obiwan9962:
I've done some of my own research while you were typing your links up for me- By the way, thank you!- and I've found the Phospheric Acid to be of little concern as compared to other foods, but I'll address your links first:
Your first link has
one small study that ties a link between cola beverage consumption and bone fractures in girls.
It appears your artical gave us an answer as to why:
"
The high consumption of carbonated beverages and the declining consumption of milk are of great public health significance for girls and women because of their proneness to osteoporosis in later life."
And let it be known that the effect in boys was inverse! So why are you worrying?
The middle artical didn't work, but forget it.
The last artical talks about such myths as the intake of acid substances affecting the bloods ph level, which is such an old fallacy I had to stop reading because I didn't consider it credible at all. I could list many counter sites as to the claims in that artical, but lets not get any more carried away then we have to.
Heres some of my info:
Phosphoric Acid
What is phosphoric acid?
Phosphoric acid is the source of phosphorus in most cola drinks. Phosphorus is a major constituent of all plant and animal cells and is present in all natural foods. Cheese, bread, nuts, fish, meat and eggs contain 200 - 800mg of phosphorus per 100g,
whereas
cola drinks contain between 13-19 mg of phosphorus per 100ml (i.e. a relatively low level).
What are the properties of phosphorus?
The consumption of foods containing phosphorus helps bone and tooth formation and the body's acid balance. A phosphorus deficiency can cause de-mineralisation of bone and the loss of calcium.
So should a growing child avoid drinks containing phosphoric acid to protect the strength of his / her bones?
No. Phosphorus is essential for proper bone formation and too little can be as much a problem as too much. Therefore, as with most foods and drinks, a balanced diet and regular exercise is the key. Genetic inheritance, body build, hormone levels, diet and
physical activity are all factors which can influence bone health.
It is also worth noting that soft drinks only contribute about 4% to the phosphorus intake of adolescents, whereas cereal and cereal products contribute over 25%.
Click here for the 50 Foods Highest in Phosphorus.
Information about the Recommended Daily intake:
PHOSPHORUS
Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral that is found in all cells within the body. The body of the human adult contains about 400-500 g. The greatest amount of body phosphorus can be found primarily in bone (85%) and muscle (14%). Phosphorus is primarily found as phosphate (PO4 2-). The major building blocks of biology are covalent molecules comprising proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids. The nucleic acids deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are polymers based on phosphate ester monomers. The high-energy
phosphate bond of ATP is the major energy currency of living organisms. Cell membranes are composed largely of phospholipids. The inorganic constituents of bone are primarily a calcium phosphate salt called hydroxyapatite. A variety of enzymatic activities are controlled by alternate phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins. The metabolism of all major metabolic substrates depends on the functioning of phosphorus as a cofactor in a variety of enzymes and as the principal reservoir for metabolic energy.
Deficiencies: Dietary phosphorus absorption is about 60-70%; any excess absorbed is readily excreted in the urine. Since renal conservation of phosphorus occurs quite efficiently on low phosphorus diets, a deficiency rarely occurs in a healthy population. However, various disease states or conditions (e.g., gastrointestinal malabsorption, diabetes mellitus, renal tubular dysfunction, antacid abuse, and premature birth) can be associated with low blood phosphorus levels (i.e., hypophosphatemia) and depleted phosphorus stores. Diet recommendations: New recommendations for dietary phosphorus include a value, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which an individual should aim to meet, and a value, the Tolerable Upper Level (UL), which should not be exceeded. Intakes between the RDA and the UL ensure that serum phosphorus levels will be maintained in the normal range. Values for infants are called Adequate Intake (AI) levels, and are based on a significant portion of intake being from breast milk. It should also be noted that there are no additional requirements for P during pregnancy or lactation. The Recommended intake levels for P (mg per day) are set based on life stage groups. For infants 0 to 6, and 6 to 12 months, the RDA is 100 and 275 mg, respectively. No UL has been set for these ages as supplementation would be unlikely. For children 1 to 3 and 4 to 8 years, the RDA is 460 and 500, respectively, and the UL is 3000 mg. For youth 9 to 18 years, the RDA is 1250 mg, which indicates the higher need for phosphorus during the adolescent growth spurt; the UL for youth is 4000 mg.
Adults 19 years and older have an RDA of 700 mg. The UL is 4000 mg up to age 70, then declines to 3000 mg after age 70 years.
Food Sources: Phosphorus is found widely distributed in foodstuffs. In the United States, the average daily intake is about 1600 mg for males and 1000 mg for females. In general, food sources rich in protein (milk, meat, eggs, legumes and grains) are also high in phosphorus. The relative contributions of food groups to phosphorus intake are: 60% from milk, meat, poultry, fish, and eggs; 20% from cereals and legumes; 10% from fruits and fruit juices; 4% from alcoholic beverages; and
3% from soft drinks and other beverages.
Toxicity: A diet containing a 2:1 dietary ratio of phosphorus to calcium can cause low blood calcium (hypocalcemia) and secondary hyperparathyroidism with excess bone resorption and bone loss in animals. Human breast milk, with a lower phosphorus content than cow milk, is considered better suited to the needs of the infant. For older ages, typical diets in the United States frequently exceed the recommended ratio; however, these diets are not believed to be harmful unless calcium intake is also very low. As intake of phosphorus rises, so does serum
phosphorus. Elevated serum phosphorus levels (hyperphosphatemia) can occur in patients with renal failure due to a poor ability to excrete phosphorus in the urine. As indicated by UL values, intake of phosphorus exceeding 3 to 4 grams may be harmful in healthy individuals.
For further information:
Allen, L. H. & Wood, R. J. (1994) Calcium and phosphorus. In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease (Shils,
M. E., Olson, J. A. & Shike, M., eds.), 8th ed., pp. 144 - 163. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, PA.
Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes (1997) Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium,
Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
Prepared By:
Susan J. Whiting, Ph.D.
Professor, Div. of Nutrition and Dietetics
University of Saskatchewan
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition
110 Science Place
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5C9
Phone: 306-966-5837
FAX: 306-966-6377
Email:
[email protected]
Richard J. Wood, Ph.D.
Chief, Mineral Bioavailability Lab
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging at Tufts Univ.
711 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111-1525
Phone: 617-556-3192
FAX: 617-556-3344
Email:
[email protected]
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