Do High Protein Diets Cause Calcium Excretion?

[mellowsong]

Sorry, Vegetarians…
By Dr. Al Sears on 06/26/2011

People still mistakenly believe that eating a lot of protein from meat hurts your bones. The reason is that some studies found that people would lose lots of calcium through their urine after eating protein.

Scientists have speculated for decades on the reason for all that calcium leaving people’s bodies. Way back in 1968, a piece published in The Lancet theorized that you use calcium from bones to counter the acidity produced when you break down the meat you eat when you digest it. And the theory stuck.

But just speculating it was “because of meat” doesn’t make it true.

In fact, a newer analysis by the Journal of Nutrition says plainly: “No convincing data have been published showing that a high protein diet, using complex proteins for prolonged periods of time under strictly controlled dietary conditions, causes calcium loss.

“Dietary proteins other than red meat, such as milk and cheese… do not cause calcium loss in controlled studies in humans. The generalization that ‘protein’ causes calcium loss or may be a risk factor for osteoporosis, without specifying the type and source of protein, is therefore incorrect.”(1)

Read more: http://www.healthiertalk.com/sorry-vegetarians-4182 (http://www.healthiertalk.com/sorry-vegetarians-4182)

[highlander]

Vegetarians will latch on to this sentence: "The simple fact is that your body can’t build bones from plants because they contain incomplete proteins." Then point to herbivores with strong bones and discount the entire article. (I've spent a lot of time on vegetarian forums and reading vegetarian books.)
I think that articles on health should avoid the meat eater vs. vegetarian war and just address whatever study or point they are trying to make. As soon as someone says "Pffft, you're wrong....told ya so" then people get defensive and quit listening. I think at the heart of it most vegetarians eat the way they do because of the way they feel about animals and no amount of data is going to change their minds.

[mellowsong]

Those are very good points Highlander and I wish he'd done the article without dissing vegetarians...and why I changed the title of the article too. Every single person is different and some do well as vegans. I tried once I learned about how animals are treated and couldn't do it or I would...strictly from a humanitarian viewpoint.

[Aaltrude]

The article also did not differentiate between the differnt types of vegetarians, e.g vegans, lacto, ovo and lacto/ovo vegetarians.