Cola May Be Bad to the Bones

Hey everyone, I know that this is long, but I think that it is worth reading. It is titled "Cola May Be Bad to the Bones", however I will be a little more direct... Cola IS Bad to the Bones... not to mention the sugar/corn syrup they contain. Also, notice how it states that they have decreased bone density in the hips... that is very bad... broken hips are one of the major indirect/direct killers of older people... not to mention it is also very bad that kids are showing up with lower bone mass.


Cola May Be Bad to the Bones
By Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter
HealthDay


SATURDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- While enjoying a cola or two every day might seem harmless enough, recent research suggests that those tasty drinks could be compromising your bone health.

"There is enough evidence that high consumption of soda and carbonated beverages is associated with somewhat lower bone mass in children, and that's a real concern and people should be aware of it," said Dr. Lawrence Raisz, director of the University of Connecticut Center for Osteoporosis.

The exact mechanism behind the problem isn't clear, but experts believe that drinking soda -- particularly colas -- affects bone density in several ways. One reason may be that people who drink colas are simply less likely to get enough calcium and vitamin D in their diets, because the soda is replacing more nutritious beverages, such as milk or calcium-fortified juice.

Or, it could be related to the caffeine in colas, because caffeine has been linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis.

The third possible explanation focuses on one of the ingredients found in colas: phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid can cause an imbalance in the body as the body seeks to neutralize the acid with calcium. If there isn't enough calcium in the diet, the body will take calcium from the bones.

"Phosphate is in milk, but milk also contains calcium and vitamin D. In soft drinks, there is just phosphoric acid and no calcium. Extra overzealous drinking may lead to a phosphoric acid imbalance, and if there's not enough calcium, the body goes to the bones to restore the balance," explained Dr. Primal Kaur, director of the Osteoporosis Center at Temple University Health Sciences Center in Philadelphia.

Low levels of calcium are associated with the development of osteoporosis, a disease that thins the bones so much that they're at risk of fracture. More than half of Americans, especially postmenopausal women, have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

In a study that included more than 2,500 people with an average age of about 60, researchers from Tufts University found that cola consumption by women was associated with lower bone mineral density at three hip sites, regardless of age, menopause, total calcium and vitamin D intake. The women reported drinking an average of five carbonated drinks a week, four of which were colas.

There was less of a problem with decaffeinated cola, but the findings were similar for diet soft drinks. The researchers didn't find an association between cola drinking and lower bone mass in men.

Results of the study were published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Moderation is really important. If you really like soft drinks, you don't need to take them out of your diet completely, but limit yourself to one or two glasses" a week, Kaur said.

And, she added, make sure you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D to protect your bone health. Vitamin D needs vary by age, and where you live, so check with your doctor to find out how much vitamin D you should be consuming each day. Kaur said that if you're not getting at least 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily from your diet, you should take a calcium supplement to ensure you're getting adequate amounts of the mineral.

Another important way to prevent osteoporosis, according to Raisz, is to exercise.

"The standard recommendation is a half an hour a day for adults and an hour a day for kids, but anything is better than nothing," he said. "Try to walk at least a half a mile a day, and engage in a weight-bearing exercise of some sort."

Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
URL: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/osteoporosis/articlepage
.aspx?cp-documentid=100201885>1=31038

Economic crisis

Here is an e-mail I received from the Consumers Union (publishers of Consumer Reports). I think that it is something worth looking at:

What kinds of reforms will actually help families save their homes and stabilize the economy? They're pretty simple, really.

Encourage lenders to restructure loans so people can avoid foreclosure.
End lending practices that prevent people from refinancing or steer families into high cost loans when they qualify for better ones.
Stop lenders and brokers from putting people in loans they know the borrowers can't afford.

Take a moment right now to tell your lawmakers to support practical reforms that will help families and the economy. [You'll have to copy and paste this into another window: https://secure.consumersunion.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1865]

Lenders and brokers profit by maximizing the size and cost of loans. Brokers make more commission. Lenders make more fees. Then they sell off the loans to someone else and walk away. The companies who bought the loans can't fix them, but bailing out corporate America will not cure the problem.

Don't let Congress bail out Wall Street without fixing the real problems. We need a cure for the ailing economy.

Tell Congress to pass real reform for real people!

And then take a moment to forward this email to others, so they can lend their voice and help us get the strongest possible bill.

Sincerely,
Jeannine Kenny
Consumers Union
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036

Eggs... good or bad?

Here is a recent study that caught my attention. A couple of years ago I used to eat well over 10 eggs per week, but lately I rarely eat them... more out of lack of time to cook them in the morning.


Seven or more eggs a week linked to death risk

Middle-aged men should limit consumption, study suggests

WASHINGTON - Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs a week had a higher risk of earlier death, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
Men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death during a 20-year period studied, according to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study adds to an ever-growing body of evidence, much of it contradictory, about how safe eggs are to eat. It did not examine what about the eggs might affect the risk of death.


For the full story go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24028358/wid/11915773?GT1=31037

Dancing bear

Check out this video below. Believe it or not, this is a real bear. You can check out the news story at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23942697/?GT1=43001