Traditional Western diets of high-fat and sugary foods have caused obesity and a slew of other health problems. Two components of the common diet, meat and dairy, may be behind bone loss, according to proponents of a low-acid diet in a Los Angles Times article.
The low-acid diet (also called the alkaline acid diet) theory is thus: because blood is slightly alkaline (with a pH of 7), if a diet consists of too many acids, the body will try to balance alkalinity by disposing of minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium in the urine. Those minerals so essential for bone heath leave the body before they are optimized. Because meat and dairy contain a lot of amino acids, a diet high in those food groups, as the name suggests, is acidic.
The article says the science behind this theory is pretty solid. In the studies, people who took mineral supplements or ate high-acid diets excreted more calcium during urination. Another study found diets high in fruits and vegetables lead to stronger bones. However, the difference is small. Bones were stronger only by about 2 to 4 percent. The biggest difference was in those who ate more potassium, with an 8 percent increase in bone density.
Some nutritionists in the article say the best part of the low-acid diet is that it’s based on eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, which is good for many things besides the small increase in bone health.