A study in Japan found that rats that had their ovaries removed had less calcium loss when they were given a daily dose of vinegar. The Japanese researchers concluded that dietary vinegar improved intestinal calcium absorption by improving calcium solubility and by the trophic effect of the acetic acid contained in vinegar, which reduced the bone turnover caused by the removal of the rats’ ovaries. They felt that this could be important information in preventing osteoporosis in humans.
Many web sites and books these days tout the benefits of an alkaline diet, especially for osteoporosis prevention, but the results from the study above should raise a question as to whether this common assumption is based on fact or simply common belief. Vinegar is an acid food, and this study found that having a dose of vinegar, each day was beneficial for the rats’ bone structure.
