ABSTRACT
Several reports have suggested that consumption of cola beverages leads to decreased bone density. Phosphoric acid, an additive found in all cola beverages, may be responsible for this effect. Critics have argued that any apparent negative effect of cola beverages is a result of displacement of other nutrients rather than a direct effect of phosphoric acid. They also point out that the amount of phosphorus in cola beverages is small compared with the total amount of phosphorus consumed in a typical Western European or North American diet. However, inorganic phosphates – such as those found in cola beverages – may be absorbed faster and have a different physiological effect than the protein-bound phosphorus found in meat, nuts, and other natural sources of phosphorus.
