Group items tagged

Urine pH is an indicator of dietary acid-base load, fruit and vegetables and meat intakes: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk population study. Welch AA, Mulligan A, Bingham SA, Khaw KT. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jun;99(6):1335-43. Epub 2007 Nov 28. PMID: 18042305 In conclusion, a more alkaline diet, higher fruit and vegetable and lower meat intake were related to more alkaline urine with a magnitude similar to intervention studies. As urine pH relates to dietary acid-base load its use to monitor change in consumption of fruit and vegetables, in individuals, warrants further investigation.

Vegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs.[1] A vegetarian does not eat meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, or products of animal slaughter such as animal-derived gelatin and rennet.[1][2][3] A vegan diet is a form of vegetarian diet which excludes all animal products, including dairy products, eggs, and honey. A lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but excludes eggs, an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, and a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. Vegetarianism may be adopted for ethical, health, environmental, religious, political, cultural, aesthetic, economic, or other reason A 1999 metastudy[22] combined data from five studies from western countries. The metastudy reported mortality ratios, where lower numbers indicated fewer deaths, for fish eaters to be .82, vegetarians to be .84, occasional meat eaters to be .84. Regular meat eaters and vegans shared the highest mortality ratio of 1.00. The study reported the numbers of deaths in each category, and expected error ranges for each ratio, and adjustments made to the data. However, the "lower mortality was due largely to the relatively low prevalence of smoking in these [vegetarian] cohorts". Out of the major causes of death studied, only one difference in mortality rate was attributed to the difference in diet, as the conclusion states: "vegetarians had a 24% lower mortality from ischemic heart disease than nonvegetarians, but no associations of a vegetarian diet with other major causes of death were established."[2

"One of the problems - if it could be called a problem - in writing this blog and moderating the comments is most readers are pretty intelligent. Occasionally I have the angry vegetarian wander in, take me to task for my errant ways, and, after a comeback or two on my part, drift away to never be heard from again. Thanks to the confirmation bias, this blog pretty much selects against the non-meat eater. So, I tend to forget how many people there are out there who are pretty much clueless about basic nutrition, and how many people there are who bobble through life spouting cliches they've heard along the way as great nutritional truths. Based on the comments I get on this blog, it seems to me that most people are pretty nutritionally sophisticated and reasonable."

"One of the problems - if it could be called a problem - in writing this blog and moderating the comments is most readers are pretty intelligent. Occasionally I have the angry vegetarian wander in, take me to task for my errant ways, and, after a comeback or two on my part, drift away to never be heard from again. Thanks to the confirmation bias, this blog pretty much selects against the non-meat eater. So, I tend to forget how many people there are out there who are pretty much clueless about basic nutrition, and how many people there are who bobble through life spouting cliches they've heard along the way as great nutritional truths. Based on the comments I get on this blog, it seems to me that most people are pretty nutritionally sophisticated and reasonable."

The importance of calcium, potassium, and acid-base homeostasis in bone health and osteoporosis prevention. Tylavsky FA, Spence LA, Harkness L. J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):164S-165S. PMID: 18156418 In concert with the acid-base literature, protein intake is considered to be a net acid-producing substance and thus a net negative risk factor for bone dissolution. However, substantial literature supports the beneficial effects on skeletal metabolism when higher protein levels are consumed in concert with adequate calcium, potassium, and other minerals, regardless of the source of protein (24-26). The Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diet (27) is a calcium-rich diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. This diet underscores the importance of consuming a complement of foods from meats, grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables as prudent for promoting optimal bone health. In the following articles, Rafferty and Lanham-New carefully review the evidence on the interaction of specific diet components that impact bone health and conclude that a balanced diet with recommended servings of dairy products and a variety of fruits and vegetables is prudent for optimal bone health. Additionally, they comment on future research directions for consideration by the scientific community.

The table lists the acid, base values for 114 common foods. Base-producing foods are fruits and vegetables, whereas grains, meats, fish, cheese and salted processed foods are acid-producing.

While a vegetarian diet is among the healthiest ways to eat, certain nutrients can be lacking on a diet that contains no animal products at all. In particular, many people are concerned that vegans may not get enough protein, calcium and iron from plant-based foods. This is because most people think of eating dairy products for calcium and meats for iron and protein. But it is possible to consume adequate amounts of these nutrients on vegetarian diet. It just takes bit of effort and knowledge about plant-based sources the nutrients.

Too much meat and cheese may be a recipe for disaster, according to a new study that links the consumption of animal-based protein to an increased risk of early death for people in their 50s and early 60s.

Dietary acid-base balance, bone resorption, and calcium excretion. Jajoo R, Song L, Rasmussen H, Harris SS, Dawson-Hughes B. J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Jun;25(3):224-30. PMID: 16766781 Conclusions: Diet changes that increase renal NAE are associated with increases in serum PTH, bone resorption, and calcium excretion over a 60-day period.

Over acidity has been studied by many scientists as you will see here. You can help prevent the negative side effects by eating plenty of green foods and drinking green alkalizing drinks Excessive dietary intake of protein with consequent increase in metabolic acid production result in compensatory mechanisms that lead to progression of kidney stones, bone disease, renal disease and a catabolic state. Chronic metabolic acidosis is a process whereby an excess acid load is placed on the body due to excess acid generation or diminished acid removal by normal homeostatic mechanisms. Excessive meat ingestion and aging are two clinical conditions often associated with chronic metabolic acidosis. The body's homeostatic response to this pathology is very efficient. Therefore, the blood pH is frequently maintained within the "normal" range. However, these homeostatic responses engender pathologic consequences such as nephrolithiasis, bone demineralization, muscle protein breakdown and renal growth.

Long term nutritional intake and the risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a population based study. Zelber-Sagi S, Nitzan-Kaluski D, Goldsmith R, Webb M, Blendis L, Halpern Z, Oren R. J Hepatol. 2007 Nov;47(5):711-7. Epub 2007 Aug 14. PMID: 17850914 doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2007.06.020    

Plant-animal subsistence ratios and macronutrient energy estimations in worldwide hunter-gatherer diets. Cordain L, Miller JB, Eaton SB, Mann N, Holt SH, Speth JD. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Mar;71(3):682-92. PMID: 10702160 Our analysis showed that whenever and wherever it was ecologically possible, hunter-gatherers consumed high amounts (45-65% of energy) of animal food. Most (73%) of the worldwide hunter-gatherer societies derived >50% (> or =56-65% of energy) of their subsistence from animal foods, whereas only 14% of these societies derived >50% (> or =56-65% of energy) of their subsistence from gathered plant foods. This high reliance on animal-based foods coupled with the relatively low carbohydrate content of wild plant foods produces universally characteristic macronutrient consumption ratios in which protein is elevated (19-35% of energy) at the expense of carbohydrates (22-40% of energy).