5 Drinks That Can Be Hard on Bone Health
There isn’t a definitive ranking of “the five most harmful drinks,” but some beverages are worth limiting because regular or excessive consumption can work against bone health.
- Heavy alcohol consumption 🍺
Excessive alcohol can interfere with bone formation and increase the risk of falls and fractures. Moderate intake is different from heavy drinking, but less is generally better for bone health. - Sugary soft drinks 🥤
Regular soda provides substantial added sugar without much nutritional value. Some research has found associations between high soft-drink intake and poorer bone health, although the reasons aren’t simply that soda “leaches calcium from bones.” - Energy drinks ⚡
Many contain high amounts of caffeine and added sugar. They can displace more nutritious beverages, and excessive caffeine intake can be problematic when calcium intake is inadequate. - Excessive caffeinated drinks ☕
High caffeine intake can modestly increase calcium loss in urine. For most people, moderate coffee or tea consumption is compatible with healthy bones when the overall diet provides enough calcium. - Very sugary fruit drinks 🧃
Fruit-flavored drinks and sweetened juices can provide a lot of added sugar while offering less fiber and nutrition than eating whole fruit.
What should you drink instead?
For bone health, water, milk or calcium-fortified alternatives, and unsweetened beverages are generally better everyday choices. Adequate calcium, vitamin D, protein, resistance exercise, and weight-bearing activity matter much more than avoiding one particular beverage.
And don’t be misled by the common claim that all carbonated drinks destroy your bones. The evidence doesn’t support such a simple conclusion.
