Carbonation

In addition to the empty calories in soft drinks, there is also a concern about the carbonation. Carbonated drinks actually leach calcium out of the bone, setting the individual up for osteoporosis. This is particularly alarming for our teenagers who are building bone. While we all break down and rebuild bone every day of our lives, the matrix of the bone becomes weakened when calcium is leached away. We reach our peak bone mass at about age 35, so it is critical during those first 35 years of our lives that we build as strong a matrix as possible.

With teens drinking so much carbonated beverage, they are actually setting themselves up for osteoporosis later in life. They will not see this as a problem, because as teenagers, we all feel and felt invincible. It's hard to relate to what will happen to these young people as they age.