Alkaline-Yielding Supplement Helps Preserve Bone and Muscle

One of the least appreciated aspects of nutrition involves the body's acid-alkaline balance, or pH. Some foods, such as grains and meats, lead to an acidic pH. Other foods, including all fresh fruits and vegetables, lead to either a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, which is the ideal state.

The problem is that the typical American diet leads to low-grade “metabolic acidosis,” and the body responds by breaking down bone and muscle to buffer the acidity. In time, that breakdown leads to weaker bones and a loss of muscle.

In a recent study, Lisa Ceglia, MD, of Tufts University, Boston, and her colleagues asked 19 healthy men and women, ages 52-82 years, to eat low-protein or high-protein diets during a 41-day study. The low-protein diet included 1.1 pounds of protein daily, whereas the high-protein diet contained 2.2 pounds of protein daily.

The subjects were also given supplements of potassium bicarbonate (an alkalizing compound also found in fruits and vegetables) or placebos.

Urinary excretion of nitrogen, a marker of muscle breakdown, was higher when the subjects ate the high-protein diet. However, when they took the potassium bicarbonate supplements, urinary nitrogen decreased by almost 50 percent. In addition, the potassium bicarbonate supplements increased calcium absorption.

The alkalizing benefits of potassium bicarbonate supplements can be achieved by consuming fruits and vegetables as about 35 percent of the diet.

Reference: 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. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2009; 94:645-653.