Diet Soda and Calcium Absorption: What You Should Know

Diet Soda and Calcium Absorption: What You Should Know
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Calcium and Absorption

Many people have heard that soda can affect calcium absorption and that diet soda is ‘bad for you’. The question is, what is the truth about diet soda and calcium absorption?

Calcium is found in the human body in teeth and bones. Soft tissue and blood also contain calcium. When the body is lacking in essential calcium, it undergoes homeostasis, which is a process by which calcium is removed from the bones.

Vitamin D helps the body properly absorb calcium. Vitamin D can be found in milk. Additionally, sun exposure can help the body obtain vitamin D.

Diet Soda and Calcium Absorption

According to a WebMD article by Gina Shaw, there is a link between consuming soda and osteoporosis, but experts don’t know exactly why that is.

There is some speculation as to the reason and they range from people drinking more soda than milk to the correlation between cola and calcium leeching.

Diet soda has a ‘guilt-free’ aspect to it due to having no sugar and no calories, so people may drink more diet soda than they would regular soda. This can only add to the problem.

Cola and Calcium Leeching

The most direct link between diet soda and osteoporosis is found with the consumption of cola. The WebMD article cites a Tufts University study of thousands of women that found a 4% lower mineral density in the hip of those women who consumed three or more cola beverages a day.

Caffeine is thought to be the culprit behind this leeching and while the amount of caffeine varies between regular and diet colas, they are usually close.

Phosphoric Acid and Calcium Absorption

Soda, diet and regular, contains phosphoric acid. This mineral is important for bones, but getting too much can backfire and lead to bone loss.

Prevention

There are many things diet soda drinkers can do to help prevent calcium leeching and aid in calcium absorption.

  • Give up soda. Drink more water and milk instead.
  • Add more calcium to your diet. Some foods are enriched with calcium and vitamin D. Orange juice is one example of a food that can be found with added calcium.
  • Take dietary supplements. Consult a physician before adding supplements to your routine due to possible conflicts with medication. Your doctor may also want to run tests to determine what your nutrition levels are and if you need more calcium or vitamin D.
  • Get more sun. Adding a little more sun (with protection) to your life can help add more vitamin D to your body, which aids in calcium absorption.

Diet soda and calcium absorption don’t have to be at cross-purposes for the average person if active measures are taken to ensure correct nutrition levels.

References

Soda and Osteoporosis: Is There a Connection? Gina Shaw. Reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayon Mathis, MD. https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/soda-osteoporosis

Optimizing Your Diet: Best Foods for Specific Minerals. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 2005. https://web.mit.edu/athletics/sportsmedicine/wcrminerals.html