola consumption,
but finally some one thought to check out teenager's consumption
and how it might affect them. The conclusion was that drinking
soda pop causes osteoporosis in teenagers.
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Between 40% to 60% of peak bone mass is built during the teenage
years. Consumption of soft drinks affects both boys and girls.
The acidic nature of the phosphoric acid in the drink causes
the body to pull minerals such as calcium out of the bones to
buffer the acid. |
Many teens are very active in sports. Note how much more likely
drinkers of the soft drinks were likely to have a bone
fracture? Thirty to fifty percent!! Is your teenager in sports
and drinking soft drinks? Colas?
I offer Nutritional work ups and mineral assays, using hair analysis.
Teenagers I see in my practice today, more than ever before,
are not eating many fruits and vegetables. These are needed to
provide the minerals to build strong bones. Add to this the consumption
of soda pop and these teenagers are setting themselves
up for conditions such as osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones have become
more porous and therefore more fragile and prone to breaking.
It is thought to be a problem for older people, however this
study shows that teenagers may be the newest group to suffer.
How does your teen score in soda consumption? How does (s)he
score in eating plenty of green vegetables? Or other food
choices such as yogurt, small amounts of cheese, Beans, Salmon
and other things with high calcium/mineral content?
And how much water is (s)he drinking? Your teenager may not
like water after drinking all the flavored and sugared soft drinks.
However water consumption is vitally important for health and
electical conductivity of the body.
As a health practioner, I suggest one quart of water for every
50 pounds of weight. So if your teenager weighs one hundred pounds,
(s)he would need to drink two quarts of water a day. As
an added incentive, tell them it will help clear up the bad skin
problems.
Educate yourself and more importantly your teenager about the
use of soft drinks and the consequences. Educate them about
a better diet. This concept of how to eat better will last them
a lifetime and build better health, wich they will notice more,
the older they get. Go here to learn more about healthier
eating.
Remember, Prevention is the best measure! Help them to understand
the importance of eating their fruits and vegetables and drinking
purified water. This way, they may avoid osteoporisis.
Next, learn about the Herbal
Remedies For Teenage Health Issues
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©Revised 2005
Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. shares health tips that you can use today
in her Health newsletter and
Alternative health blog. |
