Alkaline Diets Research Articles

The impact of dietary acid load on super-agers with exceptional cognitive abilities: a propensity score analysis of national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES) 2011–2014

Objectives'Super-agers,' individuals over 80 with memory abilities comparable to those 20–30 years younger. The relationship between super-agers and dietary acid load (DAL) is an area that warrants further investigation. We aim to examine the link between DAL and super-agers and assess DAL's effects on cognitive functions across different age groups and cognitive domains. DesignEmploying a cross-sectional analysis of the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, we utilized propensity score analysis and multivariate-adjusted regression to mitigate confounding factors. SettingOlder adults aged 60 and above in the United States. ParticipantsOur primary analysis encompassed 985 older adults, supplemented by a sensitivity analysis with 2,522 participants. MeasurementsDAL was assessed through potential renal acid load (PRAL), estimated net acid excretion (NAEes), and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) indices. ResultsSuper-agers demonstrate a preference for alkaline diets, shown by their lower DAL indices. After inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), multivariate-adjusted logistic regression reveals that each unit reduction in NAEes and PRAL increases the chances of being a super-ager by 3.9% and 3.0%, respectively. The DAL's impact on cognitive function becomes more pronounced with age. Lower PRAL and NAEes scores are significantly linked to higher situational memory and overall cognitive performance scores in those over 70, with these effects being even more pronounced in participants over 80. ConclusionThis research pioneers in demonstrating that super-agers prefer an alkaline diet, highlighting the potential role of alkaline diet in countering cognitive decline associated with aging.

Bazı popüler diyetlerin besin ögesi içeriklerinin, diyet antioksidan kapasitelerinin, diyet kalitelerinin ve diyet inflamatuar yükünün incelenmesi

This study aimed to examine some popular diets' nutrient content, dietary antioxidant capacity, diet quality, and dietary inflammatory load. Materials and Method: Literature was reviewed to identify popular diets, and Atkins, vegan, Zone, Dukan, Mediterranean, alkaline, ketogenic, and Paleo diets were included in the study. Nutrient contents, antioxidant capacity, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values of popular diets were determined using the Ebispro for Windows (BeBIS) program. Diet Quality Index-I (DQI-I) and Dietary Inflammatory Index were calculated. Results: When the antioxidant amounts of all dietary models were compared, the diet with the highest antioxidant content was the Paleo diet (6.0 mmol), and the lowest was the classic ketogenic diet (1.9 mmol). When the ORAC values of the dietary patterns were compared, the diet with the highest antioxidant capacity was the Paleo diet (23670), and the diet with the lowest antioxidant capacity was the Dukan cruise diet (1828). The diet with the lowest DII score was the vegan diet (-1.5), and the diet with the highest DII score was the classic ketogenic diet (5.9). According to the DII scores, vegan, Dukan, and Mediterranean diets have anti-inflammatory properties. Vegan diet had the highest DQI-I score (74). Zone (73) and Mediterranean (68) had the highest scoring diets. The diets with the lowest DQI-I scores were the Dukan (attack phase) (43) and the classic ketogenic diet (46). Conclusion: These findings provide valuable information on the nutritional adequacy of popular diets. Plant-based and balanced diets have better quality and nutrient profiles than low-carbohydrate diets.

Exploring the use of alternative diets in people living with cancer.

There is significant use of alternative diets by people living with cancer, with data suggesting this has continued to increase since the 1980s. Commonly used alternative diets include the ketogenic diet, Gerson therapy, alkaline diets and fasting diets. This article explains the latest trends in relation to alternative diets, discusses the reasons why people may want to use these and examines their hypothesised mechanisms of action. The author outlines and critically reviews the evidence underpinning the use of such diets in those living with cancer, and suggests that this remains weak. The article also explores the challenges that nurses may experience when a person living with cancer wishes to adopt an alternative diet, and provides practical advice and recommendations on nutrition.

The issue of acidity and alkalinity in our diet – Facts, popular beliefs, and the reality

Abstract Several misconceptions exist about foods and nutrition. Many believe, that the human body can “acidify”, thus, an “alkaline diet” should be followed. The acid-base balance is a characteristic of a normally functioning human body. Throughout our metabolic processes, acids and substances with acidic pH are produced continuously, which, in the case of a healthy person, does not affect the pH of the human body. In those rare cases, when an overall pH imbalance evolves in the human body due to its life-threatening nature, it requires urgent medical intervention. Furthermore, it cannot be influenced by dietary interventions. This paper highlights evidence regarding acidification and the acid-base balance, with special attention to certain food groups. Foodstuffs have different specific pH value (acid-base character), they can be acidic, alkaline, or neutral in elemental state. Beside their chemical nature, the effect they have on the human body depends on the mechanism of their metabolism, as well. Diet and ingredients have direct and indirect effects on the human body's intracellular and extracellular compartments (especially blood and urine), still they do not influence its pH significantly. Alkaline diets were born in the absence of evidence-based information and/or the misunderstanding and wrong interpretation of the available and up-to-date scientific facts. The convictions of consumers and the promotion of the alkaline diet lack the scientific basis, so it can be harmful or even dangerous in the long run. In summary, scientific evidence on the efficacy or prophylactic effects of an alkaline diet is not available.

Dietary Contributions to Metabolic Acidosis.

Eating a net acid-producing diet can produce an "acid stress" of severity proportional to the diet net acid load, as indexed by the steady-state renal net acid excretion rate. Depending on how much acid or base is ingested or produced from endogenous metabolic processes and how well our homeostatic mechanisms can buffer or eliminate the additional acids or bases, we can alter our systemic acid-base balance. With increasing age, the kidney's ability to excrete daily net acid loads declines (a condition similar to that of mild CKD), invoking increased utilization of potential base stores (eg, bone, skeletal muscle) on a daily basis to mitigate the acid accumulation, thereby contributing to development of osteoporosis, loss of muscle mass, and age-related renal insufficiency. Patients suffering from more advanced CKD often present with more severe acid stress or metabolic acidosis, as the kidney can no longer excrete the entire acid load. Alkaline diets based on fruits and vegetables may have a positive effect on long-term preservation of renal function while maintaining nutritional status. This chapter discusses the biochemistry of dietary precursors that affect acid or base production.

Nutritional Approaches for the Management of Metabolic Acidosis in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Metabolic acidosis is a severe complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is associated with nefarious impairments such as bone demineralization, muscle wasting, and hormonal alterations, for example, insulin resistance. Whilst it is possible to control this condition with alkali treatment, consisting in the oral administration of sodium citrate or sodium bicarbonate, this type of intervention is not free from side effects. On the contrary, opting for the implementation of a targeted dietetic-nutritional treatment for the control of CKD metabolic acidosis also comes with a range of additional benefits such as lipid profile control, increased vitamins, and antioxidants intake. In our review, we evaluated the main dietary-nutritional regimens useful to counteract metabolic acidosis, such as the Mediterranean diet, the alkaline diet, the low-protein diet, and the vegan low-protein diet, analyzing the potentialities and limits of every dietary-nutritional treatment. Literature data suggest that the Mediterranean and alkaline diets represent a valid nutritional approach in the prevention and correction of metabolic acidosis in CKD early stages, while the low-protein diet and the vegan low-protein diet are more effective in CKD advanced stages. In conclusion, we propose that tailored nutritional approaches should represent a valid therapeutic alternative to counteract metabolic acidosis.

Contribuição da dieta e água alcalina na redução de complicações da doença renal crônica

Atualmente, a terapia nutricional alcalina tem suscitado grande discussão no meio científico, como fator de proteção renal. Com o objetivo de determinar o nível de evidência científica dos trabalhos publicados sobre a influência da dieta e água alcalina na redução de complicações na doença renal crônica, foi realizada revisão de literatura em seis bases de dados: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) da BIREME, PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), SCOPUS e Cochrane Library, utilizando as seguintes palavras-chave: água alcalina, doença renal crônica, dieta alcalina, frutas, verduras, taxa de filtração glomerular, carga potencial de ácido renal. Foram encontradas 1071 referências. Excluindo as duplicatas e selecionando os estudos que tratassem especificamente a temática, totalizaram 34 artigos. Após a seleção dos artigos e classificação quanto ao tipo de estudo foi determinado o nível de evidência científica dos artigos, segundo Hood. Os estudos selecionados por esta revisão consideram que as dietas alcalinas a base de frutas e verduras e a administração de bicarbonato podem interferir nas complicações da Doença Renal Crônica, como redução da acidose metabólica e manutenção da taxa de filtração glomerular, sem ter sido possível encontrar o papel da água mineral alcalina nesse desfecho. Entretanto, apenas 27% dos estudos apresentaram evidência científica superior a cinco, em uma escala de um a dez, em que dez apresenta maior evidência científica e um a menor. Esses dados nos remetem a necessidade de mais estudos com melhores desenhos, maiores casuísticas, sem vieses e conflitos de interesse.

Higher diet-dependent acid load is associated with risk of breast cancer: Findings from the sister study.

Dietary factors that contribute to chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis have been linked to breast cancer risk, but to date no epidemiologic study has examined diet-dependent acid load and breast cancer. We used data from 43,570 Sister Study participants who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire at enrollment (2003-2009) and satisfied eligibility criteria. The Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) score was used to estimate diet-dependent acid load. Higher scores reflect greater consumption of protein and phosphorus, and lower consumption of potassium, calcium and magnesium. The association between PRAL and breast cancer was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. We identified 1,614 invasive breast cancers diagnosed at least 1 year after enrollment (mean follow-up, 7.6 years). The highest PRAL quartile, reflecting greater acid-forming potential, was associated with increased risk of breast cancer (HRhighest vs. lowest quartile : 1.21 [95% CI, 1.04-1.41], ptrend = 0.04). The association was more pronounced for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (HRhighest vs. lowest quartile : 1.67 [95% CI, 1.07-2.61], ptrend = 0.03) and triple-negative breast cancer (HRhighest vs. lowest quartile : 2.20 [95% CI, 1.23-3.95], ptrend = 0.02). Negative PRAL scores, representing consumption of alkaline diets, were associated with decreased risk of ER-negative and triple-negative breast cancer, compared to a PRAL score of 0 representing neutral pH. Higher diet-dependent acid load may be a risk factor for breast cancer while alkaline diets may be protective. Since PRAL scores are positively correlated with meat consumption and negatively correlated with fruit and vegetable intake, results also suggest that diets high in fruits and vegetables and low in meat may be protective against hormone receptor negative breast cancer.

“The Proof is in the Pudding”: Do SGLT2 Inhibitors Cause Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

Abbreviations: DKA diabetic ketoacidosis EuDKA euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis SGLT2i sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors T2DM type 2 diabetes mellitus

Prevention and Treatment of Influenza, Influenza-Like Illness, and Common Cold by Herbal, Complementary, and Natural Therapies.

In recent years viral respiratory tract infections, especially influenza viruses, have had a major impact on communities worldwide as a result of unavailability of effective treatment or vaccine. The frequent alterations in the antigenic structures of respiratory viruses, particularly for RNA viruses, pose difficulties in production of effective vaccines. The unavailability of optimal medication and shortage of effective vaccines suggests the requirement for alternative natural therapies. Several herbal remedies were used for prevention and treatment viral respiratory illnesses. Among those that were found effective included maoto, licorice roots, antiwei, North American ginseng, berries, Echinacea, plants extracted carnosic acid, pomegranate, guava tea, and Bai Shao. There is scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of several complementary therapies for colds. Oral zinc may reduce the length and severity of a cold. Taking vitamin C supplements on a regular basis only slightly reduces the length and severity of colds. Probiotics were found better than placebo in reducing the number episodes of acute upper respiratory tract infections, the rate of episodes of acute upper respiratory tract infection and reducing antibiotic use. Alkaline diets or drinks might have antiviral properties as in vitro studies demonstrated inactivation effect of alkaline medium on respiratory virus. Earthing might have a natural anti-inflammatory effect for human body. It is now accepted that an overwhelming inflammatory response is the cause of human deaths from avian H5N1 influenza infection. Earthing accelerates immune response following vaccination, as demonstrated by increases of gamma globulin concentration. No in vivo or clinical studies were found that investigate the role of alkalization or earthing on respiratory viral infections. Thus, future studies are recommended to reveal any potential curative effects.

QOL-21DIET AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQoL) IN THE PRIMARY BRAIN TUMOR POPULATION

QOL-21. DIET AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQoL) IN THE PRIMARY BRAIN TUMOR POPULATION Dina M. Randazzo, Frances McSherry, James E. Herndon, II, Mary L. Affronti, Eric S. Lipp, Charlene Flahiff, Elizabeth Miller, Sarah Woodring, Maria Freeman, Patrick Healey, Janet Minchew, Susan Boulton, Annick Desjardins, Gordana Vlahovic, Henry S. Friedman, and Katherine B. Peters; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA BACKGROUND: Many diets have been recommended for cancer patients, including ketogenic, vegetarian, alkaline, and calorie-restricted diets. Despite these recommendations, evidence is lacking. The goal of this study was to discern if patients with primary brain tumors used a diet and if it was associated with HRQoL. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data from the PRoGREss registry at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, along with patient-outcome questionnaires, were queried retrospectively from December 16, 2013 to February 28, 2014. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were performed to explore any associations between diet and HRQoL. RESULTS: 783 patients were identified with 81 (10%) using a special diet the last 12 months, 515 (66%) not using a special diet, and 297 (24%) with missing diet information. The majority of patients were male (n 1⁄4 423, 54%), married (n 1⁄4 463, 59%), college educated (N 1⁄4 438, 56%), had WHO grade III-IV tumors (N1⁄4 539, 69%), and the average age was 49.6 (13.6) years. Special diets reported by the 81 patients included: ketogenic (N 1⁄4 9, 11%), low carb (N 1⁄4 11, 14%), vegetarian/vegan (N 1⁄4 6, 7%), organic (N 1⁄4 8, 10%) and unspecified (27, 33%). Among those patients who used a special diet, 43% exercised ≥9 MET-hrs/wk; however, among patients who did not use a special diet, only 30% exercised ≥9 MET-hrs/wk. The HRQoL in patients using a special diet was better than the HRQoL in patients who did not use a special diet relative to the following outcomes: FACIT-Fatigue, FACT-G functional subscale, FACT-Br TOI, and the Brain cancer subscale. CONCLUSIONS: A small percentage of our primary brain tumor patients reported using a special diet. Given the general lack of evidence regarding diet and its potential effect on primary brain tumors, more research is needed in this area utilizing more accurate methods to identify and validate the diets used and to reduce missing data. Neuro-Oncology 17:v188–v194, 2015. doi:10.1093/neuonc/nov230.21 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology 2015.

Relation between BK-α/β4-mediated potassium secretion and ENaC-mediated sodium reabsorption

The large conductance, calcium-activated BK-α/β4 potassium channel, localized to the intercalated cells of the distal nephron, mediates potassium secretion during high potassium, alkaline diets. Here we determine whether BK-α/β4-mediated potassium transport is dependent on epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)-mediated sodium reabsorption. We maximized sodium-potassium exchange in the distal nephron by feeding mice a low sodium, high potassium diet. Wild type and BK-β4 knockout mice were maintained on low sodium, high potassium, alkaline diet or a low sodium, high potassium, acidic diet for 7–10 days. Wild type mice maintained potassium homeostasis on the alkaline but not acid diet. BK-β4 knockout mice could not maintain potassium homeostasis on either diet. During the last 12 hours of diet, wild type mice on either a regular, alkaline or an acid diet, or knockout mice on an alkaline diet were administered amiloride (an ENaC inhibitor). Amiloride enhanced sodium excretion in all wild type and knockout groups to similar values; however, amiloride diminished potassium excretion by 59% in wild type but only by 33% in knockout mice on an alkaline diet. Similarly, amiloride decreased the transtubular potassium gradient by 68% in wild type but only by 42% in knockout mice on an alkaline diet. Amiloride treatment equally enhanced sodium excretion and diminished potassium secretion in knockout mice on an alkaline diet and wild type mice on an acid diet. Thus, the enhanced effect of amiloride on potassium secretion in wild type compared to knockout mice on the alkaline diet, clarify a BK- α/β4-mediated potassium secretory pathway in intercalated cells driven by ENaC-mediated sodium reabsorption linked to bicarbonate secretion.

Impact of nutrition on muscle mass, strength, and performance in older adults

Dear Editors, The recent review byMithal et al. [1] highlights the increasing attention given to the role of adequate nutrition in ameliorating the age-related decline of skeletal muscle mass and function in older adults, known as sarcopenia. The authors identify protein and vitamin D as important factors in the maintenance of muscle mass during ageing, and the EuropeanWorking Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) have encouraged a focus on these nutrients in particular in their recommendations for future research [2]. The Tasmanian Older Adult Cohort (TASOAC) study was not mentioned by the authors but is one of the few prospective cohort studies to examine associations of nutrient status with both muscle mass and strength in older adults. In this cohort of community-dwelling adults aged 50 to 80 years at baseline, participants who failed to meet the Australian recommended dietary intake for protein had lower appendicular lean mass (ALM), and those with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels ≤50 nmol/L had lower relative ALM, lower-limb strength, and lower-limb muscle quality (strength normalised to muscle mass), than participants with normal dietary protein or 25OHD statuses, respectively [3, 4]. In longitudinal analyses, we observed that total energy-adjusted dietary protein intake was a positive predictor of change in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-assessed ALM over 2.6± 0.4 years, but no association was observed between protein intake and change in knee extensor strength [3]. Conversely, we have also reported that baseline serum 25OHD levels positively predicted change in lower-limb strength and muscle quality over 2.6 years, but were not associated with change in muscle mass [4]. Mithal et al. also provide evidence for the potential benefit of alkali-producing diets and those high in antioxidants in attenuating sarcopenia progression [1]. Our finding that higher baseline dietary potassium intake was a positive predictor of change in ALM, even after adjustment for protein intake, is supportive of other research suggesting that alkaline diets may have a role in the maintenance of muscle mass in older adults [5]. However, we observed inconsistent associations for antioxidants with ALM; beta-carotene was not associated with ALM,while vitamin Cwas positively associated with ALM in cross-sectional analyses only. Higher baseline intake of zinc, which appears to demonstrate antioxidant properties [6], was an independent positive predictor of change in ALM over 2.6 years [3]. Data from a growing number of observational and intervention studies internationally are providing evidence supporting adequate nutrition as a primary target in the prevention of age-associated declines in muscle mass and function. Clinical trials are now required to document the effects of dietary nutrients which have demonstrated promise for reducing and preventing sarcopenia progression, and to develop public health strategies for promoting healthy eating in the ageing community.

Effect of urine pH changed by dietary intervention on uric acid clearance mechanism of pH-dependent excretion of urinary uric acid.

BackgroundThe finding reported in a previous paper - alkalization of urine facilitates uric acid excretion - is contradictory to what one might expect to occur: because food materials for the alkalization of urine contain fewer purine bodies than those for acidification, less uric acid in alkaline urine should have been excreted than in acid urine. To make clear what component of uric acid excretion mechanisms is responsible for this unexpected finding, we simultaneously collected data for the concentration of both creatinine and uric acid in serum as well as in urine, in order to calculate both uric acid and creatinine clearances.MethodsWithin the framework of the Japanese government’s health promotion program, we made recipes which consisted of protein-rich and less vegetable-fruit food materials for H + -load (acidic diet) and others composed of less protein and more vegetable-fruit rich food materials (alkaline diet). This is a crossover study within some limitations. Healthy female students, who had no medical problems at the regular physical examination provided by the university, were enrolled in this consecutive 5-day study for each test. From whole-day collected urine, total volume, pH, organic acid, creatinine, uric acid, titratable acid and all cations (Na+,K+,Ca2+,Mg2+,NH4+) and anions (Cl−,SO42−,PO4−) necessary for the estimation of acid–base balance were measured. In the early morning before breakfast of the 1st, 3rd and 5th experimental day, we sampled 5 mL of blood to estimate the creatinine and uric acid concentration in serum.Results and discussionUrine pH reached a steady state 3 days after switching from ordinary daily diets to specified regimens. The amount of acid generated ([SO42−] + organic acid − gut alkali)was linearly related with the excretion of acid (titratable acid + [NH4+] − [HCO3−]), indicating that H + in urine is generated by the metabolic degradation of food materials. Uric acid and excreted urine pH retained a linear relationship, as reported previously. Among the five factors which are associated with calculating clearances for both uric acid and creatinine, we identified a conspicuous difference between acidic and alkaline diets in the uric acid concentration in serum as well as in urine; uric acid in the serum was higher in the acidic group than in the alkaline group, while uric acid in the urine in the acidic group was lower than that in the alkaline group. These changes of uric acid in acidic urine and in serum were reflected in the reduction of its clearance. From these observations, it is considered that uric acid may be reabsorbed more actively in acidic urine than in alkaline urine.ConclusionWe conclude that alkalization of urine by eating nutritionally well-designed alkaline -prone food is effective for removing uric acid from the body.

Milk and Acid-Base Balance: Proposed Hypothesis versus Scientific Evidence

Recently the lay press has claimed a hypothetical association among dairy product consumption, generation of dietary acid, and harm to human health. This theoretical association is based on the idea that the protein and phosphate in milk and dairy products make them acid-producing foods, which cause our bodies to become acidified, promoting diseases of modern civilization. Some authors have suggested that dairy products are not helpful and perhaps detrimental to bone health because higher osteoporotic fracture incidence is observed in countries with higher dairy product consumption. However, scientific evidence does not support any of these claims. Milk and dairy products neither produce acid upon metabolism nor cause metabolic acidosis, and systemic pH is not influenced by diet. Observations of higher dairy product intake in countries with prevalent osteoporosis do not hold when urban environments are compared, likely due to physical labor in rural locations. Milk and other dairy products continue to be a good source of dietary protein and other nutrients.Key teaching points: • Measurement of an acidic pH urine does not reflect metabolic acidosis or an adverse health condition.• The modern diet, and dairy product consumption, does not make the body acidic.• Alkaline diets alter urine pH but do not change systemic pH.• Net acid excretion is not an important influence of calcium metabolism.• Milk is not acid producing.• Dietary phosphate does not have a negative impact on calcium metabolism, which is contrary to the acid-ash hypothesis.

Causal assessment of dietary acid load and bone disease: a systematic review & meta-analysis applying Hill's epidemiologic criteria for causality

BackgroundModern diets have been suggested to increase systemic acid load and net acid excretion. In response, alkaline diets and products are marketed to avoid or counteract this acid, help the body regulate its pH to prevent and cure disease. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate causal relationships between dietary acid load and osteoporosis using Hill's criteria.MethodsSystematic review and meta-analysis. We systematically searched published literature for randomized intervention trials, prospective cohort studies, and meta-analyses of the acid-ash or acid-base diet hypothesis with bone-related outcomes, in which the diet acid load was altered, or an alkaline diet or alkaline salts were provided, to healthy human adults. Cellular mechanism studies were also systematically examined.ResultsFifty-five of 238 studies met the inclusion criteria: 22 randomized interventions, 2 meta-analyses, and 11 prospective observational studies of bone health outcomes including: urine calcium excretion, calcium balance or retention, changes of bone mineral density, or fractures, among healthy adults in which acid and/or alkaline intakes were manipulated or observed through foods or supplements; and 19 in vitro cell studies which examined the hypothesized mechanism. Urine calcium excretion rates were consistent with osteoporosis development; however calcium balance studies did not demonstrate loss of whole body calcium with higher net acid excretion. Several weaknesses regarding the acid-ash hypothesis were uncovered: No intervention studies provided direct evidence of osteoporosis progression (fragility fractures, or bone strength as measured using biopsy). The supporting prospective cohort studies were not controlled regarding important osteoporosis risk factors including: weight loss during follow-up, family history of osteoporosis, baseline bone mineral density, and estrogen status. No study revealed a biologic mechanism functioning at physiological pH. Finally, randomized studies did not provide evidence for an adverse role of phosphate, milk, and grain foods in osteoporosis.ConclusionsA causal association between dietary acid load and osteoporotic bone disease is not supported by evidence and there is no evidence that an alkaline diet is protective of bone health.

Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults

Background: Maintaining muscle mass while aging is important to prevent falls and fractures. Metabolic acidosis promotes muscle wasting, and the net acid load from diets that are rich in net acid–producing protein and cereal grains relative to their content of net alkali–producing fruit and vegetables may therefore contribute to a reduction in lean tissue mass in older adults.Objective: We aimed to determine whether there was an association of 24-h urinary potassium and an index of fruit and vegetable content of the diet with the percentage lean body mass (%LBM) or change in %LBM in older subjects.Design: Subjects were 384 men and women ≥65 y old who participated in a 3-y trial comparing calcium and vitamin D with placebo. Potassium was measured in 24-h urine collections at baseline. The %LBM, defined as total body nonfat, nonbone tissue weight ÷ weight × 100, was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and at 3 y. Physical activity, height, and weight were assessed at baseline and at 3 y.Results: At baseline, the mean urinary potassium excretion was 67.0 ± 21.1 mmol/d. Urinary potassium (mmol/d) was significantly positively associated with %LBM at baseline (β = 0.033, P = 0.006; adjusted for sex, weight, and nitrogen excretion) but not with 3-y change in %LBM. Over the 3-y study, %LBM increased by 2.6 ± 3.6%.Conclusion: Higher intake of foods rich in potassium, such as fruit and vegetables, may favor the preservation of muscle mass in older men and women.

The effects of physiological stress on black cutworm ( Agrotis ipsilon) larval growth and food utilization

The effects of rearing temperature, dietary moisture, and dietary pH on black cutworm ( Agrotis ipsilon) growth and food utilization were investigated using an artificial diet. Parameters measured were consumptive rate, larval weight gain, assimilation, and efficiency of food conversion. All three experimental treatments decreased larval growth to some degree, when tested above or below an optimal level. Under each treatment regime there was a relatively broad peak for black cutworm development, on either side of which at least one parameter of nutritional performance declined. Below 25°C, the percentage of food assimilated was greater than at temperatures of 25°C and above. Conversion of food and larval growth rate however, were highest at approx 27°C. Food consumption, larval weight gain, and conversion of food were found to be inversely proportional to increases in the percentage dry matter of the diet. These results also indicated that black cutworms are capable of regulating larval and faecal moisture levels. Alkaline and acidic diets slightly altered weight gain, assimilation, and conversion depending upon the compound used to adjust the pH. Some regulation of the insects faecal pH was also detected.

Effects of Treating Wheat Straw with pH-Regulated Solutions of Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide on Nutrient Digestion by Sheep

An experiment using a 4×4 Latin square design was to determine effects of treating wheat straw with pH-regulated (pH = 11.5) solutions of hydrogen peroxide on site and extent of nutrient digestion in multiple-fistulated sheep. Regulating reaction pH at 11.5 prevented solubilization of some cell wall hemicelluloses, resulting in improved retention of DM. Diets fed to sheep contained 33 or 70% wheat straw either untreated or treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Sheep fed diets of treated wheat straw digested more DM, NDF, ADF, and cellulose anterior to the duodenum and in the total tract than when fed diets of untreated wheat straw. Apparent CP digestion before the duodenum was highest when sheep were fed the treated 33% wheat straw diet and untreated 70% wheat straw diet. Treatments did not affect apparent nutrient digestibilities in the large intestine. Ruminal pH was lower when sheep were fed the alkaline hydrogen peroxide-treated or diets containing 33% wheat straw. Ruminal ammonia concentrations were highest when sheep were fed the untreated 70% wheat straw diet. Molar proportions of ruminal acetic and propionic acids were unaffected by diet. Alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment substantially increased susceptibility of structural carbohydrates of wheat straw to microbial degradation in the gastrointestinal tract of sheep.

The Effect of Ammonium Chloride Induced Acidosis on Calcium Metabolism in Ruminants

SUMMARY A mild acidosis was induced in goats and cows by oral administration of ammonium chloride. The effects of this treatment on the accretion rate of calcium into bone and on the size of the exchangeable calcium pool were investigated using the radioisotopes 85Sr and 45Ca. Ammonium chloride was found to cause a significant increase in exchangeable calcium and a reduction in accretion rate. In contrast oral administration of sodium carbonate or ammonium acetate was found to reduce the size of the exchangeable calcium pool. In some but not all animals mild acidosis increased the absorption of calcium from the alimentary tract. All these changes suggest that mild acidosis, as induced by ammonium chloride, might improve calcium metabolism in dairy cows. This might be particularly effective in animals receiving relatively alkaline diets and might be of benefit in the prevention of such diseases as parturient paresis.