We all now that too much soda isn't good for us, and especially not for our kids, but now new research is showing that post-menopausal women who drink too much of the sugary beverages may be more at risk of suffering hip fractures than women who drink none or little soda.

The study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego and San Diego State University found that women who consumed more than fourteen 12 ounce servings each week were 26% more likely to suffer a hip fracture than women who didn't drink soda. Choosing a caffeine-free soda didn't make the numbers any better either, with women 32% more likely to suffer a hip fracture if they chose the caffeine-free option, Reuters reports.

“Based on our results, low or regular levels of soda consumption would not increase the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women,” said lead author of the study, Dr. Pedro Kremer. “However, after a certain amount -the equivalent of two cans per day- the risk would be significantly higher,” Kremer said in an email.

The reason is that during menopause and after a woman's body doesn't produce new bone tissue at the same rate it did before menopause, which means women are at an increased risk of osteoporosis. Because their bones become more porous and brittle, there is an increased risk of fractures.

This study, published in the journal Menopause,  found that the increased risk only comes when women consume more than two sodas daily, but not when there is limited consumption. The researchers looked at data of more than 70,000 women were an average age of 69 years old, with half of them being tracked for at least 12 years. They discovered that 2,578 hip fractures occurred during follow-up.

" Consuming more than two servings of soft drinks per day on average showed potential associations with higher risk of hip fracture among postmenopausal women," the study stated.

While more research needs to be done on the effects of soda consumption and overall health, Kremer noted cutting down on sugary beverages is one way women can help themselves stay healthy post-menopause. “It is important to avoid behaviors that could raise the chances (of fractures) even more, like sedentarism, certain medications, tobacco, and unbalanced diets,” Kremer said. “Drinking high amounts of sodas should probably be added to that list of behaviors, as an additional measure to avoid increased chances of hip fractures.”

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