Influence of organic salts of potassium on bone health: Possible mechanisms of action for the role of fruit and vegetables

There is evidence that fruit and vegetables may be beneficial for bone health. Protein-containing foods such as meats, fish and cereals are acid-generating because of the sulphur and phosphorous they contain. It has been suggested that fruit and vegetables may be important for bone health because of the alkaline salts they provide (for example potassium citrate or potassium malate), which can balance the acidity produced by eating a Westernized diet. There have been a number of intervention studies investigating the effect of potassium bicarbonate or potassium citrate on markers of bone turnover. This chapter reviews the evidence from these studies and concludes that although short-term studies show that alkaline salts of potassium reduce calcium excretion and affect bone turnover, the body may adapt so that the benefit on bone metabolism is not continued long-term. Fruit and vegetable consumption may be advantageous to bone health, not because of balancing dietary acidity but because of the nutrients they contain (e.g. certain minerals, vitamins, or bioactive compounds such as flavonoids and phytoestrogens).