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Soda Just tell me what to take. Soda, or soft drinks, come in many types.  Most contain sugar and some are "diet" sodas.    Most soda contains caffeine.   All soda contains excess phosphorus and carbon acids..  So what are the problems here. Phosphorus Phosphorus is a necessary component of bone but the excessive intake blocks  calcium absorption. Too much phosphorus binds with calcium in your blood, thus making calcium unavailable for your body's functions, you body sensing it doesn't have enough calcium in the blood, takes it from your bones.   Calcium is important for many things including normal heartbeat, nerve and muscle function and blood clotting including the formation of hard bones and teeth.  There should be an even amount of phosphorus and calcium in your diet. Your phosphorus intake is increased when drinking soft drinks and this  depletes your body of calcium and magnesium. Some researchers believe that calcium is first robbed not from you hips or spine, but from your jaw leading to tooth loss. Caffeine A lot of soda contains caffeine. The caffeine consumption increases the urinary excretion of calcium.   Thus, you have less calcium in your system. Caffeine also has other liabilities.   See our article for more information:  Caffeine Sugar When you drink soda you intake sugar at a rate of about 3 grams per ounce. Soda delivers sugar without the B vitamins that enable the body to turn sugar into energy. Soda has  empty calories You have to eat more food at other meals to make up for the nourishment that the sugar in soda lacks.   For more information on sugar see our article: Sugar "Diet Soda", without sugar, Diet sodas do not have sugar, but have artificial sweeteners.  Read our article: Aspartame, this is the most common sweetener used in soft drinks.    There have been cases where persons typically drinking quarts of diet soda, finding that the artificial sweeteners contribute to compulsive eating.    You may have noticed that your cravings for sweets and fatty foods, and your weight, have increased along with artificial sweetener use.    One person announced that when they had given up diet sodas they suddenly lost 10 pounds.   Carbon Acids The carbon acids contained in soda increase the acidity of the blood. The regulation of the blood's pH - making it more acid when it becomes too alkaline and vice versa - is an example of a homeostatic mechanism: a means of balancing opposing tendencies to maintain the correct equilibrium for the continued functioning of the organism. Zinc is important if many of the homeostatic mechanisms including regulations of blood pH and thus zinc is needed for this balance.   The cans most soda comes in It is a bad idea to use aluminum.  Too much aluminum can cause bone lose. The aluminum not only can bind with phosphorus and calcium, drawing them into the urine, but also deposits then on bones, causing osteomalacia (soft bones).  Although the aluminum used in soda is covered with a plastic, there is some question if it doesn't get into the soda anyway. What should I take: Calcium - 500-2000 mgs per day.   Calcium is best taken with magnesium. It is best on a 3:1 ratio. In other words for every 300 mgs of calcium you need 100 mgs of magnesium. Magnesium helps calcium into the bones and also converts vitamin D to its active from in the body.  Boron, a trace mineral, found mostly in fruits and vegetables, may reduce urinary excretion of both calcium and magnesium. Also important is zinc, copper, and manganese.  Zinc How much do you take?  There is the recommended dosage on the supplement bottle or box.  However, the recommended dosage, is a baseline amount.  Remember, when you are taking supplements to compensate for drinking soda, the more you ingest, the more supplements you must take. Soda with Sugar: Add: Vitamin B Complex Chromium Trace minerals  Where can I get a good source of these supplements? Add: Soda with Caffeine: Multivitamin & Minerals  - Health Basics Pack - Natural Vitamins Vitamin B Complex Calcium/Magnesium Vitamin B1 Potassium Where can I get a good source of these supplements? For Joint Pain - See Joint Relief Formula If you would like to receive the McVitamins Newsletter, please signup here: Email address:  We take privacy and security seriously, read about it here     Try the all natural Pain Relief Formula, not a drug,  and it works!   Search this site Home    Health Tips   Health Concerns  Site Index   Glossary We have used our best judgment in compiling this information. The Food and Drug Administration may not have evaluated the information presented. Any reference to a specific product is for your information only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease