An alkaline diet is important for optimal natural bone
health. Just as acid rain in the environment damages our external
ecosystem, so does internal acidity damage our internal ecosystem.
Without knowing it, most of us consume diets high in acid-forming
foods. This results in chronic, low-grade acidosis. Precious alkali
salts of bone building minerals must be taken from bone and used
for buffering these internal acids. Because of this, we encourage
an alkaline diet high in foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts,
spices, herbs, seasoning, seeds and pulses such as lentils.
We call this new mineral rich diet the Alkaline for Life Diet. For
a more scientific discussion of the role bone plays in maintaining
body pH balance see the article Acid-Alkaline
and its Effects on Bone written by Drs. Susan Brown and Russell
Jaffe.
The importance of acid-alkaline balance is more widely recognized
in Europe than in the US. In October of 2000, there was an International
Scientific Symposium on Acid-Base Metabolism held in Germany.
Key researchers from around the world presented papers on topics
ranging from the role of bone in providing alkaline-mineral reserves
to a history of nutrition and acid-base physiology to the impact
of stress and exercise on alkaline-acid- balance. These papers
represent state-of-the-art knowledge on metabolic acidosis and
its physiological repercussions. Abstracts from this important
symposium are available at the website www.saeure-basen-forum.de.
Those interested in cutting edge new research on alkaline diet,
pH balance and bone can review the abstracts
related to metabolic acidosis from the 2002 American Society of
Bone Mineral Research.
Related Links:
Alkaline for Life
Acid-Alkaline and its
Effects on Bone by Susan Brown
Extracted from our book, Better
Bones Better Body (Keats 2000) by our Director, Susan E. Brown,
Ph.D., CCN
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