December 12, 2008 – A Diet High in Alkaline Foods, Like Fruits and Vegetables, May Benefit Bone Health, US Clinical Trial Finds1.
According to the researchers, potassium bicarbonate, which is found among other things in fruits and vegetables, promotes acid-base balance. This alkaline chemical would counteract the acidifying action of protein foods. It would therefore have the effect of attenuating the demineralization of the bones and would help the absorption of calcium, support the authors of the study.
For 41 days, 19 people aged 50 and over took potassium bicarbonate or a placebo. Then, they were successively subjected to two diets: one low in protein, the next high in protein.
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According to the results, the high protein diet caused increased calcium excretion, which was reduced in subjects taking potassium bicarbonate. The bicarbonate would also have had the effect of improving the metabolic absorption of calcium in the subjects of the active group.
When the body metabolizes fruits and vegetables, bicarbonate is introduced into the body, the study authors explain. Increased intake of fruits and vegetables could reduce bone demineralization in older people, they believe.
These results support the principles of acid-base balance. According to this concept, certain foods (such as refined meats and grains) have an acidifying effect in the body, while others (such as vegetables and fruits) tend to alkalize it. A diet that is too acidic, like that of Western societies, would make the body more susceptible to various diseases and in particular cause a loss of minerals stored in the bones.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to e! Science News.
1. Ceglia L, Harris SS, Abrams SA, et al. Potassium bicarbonate attenuates the urinary nitrogen excretion that accompanies an increase in dietary protein and may promote calcium absorption. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Dec 2. Full text: jcem.endojournals.org
