A positive link between Potassium-rich and bicarbonate-rich foods indices of bone health
10 million Americans have Osteoporosis with 17.9 billion spent per year in the US and 13.9 billion in Europe. Health-related benefits of a high intake of potassium-rich and bicarbonate-rich (veggies and fruit) on disease prevention have been gaining attention.
A positive link between Potassium-rich and bicarbonate-rich foods indices of bone health. Studies have shown specific associations between nutrients found in abundance in fruits and veggies and both axial and peripheral bone mass and markers of bone resorption. Women in the lowest quartile of intake for Potassium, Magnesium, fiber, vitamin C, Beta-Carotene had significantly lower lumbar spine and femoral neck Bone Mineral Density (BMD).
Another study women with low intakes of those same nutrients were found to have lower forearm bone mass and higher bone resorption. Studies from APOSSI (Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study) has shown consistent longitudinal beneficial effect of fruit and veggies nutrients on bone loss in premenopausal women.
Also if fruit intake raised from 3.6-9.5 daily servings decreased urinary calcium excretion from 157 to 110 mg/d. Higher fruit and vegetable diet reduced the "Acid Load" compared to the control diet and conserved calcium for bone retention. This diet reduced bone fragmentation by 8-10% and bone resorption by 16-18%. A recent Swiss study suggests a strong beneficial effect of alkali supplementation in osteopenic women.
