Improve Bones and Blood Pressure with Potassium Citrate

Potassium citrate might help reverse the negative effect of the high-protein Western diet on bone health while also lowering blood pressure.

Chronic metabolic acidosis has long been suspected to decrease bone mass. The authors of this study hypothesized that the high-protein acidogenic Western diet contributes to the pathophysiology of osteoporosis and that dietary supplementation with alkali in the form of potassium citrate (Kcitrate) might slow the osteoporotic process. To examine this hypothesis, they randomized 161 Swiss postmenopausal women who had low bone mass and had not received any osteoporosis treatment to receive 30 mEq per day of either Kcitrate or potassium chloride (KCl; control) for 12 months. Both groups also received calcium (500 mg/day) and vitamin D (400 IU/day).

Lumbar spine BMD increased progressively and significantly in the Kcitrate group but decreased in …

Reviewing Author

Wendy S. Biggs, MD

Improve Bones and Blood Pressure with Potassium Citrate

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Reviewing Author