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Hi all,

This information was requested by a number of list members.

Love, Linda

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Here's an article (followed by some websites) that explain it well:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/debate.html

"High protein diets cause serious metabolic changes that lead to bone loss
and kidney stones.  Red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs are acidic
in make up.  Vegetable foods are alkaline by nature.  The body guards its
acid-base balance (pH) carefully so that all of the pH-dependent
biochemical reactions take place normally.  The dietary-derived acid load
from high-protein animal foods must be buffered.  The primary buffering
system of the body is the bones which dissolve for that purpose into
phosphates and calcium.  The alkaline phosphate then buffers the
animal-food derived acid.  This is the first step in bone loss that leads
to osteoporosis.  The second step leading to osteoporosis consists of
changes in kidney physiology caused by the acid, the sulfa containing amino
acids (plentiful in meat), and the increased solute load, all resulting in
a loss of large amounts of bone material, including calcium, into the
urine.  The presence of this bone material in the kidney system also lays
the foundation for calcium-based kidney stones."

"The Nurse's Health Study recently found women who consumed 95 grams of
protein a day compared with those who consumed less than 68 grams a day had
a 22% greater risk of forearm fractures (Am J Epidemiol 143:472, 1996).
Metabolic ward studies done on people have found a negative calcium balance
is created when 95 grams of protein are consumed with 500 mg of calcium.
The calcium intake must be raised up to 800 mg before calcium balance is
achieved (the calcium entering the body is the same as the amount leaving).
People following the Zone diet commonly consume 100 grams of protein and
less than 800 mg of calcium.  Athletes attempting to follow the Zone diet
will consume 140 grams or more of protein a day.  Even with a very high
calcium intake of 1400 mg daily these people are still in negative calcium
balance."


http://www.veg.org/veg/Articles/calcium.html
Everything you ever wanted to know about calcium
in 5 easy lessons.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm
Calcium in the Vegan Diet
by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.

http://www.dsiegel.com/wiwd/diet/calcium.html
article - Calcium: White Gold