The following are some excerpts from a study which appeared in the Volume 330, Article # 1776 June 23, 1994 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine in which researchers proved that prolonged acidosis causes calcium depletion from the skeleton which is used to buffer excess acid leading to osteoporosis. The study showed that supplementation of potassium bicarbonate as found in Alkalife stops this leaching of calcium from the bones. To read the full article click on The New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract
Background. In normal subjects, a low level of metabolic acidosis and positive acid balance (the production of more acid than is excreted) are typically present and correlate in degree with the amount of endogenous acid produced by metabolism of foods in ordinary diets abundant in protein. Over a life time, the counteraction of retained endogenous acid by base mobilized from the skeleton may contribute to the decrease in bone mass that occurs normally with age.

Methods
To test that possibility, we administered potassium bicarbonate to 18 postmenopausal women who were given a constant diet of (652 mg of calcium and 96 g of protein per 60 kg of body weight). The potassium bicarbonate was given orally for 18 days ...that nearly completely neutralized the endogenous acid.

Results
During the administration of potassium bicarbonate, the calcium and phosphorous balance became less negative or more positive - that is, less was excreted in comparison with the amount ingested....Net renal acid excretion decreased ...., indicating nearly complete neutralization of endogenous acid.

Conclusions
In postmenopausal women, the oral administration of potassium bicarbonate at a dose sufficient to neutralize endogenous acid improves calcium and phosphorous balance, reduces bone resorption, and increase the rate of bone formation. (N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1776-81.)