Abstract
High protein diets are known to increase urinary calcium excretion in humans. A commonly held hypothesis is that the excess urinary calcium originates from bone because the acid generated by dietary protein requires buffering by bone. According to this hypothesis, the long-term consequence of a high protein diet would be to increase bone resorption, decrease bone density, and increase fractures. However, there are significant scientific data (including cross-sectional, longitudinal, and dietary intervention studies) in humans that suggest that high dietary protein is not detrimental to bone. In fact, many studies show that increasing protein is beneficial to skeletal health and there are several physiological mechanisms that support this observation.