’Tis the season for holiday comfort foods and drinks — but this winter, experts warn that one cozy beverage may be doing more damage to your bones than many revelers realize.
Sugary hot chocolate, while often made with milk, can actually weaken the bones because of its high sugar content, orthopedic surgeons say.
While a cup of milk delivers about 300 milligrams of calcium — only a quarter of the 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams adults need each day — many hot cocoas can pack 20 to 60 grams of sugar.
That’s more than twice what’s in a standard candy bar and enough to approach or even exceed the American Heart Association’s daily limit.
Sipping the drink in moderation might be fine for some people.
Yet frequent large servings may counteract bone-strengthening nutrients and contribute to long-term bone loss, according to recent reports.
“Bone health can have many contributing factors, including the things we eat and drink, particularly milk, as it is a calcium-rich drink,” Dr. Jeremy Smith, an orthopedic surgeon for the Hoag Orthopedic Institute in California, recently told Parade.
“On the other side of the coin, the things we eat and drink can also weaken bones.”
Beyond milk, other calcium-rich foods also play an important role.
Some of the best foods for calcium absorption are cheese, yogurt, canned fish with the bones, vegetables like broccoli, kale and bok choy, and beans, nuts, seeds and soy, Robin DeCicco, a certified holistic nutritionist in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
That’s why hot cocoa shouldn’t be viewed as a calcium source, DeCicco emphasized.
“Don’t drink hot chocolate for your calcium needs,” she advised. “Instead, eat those other foods, and when you’re craving a sweeter, warm treat, try to make your own hot chocolate using more purposeful ingredients.”
A 2018 study found that eating too much sugar may raise the risk of osteoporosis by causing the body to lose more calcium and magnesium, which are essential for strong bones, through urine, DeCicco warned.
A long-term diet high in sugar, as well as salt and processed foods, can steadily erode bone health, in part because excess sugar interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium, experts also told Parade.
Sugar also drives inflammation that disrupts the bone-remodeling cycle needed to keep bones strong, said Dr. Pamela Mehta, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Resilience Orthopedics in California.
Chronic inflammation, high sugar intake, aging and low calcium and vitamin D can all interfere with that bone remodeling cycle, studies have shown.
High-sugar diets — especially from sugary drinks — are therefore linked to lower bone density, slower recovery after injuries and a lack of essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, which can all accelerate bone loss over time, Mehta added.
But if you have a healthy, balanced diet that’s low in sugar, doctors say an occasional hot chocolate is unlikely to cause serious problems.
“If you cannot live without it, making hot chocolate at home without added sugar is possible if you use unsweetened cocoa and a natural sweetener,” Smith told Parade.
“In this way, you can benefit from calcium and antioxidants without consuming most of the sugar.”
“It’s all about replacements, not deprivation,” DeCicco added.
The variations can ensure you still get the most from cocoa’s potentially healthy qualities.
Research shows cocoa’s flavanols may help reduce inflammation, support heart and vascular health, improve blood flow, stabilize blood sugar and boost memory, Fox News Digital has previously reported.
Cocoa also delivers key minerals like magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and zinc, according to Health.com.
Its natural compounds — including theobromine, phenylethylamine and tryptophan — may help lift mood, enhance alertness and promote relaxation when hot chocolate is made with high-quality cocoa and minimal added sugar.
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