Plant-Based Dietary Supplement Increases Urinary pH

[MikeMartial]

The study doesn't actually state any athletic benefit, but it's the first time I think a study has been done to verify changes in pH from a plant based supplement. Original abstract and link to the full study can be found here.

Plant-based dietary supplement increases urinary pH

John M Berardi , Alan C Logan and A VENKET Rao
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:20doi:10.1186/1550-2783-5-20
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>
</td></tr><tr> <td>Published:</td> <td>6 November 2008</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>Abstract (provisional)

Background

Research has demonstrated that the net acid load of the typical Western diet has the potential to influence many aspects of human health, including osteoporosis risk/progression; obesity; cardiovascular disease risk/progression; and overall well-being. As urinary pH provides a reliable surrogate measure for dietary acid load, this study examined whether a plant-based dietary supplement, one marketed to increase alkalinity, impacts urinary pH as advertised. Methods: Using pH test strips, the urinary pH of 34 healthy men and women (33.9+/-1.57 y, 79.3 +/-3.1 kg) was measured for seven days to establish a baseline pH without supplementation. After this initial baseline period, urinary pH was measured for an additional 14 days while participants ingested the plant-based nutritional supplement. At the end of the investigation, pH values at baseline and during the treatment period were compared to determine the efficacy of the supplement. Results: Mean urinary pH statistically increased (p=0.03) with the plant-based dietary supplement. Mean urinary pH was 6.07 +/- 0.04 during the baseline period and increased to 6.21 +/- 0.03 during the first week of treatment and to 6.27+/-0.06 during the second week of treatment. Conclusions: Supplementation with a plant-based dietary product for at least seven days increases urinary pH, potentially increasing the alkalinity of the body.

 

[Ziltoid]

Removed list on account of...

 

[MikeMartial]

Hey Z, I'd edit that list. Stuff like coffee and vinegar have a negative PRAL.

 

[Ziltoid]

Oh shoot. Thanks. Let me know if there's anything else.

 

[MikeMartial]

Oh shoot. Thanks. Let me know if there's anything else.

Asparagus is -0.4, wine is -2.4....

This thread can derail into discussion about acid-base balance and alkaline diets, but maybe you should check your sources on that list first.

 

[XTrainer]

"Plant based dietary supplement"=Greens+ (or similar)?

 

[MikeMartial]

"Plant based dietary supplement"=Greens+ (or similar)?

Greens+ was the supplement studied; in the full .pdf, they explain how Berardi and Logan are associated with Genuine health.

There's some interesting studies referenced, and also the fact they give the mean PRAL for Greens+, which is -2.1mEq. I had assumed it would be a lot lower.

 

[tdawg]

Popping Tums or anything else containing bicarbonate will also up your urinary pH. How is this note worthy?

 

[tdawg]

Also, at the risk of sounding overly cynical, I'm going to be a bit more critical. I think measuring urinary pH is a poor index to chose. But before I explain why, let me say that I respect JB and think he's a great mind in nutritional science, and I know the objective of this paper is to verify the claims of a single plant based product.

In the paper the authors state that:

Research has demonstrated that the net acid load of the typical Western diet has the potential to influence many aspects of human health, including osteoporosis risk/progression; obesity; cardiovascular disease risk/progression; and overall well-being.

An index to measure to test this hypothesis would be measuring blood pH, not urinary pH. In addition, I would argue that a disease free person will have a blood pH somewhere between 7.35 and 7.45. The reasons I argue this is because if there's a net acid load in the body, blood pH will drop, and this is a catastrophic to human homeostasis. Because of this, the human body has a variety of buffer systems (bicarbonate, phosphate, ammonia, protein based) in the blood and inside cells that absorb any excess H+ floating around, so the blood pH does not change.

In addition, as H+ intake increases, the kidneys up the excretion of hydrogen ions and the re-absorption of bicarbonate; the urinary pH changes accordingly to maintain the blood pH between 7.35 - 7.45. This is why I feel that urinary pH is a poor index to measure - the urinary pH will always change to keep blood pH within a very specific range; it isn't a big deal if the urinary pH changes one way or another, as long as the blood pH is kept between 7.35 - 7.45. Some of you may think that my argument is probably supporting the notion that urinary pH is important, as it indirectly reflects acid load. While this is true, you must remember that 1) the blood pH, not the urinary pH is important in human physiology and 2) a low urinary pH is not abnormal, nor is it a direct cause for disease (excluding certain kidney stones, in predisposed individuals).

I think JB has some vested interests in the product he is verifying, and, although the paper itself is scientifically sound, the claims made by the product are (in my opinion) not. I know some will disagree with me, but I'm just putting my critical opinion out there.

 

[Vedic]

JB push a product for his benefit? Say it isn't so.

 

[MikeMartial]

Excellent post, tdawg, but I'd have to diagree with you on testing blood pH for the very reason you mentioned:

In addition, as H+ intake increases, the kidneys up the excretion of hydrogen ions and the re-absorption of bicarbonate; the urinary pH changes accordingly to maintain the blood pH between 7.35 - 7.45. This is why I feel that urinary pH is a poor index to measure - the urinary pH will always change to keep blood pH within a very specific range.

Urinary pH is a far better indicator of how our buffering system is being taxed; even in low-grade chronic acidosis, blood pH will be in the norm (more than likely on the low end) of 7.35-7.45. Only in severe illness are we likely to see deviation from this. If we are actually testing blood pH and find values outside of the norm, the patient has much greater issues at hand than if their buffering system is going to help them in athletic endeavors.

Berardi holds a position on the research board for Genuine Health; that's clearly outlined in the full study. I sure as heck don't think this is a completely neutral study in that regard, and one could make an analogy to a pharmaceutical company funding studies on a new drug---if the study results shit the bed, then chances are it wouldn't be published, and we'd never know any better. Only favorable results are ever published, as a general rule, especially went money is at stake.

But for as small a study as it was, I'd have to say it was decently controlled, and proved what was theorized, and hopefully opens the door for more in-depth studies.

I'd still love to see something regarding alkaline diets and ergogenic performance enhancement, though. It's been proven through bicarb supplementation, but not diet.

 

[MikeMartial]

Removed list on account of...

Not a total fail. The values for filtered vs mineral water really piqued my interest.

I know there's a HUGE scam right now of health food stores selling "alkaline water" pumped out of some 4000 dollar Japanese machine. I got into it pretty heavy with some clown the other day who couldn't back his claims up worth shit. But that's all beside the point.

I'd like to find solid PRAL values of filtered vs mineral vs RO water.

 

[byukid]

Not a total fail. the values for filtered vs mineral water really piqued my interest.

I know there's a HUGE scam right now of health food stores selling "alkaline water" pumped out of some 4000 dollar Japanese machine. I got into it pretty heavy with some clown the other day who couldn't back his claims up worth shit. But that's all beside the point.

I'd like to find solid PRAL values of filtered vs mineral vs RO water.

dude just drink vitaminwater

They're totally alkaline. Trust me. TRY IT.

 

[Monger]

I see so many fat people drinking vitamin water all day long thinking it will help them lose weight. It's unbelievable that people can't even understand the concept of calories.