Osteoporosis and Acid-Base balance

Osteoporosis is a degenerative process that results in the gradual reduction of bone mass due to a depletion of calcium and bone protein. The bones are left frail and weak, and much of the lost bone calcium ends up in the walls of blood vessels, the skin, the eyes, the joints, and various internal organs. Thus, osteoporosis is the source of a wide range of degenerative processes, including hardening of the arteries, arthritis, cataracts, kidney and bladder stones, skin wrinkling, and premature aging to name a few. Despite conventional recommendations to increase dietary calcium and take pharmaceutical poisons, the incidence of osteoporosis has continued to rise. This should not come as a surprise, as the focus of conventional medicine has never been to remove causes. What we're left with is the massive suffering of 75 million people in Europe, the US, and Japan from a disease that is entirely preventable.

Acid-Base Balance and Osteoporosis

The normal PH of the blood is slightly alkaline, 7.35-7.45. The body is highly sensitive to even small deviations from this normal range and is continually working to maintain a proper PH. In a normal, healthy individual, any increase or decrease in PH will be quickly buffered back to normal by inherent physiological mechanisms. Problems arise when long standing fluctuations saturate these mechanisms and exceed the body's ability to effectively restore proper PH.

It is important to understand that proper PH balance in the body is the result of the entire physiology of the body working in harmony. While this discussion is going to focus primarily on dietary influences, please keep in mind that fluid PH is affected by all areas of health, including pure water, exercise, fresh air, sunshine, etc.

When nutritionists speak of "acid or alkaline forming foods," they are referring to the condition of the food after it is metabolized by the body. Generally speaking, the metabolic processes of the breakdown of foods from the vegetable kingdom change in character from acidic to alkaline, while the foods from the animal world change from alkaline to acid during metabolism.

Acid Forming Foods: Beef, cheese, eggs, fish, poultry, most grains, most nuts, legumes

Alkaline forming Foods: Bananas, strawberries, melons, dates, figs, apples apricots, citrus fruits, plums, pears, greens, carrots, tomatoes, celery, cabbage broccoli, etc. (Fruit and Vegetable matter)

A diet excessive in acid forming foods, such as animal and dairy products, will leave the fluids of the body acidic and the PH below the normal 7.35-7.45 healthy range. Rather than risk death, the body draws upon its alkaline mineral reserves to buffer the blood and bring the PH back to normal. The most abundantly stored alkaline mineral, calcium, is leeched from the bones and teeth in order to restore PH homeostasis and ensure survival. With time, what we're left with is weak, brittle bones from lack of calcium and a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Unfortunately, the problems don't stop there. An increase in blood calcium leads to hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, premature aging, and a host of other disorders.

Take Home Point: Keep your bones strong and your body healthy by omitting acid forming foods from the diet! Replace them with an abundance of fresh, whole, ripe, raw, organic, alkaline forming fruits and vegetables!