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Dr. Errol Rushovich, Center for Bone Health (left), Linda Yerardi, RD, LD, The Diabetes Center (right)

Carbonated Colas Lead to Loss of Bone Density? Dr. Errol Rushovich, Director, The Center for Bone Health/Division of Endocrinology at Mercy, Comments on WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor"

If you're a woman who often drinks carbonated colas, new research shows those bubbly soft drinks — diet or not — could eventually take their toll on your bones.

Debbie Lynch said when she was growing up, soft drinks were not part of her family's menu.

"Sodas in my family were treated as a treat. So, if there was a big family function, you might get a soda. But otherwise, we did not drink it. It was water, milk or orange juice," she said.

But that changed when she became an adult. Debbie said she drank sodas — especially colas — including diet soft drinks. Over the years, she developed osteoporosis.

A recent study said cola consumption and bone loss are connected.

"Carbonated cola drinks may cause bone loss, especially in women," said Mercy Medical Center’s Dr. Errol Rushovich, endocrinologist and Director of The Center for Bone Health, Division of Endocrinology. "There's phosphoric acid, which might be a factor in affecting the absorption of calcium."

Mercy Medical Center Dietitian Linda Yerardi said colas are not a replacement for other drinks.

"If they're consuming such large volumes of these particular drinks, they're really not getting a lot of milk or a lot of other beneficial drinks that they could be drinking, such as water," she said.

Dr. Rushovich said more studies need to be done on colas and bone loss, but taking steps to prevent osteoporosis is just as important as knowing the risks.

"Just general healthy behaviors (help) — adequate calcium, adequate vitamin D, weight-bearing exercise, not smoking," he said.

The soda study also showed that non-cola soft drinks had no effect on bone loss in women.