At the 2009 annual meeting of the American Society for Bone Mineral Research, I had the opportunity to chat with an NOF health educator and was pleased to hear that this powerful organization is coming the recognize the importance of acid-alkaline balance for bone health. As you know, our research suggests that pH balance and chronic, low-grade metabolic acidosis is a major cause of bone loss. Even though the NOF does not officially endorse the idea of metabolic acidosis as a preventable cause of bone loss, they strongly recommend increased intake of alkalizing vegetables and fruits and reduced use of acid-forming caffeine and alcohol. Also, if you are interested in simple, safe exercise suggestions for frail individuals, you might look into the NOF publication Boning Up on Osteoporosis. The booklet offers simple, safe exercises that are helpful for the frail in clear risk of fracture. You can purchase it for $6.50 from the NOF website's store.

We created the Osteo Blast blog as our forum to express opinions and educate the public about natural means of supporting and improving bone health and overall wellness. As part of this forum, we sometimes discuss medical issues and medications, and their effects on bone health in general. However, we cannot advise readers about specific medical issues in this forum. If you wish to obtain advice from Susan E. Brown, PhD, about your specific bone health and nutritional concerns, please visit our Consultations page. Other specific medical questions should be referred to your healthcare provider.