Potassium salts aid bone health and limit osteoporosis risk, new research finds

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-01/uos-psa011415.php

Latest research from the University of Surrey has found that the potassium salts (bicarbonate and citrate) plentiful in fruit and vegetables, play an important part in improving bone health. For the first time, the results also showed that these potassium salts reduce bone resorption, the process by which bone is broken down, therefore increasing their strength.

The study, published in the journal Osteoporosis International, also revealed that high intake of potassium salts significantly reduces the excretion of calcium and acid in urine.

"This means that excess acid is neutralised and bone mineral is preserved," said lead author Dr Helen Lambert from the University of Surrey.

"Excess acid in the body, produced as a result of a typical Western diet high in animal and cereal protein, causes bones to weaken and fracture. Our study shows that these salts could prevent osteoporosis, as our results showed a decrease in bone resorption."

Although bone resorption and bone formation is a natural process, allowing bones to grow, heal and adapt, in osteoporosis, the balance is shifted so that more bone is broken down than is built up, leading to fragility and fractures.

The debilitating disease affects almost three million people in the UK. One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of poor bone health.

This study shows that eating more fruits and vegetables could be a way to improve the strength of our bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Now I can remember a GP saying to me it is very important for women to keep calcium levels high particularly at menopausal age, and it was suggested I drink plenty of full fat milk along in my daily diet. I've always liked milk so no problem here ....... of course if you are diabetic you surely have to take account of the lactose in milk?

Osteoporosis although often regarded as a disease of women, can affect men too, and looking around the internet at various articles the figures suggested seem 30% of osteoporotic fractures occur in men.

Without you realizing it, osteoporosis leaks calcium from your bones, leaving them so brittle and frail that a minor fall or strain could cause the osteoporosis symptom or sign of a hip or spine fracture. That nagging back pain or 'dowager's hump' might be one of the first symptoms a person could have. Another symptom could be back pain, along with vertebral fractures and loss of height.

Perhaps we can self-help by eating foods that are high in potassium, but according to Worlds Healthiest Foods site it is impossible to understand the role of potassium without addressing sodium as well. Hence potassium salts I assume? Sodium and potassium exist in a partnership, and each important use of potassium requires sodium to maintain balance. Importantly, as average diets in the United States and probably the UK too have become depleted in potassium, they have become much more concentrated in sodium.

Research is great, reading about that research is too, and if any of us have a particular problem we all turn to Dr Google these days as well as our GP's.

Our bodies are so finely tuned and balanced that when you start reading the small print they are indeed miracles.....and we tend to take them for granted until something happens.

George at Worlds Healthiest Foods (WHF) has a table showing foods rich in potassium don't know if readers may find it helpful.

I'm no expert, as you may have gathered, if unsure it is always best to consult your Doctor.

Link to WHF is here :   http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=90&tname=nutrient

All the best Jan