Sat, Aug-04-01, 12:11
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Forum Founder
Posts: 37,415
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Plan: LC, GF
Stats: 241/190/140
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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hi bluu
The answer is NO.
From Protein Power .. http://eatprotein.com/ ..
Quote:
Do diets that are higher in protein cause a loss of calcium and weaken our bones? Will it make me prone to osteoporosis?
The theory behind this whole idea is that when you eat protein, it’s broken down into substances that are a little bit acidic. Supposedly this more acidic blood somehow leaches the calcium out of the bones, and it can end up giving us osteoporosis, at a later date.
Now all that sounds logical, but in fact it just doesn’t happen. This has been studied extensively over long periods of time. What researchers have found is when people eat a lot of protein, especially meat protein, they don’t have any increase in urinary calcium. In other words, they’re not leaching the calcium out of their bones and losing it in their urine as the theory would imply.
And when we look at the skeletal remains of hunters and gatherers who ate two to three times the amount of protein considered "safe" for us today, you find their bones are 17 percent more dense than ours-given the comparison is done between individuals of the same height and gender.
Lastly, there have been studies published recently that correlate the elevated insulin syndrome with bone loss. Because elevated insulin makes you get rid of calcium from your bones, it may actually be the insulin problem causing the osteoporosis! It certainly isn’t the protein in the diet.
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The studies which seem to imply bone loss with the consumption of animal protein were done on subjects who also were consuming a large percentage of their diet in the form of refined carbohydrates - sugar, white flour, white bread, etc . Sugars are well-known to lower the pH of (ie, acidify) the blood.
As well, high-cellulose insoluble fiber, as found in grains, bran etc is well-known to inhibit the absorption of dietary calcium, therefore the calcium is excreted from the body, not absorbed.
Consuming adequate protein and fats, as well as the foods listed which are good sources of absorbable calcium ... and ensuring a supply of vitamin D, whether from natural sunlight or supplement .. is your best insurance for healthy bones.
As well, weight-bearing exercise, such as walking has been shown to increase bone-density by up to 10% .. 
Doreen
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