"When we eat beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or other foods from animals, our bodies take in proteins that may be rich in sulfur. That's unlike the proteins in plant foods--fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, or 'beans.] As we digest animal proteins, the sulfur in them forms acid. A slight, temporary acid overload called acidosis may result.

"To regain our natural balance of acidity to alkalinity, or pH, in the bloodstream, our body's must buffer the influx of acid. One possible buffer is calcium phosphate, which the body can borrow from our bones--the bodies main storage depot for this essential mineral.

"Though calcium phosphate is an effective buffer and neutralizer, taking it from bones might increase our risk of osteoporosis. This unhealthy increase in the porosity of bones, and resultant thinning, leaves those afflicted with the disease especially vulnerable to fractures of the spine, hips, and wrists."

That from Agricultural Research, March, 2003. Researchers at the USDA-ARS Western Human Nutrition Res. Ctr., Davis, CA, studied 48 healthy, non-smoking women aged 18-40 in a 10-month program. They found that, not surprisingly, kidney acid excretion was higher do to increased protein intake in the omnivorous (meat eating subjects) as compared to the vegetarian women. So was the calcium in their blood, apparently having been taken from their bones.

"...'also,] bone formation was significantly less in omnivore women than in vegan women. This happened even though the omnivore women had a higher calcium intake than did the vegan volunteers...
"The implications for people who eat high amounts of animal protein may be important. Specifically, over time, the net effect of a lower amount of bone formation would likely be a decrease in bone density."
By Marcia Wood, Ag. Res. Service. Emphases added.

DETAILS: It would not be a bad thing to reduce your animal protein intake. As a report earlier in the Journal of the Nat. Cancer Inst., showed, "...high protein consumption has been related to development of...chronic 'kidney] conditions that may predispose an individual to renal 'kidney] cell cancer." Emphases added.

Protein Acidosis Osteoporosis and Your Bones. Cancer too, Maybe? Bibliography

Agricultural Research, March, 2003

Journal of the Nat. Cancer Inst