Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Chemical Additive Of The Week - Phosphoric Acid

Health Effects: 
Phosphoric acid, used in many soft drinks (primarily cola), has been linked to lower bone density in epidemiological studies. For example, a study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry rather than a questionnaire about breakage, provides reasonable evidence to support the theory that drinking cola results in lower bone density. This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A total of 1672 women and 1148 men were studied between 1996 and 2001. Dietary information was collected using a food frequency questionnaire that had specific questions about the number of servings of cola and other carbonated beverages and that also made a differentiation between regular, caffeine-free, and diet drinks. The paper cites significant statistical evidence to show that women who consume cola daily have lower bone density. Total phosphorus intake was not significantly higher in daily cola consumers than in nonconsumers; however, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratios were lower. - The Framingham Osteoporosis Study

In a study published in the journal Epidemiology, the team compared the dietary habits of 465 people with chronic kidney disease and 467 healthy people. After controlling for various factors, the team found that drinking two or more colas a day whether artificially sweetened or regular was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease. - Anahad O’Connor


Researchers at the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois propose that carbonated beverages may also contribute to the loss of enamel, the hard outermost layer of your teeth. The study, published in 2007 in "General Dentistry," found that cola products containing phosphoric acid elicited an average enamel loss of 3.65 percent. Diet colas, which tend to be less acidic than regular colas, produced a lesser degree of erosion. The percent of erosion was proportional to the length of exposure to the beverage. - Live Strong 

Soft drink consumption in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones. - Natural News 

Phosphorus is meant to exist in the body in a 1:1 ratio with calcium. However, large amounts of phosphorus in sodas, specifically colas, throw off the balance in the body, making the ratio 2:1, even 5:1. When these large amounts of acid enter the body, it is quickly goes into the blood stream, lowering the blood’s pH level. The body immediately works to fight this imbalance and may extract minerals from the bones to restore the phosphorus-calcium balance. - Elson M. Haas 

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