Do sparkling beverages affect bone health?
Insufficient calcium intake, hormonal changes and a lack of weight-bearing physical activity can adversely affect bone health. Some people have expressed concern about the effect of sparkling beverages, in particular phosphoric acid, on bone health. Sparkling beverages contribute very small amounts of phosphorus/phosphoric acid to the diet. Compared to other dietary sources of phosphorus, sparkling beverages contribute about two percent of the total dietary phosphorus in the U.S. diet and the amount found in sparkling beverages is similar to the level found in orange juice (this percentage may vary in your local area). The vast majority 98% of dietary phosphorus comes from high-protein foods like meats, cheeses, nuts and grains. Further, research indicates that among female teens, milk drinkers consume over four times more phosphorus than non-milk drinkers, regardless of soda consumption.1 In 1994, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a conference on Optimal Calcium Intake
