low-carb and osteoporosis

[kittyfowler]

hi Drs Eades, I have been eating low-carb for at least 4 years now and try and keep up with the literature and research on this diet lifestyle and believe I have read most of what is out there right now. I recently came across something the other day which concerns and which I hadn't read before in any of the low-carb research. It comes from the book, Is it hot in here? Or is it me? The Complete Guide to Menopause by Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz. On page 389 it states that if you're on a low-carb diet for the long term (that is, longer that "a few months") "you may well increase your risk of osteoporosis." It goes on to say low-carb, high protein diets can cause problems because high quantities of animal protein many increase the acidity of your blood which can accelerate bone loss. It says osteoporosis specialists recommend vegetable-based proteins such as soy and nuts which have less effect on acid balance. Do you know anything about this research? If true, this a significant finding that should certainly be included in all texts on the diet and is, of course, particularly meaningful to those of us who are in the age group battling this disease. (Of particular concern to me is that after several years of being within the normal range for bone density - 3-4 yrs ago I was found to be borderline a placed on a one-year calcium-intense regime to correct this). On my last bone density test it was found that once again that I am beginning to lose bone density in my hips. Additionally, although my GYN believes my earlier bout was a result of my 10 year heavy smoking habit which I stopped 25 years ago, I have done and continue to do a fairly high level of weight-bearing exercise; I have run long distance for almost 20 years and am a former marathoner; I currently run 25+ miles per week.

[laughingW]

The source you quote has old mis-information. Bottom line, all you have to do on PP is make sure you have plenty of veggies and whole fruit in your carb count. Not grains.

Also, I'm in school for a fitness degree and we were just talking the other day about weight-bearing exercise for bone health. Did you know that nowadays, running and walking aren't recommended as weight bearing, compared to working with weights and resistance. This was a surprise to many of the women there.

The pull and tug on the bones is not enough with running, especially with an accomplished runner who will have good efficient form. Plus, that long slow cardio is catabolic to muscle, which is needed in turn to pull and tug on bones, which is what makes bones strong.

A better discussion of calcium loss is at Cordain's site:

http://www.thepaleodiet.com/faqs/#Calcium



Most nutritionists focus upon the calcium intake side of the calcium balance equation, however few realize that the calcium excretion side of the equation is just as important.
Bone health is substantially dependent on dietary acid/base balance. All foods upon digestion ultimately must report to the kidney as either acid or base. When the diet yields a net acid load (such as low-carb fad diets that restrict consumption of fruits and vegetables), the acid must be buffered by the alkaline stores of base in the body. Calcium salts in the bones represent the largest store of alkaline base in the body and are depleted and eliminated in the urine when the diet produces a net acid load. The highest acid-producing foods are hard cheeses, cereal grains, salted foods, meats, and legumes, whereas the only alkaline, base-producing foods are fruits and vegetables. Because the average American diet is overloaded with grains, cheeses, salted processed foods, and fatty meats at the expense of fruits and vegetables, it produces a net acid load and promotes bone de-mineralization. By replacing hard cheeses, cereal grains, and processed foods with plenty of green vegetables and fruits, the body comes back into acid/base balance which brings us also back into calcium balance.

[Omlette]

Just wanted to add, that vitamin D needs to be a part of the diet too, not just calcium.