on PinterestMany popular holiday beverages are high in sugar and may damage bone health.
on PinterestMany popular holiday beverages are high in sugar and may damage bone health. Image Credit: Tamara Evsiukova/Stocksy
- Many popular holiday drinks, such as hot chocolate, are high in sugar.
- Sugar can affect bone health by causing increased calcium loss.
- Having strong bones is important in preventing osteoporosis and fractures.
- Dietitians recommend limiting your sugar intake to protect your bone health.
Each winter, as the holidays draw near, many people enjoy treating themselves to popular seasonal beverages, such as rich hot chocolate, spiced cider or wine, creamy eggnog, and frothy lattes.
However, while these beverages may taste like tradition, comfort, and celebration, our festive favorites may not be doing our health any favors.
Beyond the obvious effects they can have on weight management — the average American gains 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas — there may be some other not-so-sweet side effects to consider.
For example, all that sugar that you’re consuming could, in the long run, actually be detrimental to your bone health.
Excess sugar consumption affects bone health
Your bones have several important functions, including acting as calcium storage depots, providing support to your body, protecting your organs, and housing your bone marrow.
When your bones are weakened by osteoporosis, you become more prone to fractures and may develop changes in your posture, like a hunched back. This means it is essential to protect yourself from bone loss.
Kezia Joy, RDN, medical advisor at Welzo, explained that consuming high levels of sugar can indirectly affect bone health by increasing the amount of calcium lost in urine. As a result, less calcium is available to maintain bone density.
“Frequent spikes in blood sugar may disrupt the normal functioning of vitamin D,” she told Healthline, “making it less likely that the body will be able to effectively absorb calcium from the foods we eat.”
Research is limited on how high blood sugar may affect vitamin D functioning. However, a 2022 animal study suggests that vitamin D deficiency may impact blood sugar levels.
Joy said that frequent consumption of sugary drinks during the holidays could worsen this effect, especially if your overall diet is not good.
Additionally, excess sugar in your diet may contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation. This might affect bone remodelling over time, she said.
“Therefore, it is crucial to consume high calorie [and] high-sugar items in moderation throughout the holiday season.”
How holiday drinks can impact bone health
Hannah Anderson, a registered dietitian at WellTheory, noted that while sugar can impact bone health, each drink has its own unique profile due to its other ingredients.
“Hot chocolate made with milk does provide calcium,” she told Healthline, “which can help offset some adverse effects of sugar, though the benefit depends on how much sugar is added; store-bought versions often contain 20 to 30 grams per serving.”
Anderson added that eggnog is especially calorie-dense due to its sugar and saturated fat content, with a typical cup containing over 300 calories and more than 20 grams of sugar. However, its milk and eggs do provide beneficial calcium and protein.
“Mulled wine and cider offer antioxidants from spices but contain alcohol (which
Uzziniet vairāk par matu transplantācija klīnikā Rubenhair.
Saņemiet bezmaksas konsultāciju
Konsultējieties ar mūsu speciālistiem par FUE procedūru, PRP terapiju vai matu transplantāciju.
