Hip Fracture and Soda Intake?

According to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition soda consumption has seen a small decline in the past 10 years but adults consume close to 100 Kcalories of sweetened soda per day in 2010. Diet soft drink has gone up with 28.3% of women 40 to 59 years and 23.1% of women over the age of 60 consuming diet soda on any given day.

At the same time the study looked at the incidence of hip fractures, especially in post-menopausal women. What the researchers found was that there seems to be a slightly increased risk of hip fracture with the consumption of larger amounts of soda, whether it is sweetened or not.

While the cause of this increased risk was not clear, what the researchers did report was that failure to consume enough calcium, while consuming more phosphorus from the soda, could be a factor. The researchers also noted that women who consumed more soda tended to have higher body mass indexes (BMI) so weight could be a factor.

So what does this mean if you are a soda drinker?

• If you are drinking soda in place of calcium rich dairy - take time now to make that switch
• Work to include at least 3 servings of dairy each day - ChooseMyPlate.gov - provides good ideas
• Assess your body weight and develop a plan to achieve a healthier weight if you need to - a Registered Dietitian can help you do that
• Make physical activity a part of your day - a good goal is 30 minutes, most days of the week

Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD, FADA

Nutrition Communications Consultant