 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
Many nutritionists say that drinking too much soda contributes to a variety of health problems: diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, osteoporosis. Here's one more: kidney stones. But can certain soft drinks really cause kidney stones or is that just a myth?
On occasion, Kelly Mayer lets her daughter, Kaitlin, drink soda.
“It’s a special treat when she’s being really good,” says Mayer.
But can soda be a health risk? The National Institutes of Health compared the diets of more than 400 people with kidney disease and more than 400 healthy people. They found that drinking two or more sodas a day increased the risk of chronic kidney stones. Experts blame the caffeine.
“Too much caffeine can cause dehydration. Also too much caffeine can cause calcium to be leached from your bones,” says Rachel Brandeis, registered dietician, American Dietetic Association.
And that calcium can end up as a kidney stone. One solution, experts say, is to avoid soda and caffeine and drink lots of water.
“The best thing that you could possibly do is always keep yourself hydrated. And if you are dealing with your children, you know it is important to make sure they have available fluids to drink, something that they like and will take. Especially if your child is physically active outdoors and it is warm weather, you should insist that your children to stop periodically and drink,” says Mike Ziegler, M.D., emergency pediatrics, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Kaitlin’s mom serves lots of healthy fluids: juice, milk and water. But if it were up to Kaitlin, she would drink soda all the time.
“I’d drink a lot of it,” says Kaitlin, 3.
Tips for Parents
* Soda drinkers have a higher incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney stones. Some studies show an association between kidney stones and chronic kidney disease. Colas in particular contain high amounts of phosphoric acid, a substance known to change the urine in a way that favors kidney stone formation. (Bastyr Center for Natural Health)
* If you have kidney stones, you may be asked to make changes to the amount of salt, calcium, oxalate, protein, potassium and fluid in your diet. A registered dietitian can help you with making these changes. (National Kidney Foundation)
* To help control the phosphorus in your blood, you should eat fewer foods that are high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is found in many foods but is especially high in the following foods: (National Kidney Foundation)
o Dairy products such as milk, cheese, pudding, yogurt and ice cream
o Dried beans and peas such as kidney beans, split peas and lentils
o Nuts and peanut butter
o Beverages such as cocoa, beer and cola soft drinks
* In addition to avoiding certain foods, you can also reduce the amount of potassium you eat by “leaching” your vegetables before you cook or eat them. This basically means peeling and cutting the vegetable thinly, and soaking it in water for several hours. Then, you discard the water and prepare the vegetables as you wish. You should also drain all liquids from canned vegetables or fruits before you use them. (National Kidney Foundation)
* Avoid: Cocktails mixed with fruit juice, milk, cream or ice cream; cola soft drinks; high potassium juices such as prune, orange, grapefruit and tomato; cocoa, milk, milk shakes. (National Kidney Foundation)
* It is important that you drink at least three to four quarts of fluid throughout the day. In hotter weather, you may need to drink more to make up for fluid loss from sweating. This will help keep your urine less concentrated. Less concentrated urine reduces the risk of stone formation. Most of the fluid you drink should be water. (National Kidney Foundation)
References
* Bastyr Center for Natural Health
* National Kidney Foundation
* Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Channel 7 News to leave comments on news stories.