How to balance the acid-base balance of the body?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Most of us will never be interested in the acid-base balance of our blood, but proper pH balance is an important aspect of overall health.

Many doctors emphasize the importance of decreasing acidity and increasing alkalinity of the body with an alkaline diet because a balanced pH level helps to protect our body from the inside. Disease and disorders in the work of organs, as doctors say, cannot take root for a long time in an organism whose acid-base balance is in equilibrium.

What does pH balance mean? How do you know when the pH level is out of order? The point is that pH values are related to the balance in the human body between acidity and alkalinity. Your body does a great job on a daily basis to maintain a balanced pH. In most cases, by eating alkaline foods or adhering to an alkaline diet completely, you can help your body protect itself from harmful microbes and organisms, prevent tissue and organ damage, prevent micronutrient depletion, and protect against immune system dysfunctions.

Why is this so? For more information, you should read this article.

In 2012, the journal Ecology and Health published a review on the health effects of an alkaline diet. The main takeaway from this article was:

“Today, modern people who eat food from the current agriculture, in their diet receive much less magnesium and potassium, as well as significantly less fiber. Their current diet contains too much saturated fat, simple sugars, sodium (salt) and chloride compared to that of their ancestors. This leads to the fact that such a diet can lead to metabolic acidosis, which does not match our genetic code due to the type of diet. " [AND]

The most effective way to maintain a healthy acid-base pH balance is eat a lot of alkalizing plant foods and severely limit your intake of processed foods.

In addition, there are many different factors that have a serious impact on the acid-base balance: intestinal health, psychological stress, taking medications, chronic diseases. All of these factors have an impact on how hard the human body must work to maintain a normal pH level.

What is acid-base pH balance? And why is this the key to good health?

What we call “ pH balance ”Is an indicator of the activity of hydrogen ions in solutions. [AND] pH values are a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of body fluids. The pH values range from 0 to 14. The more acidic the solution is, the lower the pH value. More alkaline liquids show higher pH values. The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of many liquids, such as the water of the oceans and seas, not just our blood.

What value of acid-base pH-balance should be ideally? PH = 7 is considered neutral, which means an equally acidic and alkaline liquid. Serum pH, as well as the pH of most tissues in our body should remain around 7, 365, while in the stomach, the pH balance is determined by about 2 units. This strong acidity in the stomach is essential for the processing of food. Our saliva or urine is also slightly acidic and is in the pH range of 6, 4-6, 8 in healthy people.

If a person practices an alkaline diet, then this helps him to restore the correct level of acid-base balance and helps to improve health.

An alkaline diet has been shown to help:

[And, And, And, And, And]

• Protect against cardiovascular disease
• Prevention of calcium accumulation in urine
• Prevention urolithiasis, kidney disease or damage
• Decrease general inflammation
• Reducing the risk of developing diabetes
• Maintaining good bone density
• Reducing the likelihood of muscle cramps
• Deficiency protection vitamin Dand related consequences
• Reducing back pain

What causes an acid-base imbalance?

Here is the definition of acidosis, a condition where your pH level shifts towards a more acidic state: “… it is an overproduction of acid in the blood or an excessive loss of bicarbonate from the blood (metabolic acidosis), or a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood that results from poor lung function and suppressed respiration (respiratory acidosis). " [AND]

Your body almost always does excellent work and maintains your acid-base balance at an optimal level. Unfortunately, you are born with the "key" of how hard your body will work to achieve optimal pH values.

Our kidneys normally maintain proper pH balance and electrolyte levels, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. But when we are exposed to acidic substances, these electrolytes are used (consumed) to combat acidity..

The kidneys begin to excrete more minerals from the body through urine. A high degree of acidity in a diet or a health condition in the body forces our body to extract minerals (electrolytes) from our bones, cells, organs and tissues. Our cells very seriously need enough minerals to generate their waste products. Therefore, first of all, with an increase in acidity, there is a loss of minerals by the bone tissue (bones), which contributes to the development of osteoporosis. With the hard work of cells in an oxidized environment, the process of accumulation of toxins and pathogens, which do not have time to be excreted by the cells, can begin, and this, in turn, can suppress the immune system.

As soon as you put your body into an altered acid-base balance with a predominance of acidity, then you force your body to work overtime to keep the blood in the neutral pH zone. This strenuous work of the body disrupts the levels of various substances that are used by the body to carry out the task of maintaining pH. These disorders include a decrease in potassium content, a violation of the ratio of sodium content (in our ancestors, the ratio of potassium to sodium was 10: 1, and modern man shows a ratio of 1: 3), decreased magnesium levels, very low values of fiber intake and earlier loss of kidney function, especially with aging. [AND]

You cannot independently bring yourself to an imbalance in the pH of the blood (which is fraught with death), but you can by your actions reduce the body's stamina, which will not allow you to be in a state healthy aging … Only helping your body maintain a normal acid-base balance can provide you with healthy years of life.

Types of acidosis

There are five main types of what doctors call metabolic acidosis. This condition means that the body has a poor acid-base pH balance or is working too hard to maintain a healthy pH.

Diabetic ketoacidosis - sometimes mistakenly confused with ketosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the body of a person with diabetes cannot cope with changes in its condition and the liver produces dangerously high amounts of ketone bodies. Usually this condition is diagnosed when the blood sugar level exceeds 13 mmol / L.

Hyperchloremic acidosis - an often diagnosed asset in profuse vomiting or diarrhea. With this form of acidosis, the level of sodium bicarbonate decreases and the concentration of chloride in the blood plasma increases.

Lactic acidosis - too much lactic acid can lead to acidosis. According to scientific journals, "chronic alcohol use (alcoholism), cardiac arrest, cancer, liver failure, decreased oxygen in the air, and low blood sugar may be responsible for this condition." In addition, prolonged exercise can lead to a build-up of lactic acid in the blood.

Renal tubular acidosis - If your kidneys are unable to excrete enough acid in your urine, your blood may become acidic.

Diet acidosis is a recently recognized form of acidosis. Dietary acidosis (or "diet-induced acidosis") is a consequence of the practice of eating highly acidic (not to be confused with lemon) foods, resulting in very high stress on the body, increasing the risk of various diseases and impairing overall functioning organism. [AND]

The best ways to maintain the correct acid-base pH balance

First of all, you can reduce your risk of falling out of a healthy pH by looking at how your lifestyle and habits can affect nutrient levels, bowel function, and immune system.

Below are the main factors contributing to an increase in acidity (the development of acidosis) in your body

• Alcohol and drug use (including acetazolamide, opioids, tranquilizers, and aspirin)
• Overuse of antibiotics
• Kidney disease or impaired renal function
• Poor digestion and impaired intestinal health
• Eating a lot of processed and refined foods that contain salt, preservatives, etc. [AND]
• Low dietary intake of potassium, calcium and other beneficial minerals [AND]
• High consumption of artificial sweeteners, food colors and preservatives
• Pesticides and Herbicides That May Remain in Plant Products
• Chronic psychological stress
• Sleep disorders such as apnea
• Decreased nutrient levels in food due to industrial agriculture and poor topsoil quality
• Low fiber in the diet
• Lack of exercise (sedentary lifestyle)
• Excess animal meat in the diet
• Excessive ingestion of cosmetics and plastics residues
• Exposure to chemicals from household cleaning products, building materials, radiation from computers, cell phones and microwave ovens
• Environmental pollution
• Poor chewing and eating habits (eating quickly without chewing thoroughly)
• Lung disease or damage, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, severe pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and asthma

How can you help your body achieve a neutral pH?

Below are steps to help you maintain the best acid-base pH balance.

1. Reduce intake of acidic foods

If you currently adhere to standard western diet ”, Then you will probably need to change your diet to a more alkaline one. Here is a list of acidic foods that you should limit in your diet, or even exclude from your diet:

• Processed store meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, sausages, salami.
• Foods high in salt
• Sugar and sugar-laden foods
• Processed grains such as corn, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, and rye (including flour from these grains)
• Regular meat (beef, chicken and pork)
• Fried dishes
• Milk and dairy products
• Foods with a high glycemic index, including white rice, white bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, etc.
• Caffeine
• Alcohol

There are some "acidic" foods that contain many essential nutrients, so they may not be completely eliminated from your diet, but consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet.

• Most foods high in protein, such as meat and eggs
• Lentils and other legumes
• Oats
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat bread
• Walnut

2. Go on an alkaline diet

If you are planning on following an alkaline diet to balance your pH, then that diet should be rich in green plants and other alkaline foods. It is also wise to buy more organically grown produce (not in conventional farming, but from farms or private gardens). These foods are grown in a more organic environment, in soil that is high in minerals, which tend to alkalize the body more and contain more vitamins.

HERE IS A LIST OF PRODUCTS THAT WILL SUPPORT AN ALKALINE DIET

• Leafy green vegetables - cabbage, Swiss chard, beet greens, dandelion fox, spinach, wheat germ, alfalfa, etc.
• Other non-starchy vegetables - mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados, radishes, cucumber, broccoli, oregano, garlic, ginger, green beans, chicory, cabbage, celery, zucchini and asparagus
• Raw food - raw fruits and vegetables are biogenic or "life-giving" products for our body. Cooking food, especially cooking, can reduce alkaline minerals. Increase the amount of raw foods in your diet and try lightly steamed vegetables. Ideally, try to consume most of your food raw, or only lightly cooked (like steamed).
• Superfoods (healthy foods) - poppy root, spirulina, sea vegetables, bone broth, and dried green powder containing chlorophyll
• Healthy fats: coconut oil, olive oil, fish oil, animal oil from farms or private homes (these foods can be a good addition to your diet, even if they don't necessarily alkalize).
• Starchy plants - sweet potatoes, turnips and beets.
• Vegetable proteins - almonds, beans, beans and most other legumes
• Most fruits - Oddly enough, sour-tasting fruits such as lemon or grapefruit do not create acidity in the body. They do just the opposite and contribute to the alkalization of the body. Citrus fruits, dates, and raisins are highly alkalizing and may help prevent acidosis. [AND]
• Vegetable juices (green drinks) - drinks made from green vegetables and herbs in powder form. These foods are very rich. chlorophyll … Chlorophyll is structurally similar to our own blood and alkalizes the blood. [AND]
• Apple vinegar - sour in taste, but is able to restore the acid-base pH balance well.

Depending on your current health status and your wellness goals, you might be able to get better acidity if you followed an alkaline, very low carb, ketogenic diet. The keto diet (ketogenic) also maintains the body's pH balance by eating healthy fats, green leafy vegetables, vegetable juices, and superfoods (healthy foods). But it is worth knowing all the pros and cons of the ketogenic diet before you start practicing it.

Most high protein foods are acidic, so if you eat a lot of meat and animal products, it is very important to balance the acidic effects with alkalizing plant foods. [And] If you are going to practice a low carbohydrate diet to reduce acidity, then in addition to the foods mentioned above, you can add beans, nuts and some insignificant amounts of starchy foods (they contain a lot of carbohydrates and sugar).

3. Drink alkaline water

According to the US Center for Water Research: "… the normal pH range in surface water systems is 6.5 to 8.5, and for groundwater systems it is 6 to 8.5 …". [And] This means that there are many varieties of water with different pH.

When the water has a pH of less than or about 6.5, the water can be characterized as "acidic and corrosive." Such water is capable of leaching metal ions such as iron, manganese, copper, lead and zinc from aquifers, plumbing taps and pipes, and can also contain toxic metals and have a sour taste. The best way to change the acid water problem (low pH) - it is to use a special neutralizer that is able to increase the pH.

Water that shows a pH in the range of 9 to 11 can be considered alkaline. Distilled water has a neutral pH of about 7. [AND] Adding baking soda to acidic water can also increase the alkalinity of the water.

Water filtered with reverse osmosis filter is slightly acidic, with a pH just below 7. Distilled water and filtered water cannot become too alkaline, but if you are not overly concerned about the acidity of such water, then such water can be considered a better option than tap water, or water in plastic bottles, which is more acidic.

4. Reduce the entry of drugs, toxins and chemicals into your body

Many different drugs, chemicals and toxins can upset the acid-base pH balance and contribute to the acidity of the body. Such products include: alcohol, caffeine, acetazolamide, opioids, sedatives, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin … [AND]

Important exclude from your life as much as possible all the impacts that are capable of lead to the constant intake of various medications … For example, lack of sleep, psychological stress, a sedentary lifestyle, and even allergies can cause problems with your health, which will push you to take different medications.

Try to determine what steps you can take to naturally reduce your need for medications. If you live or work in an environment with large air pollutionthen it is worth taking steps to protect yourself as best as possible from such contamination.

Testing the pH of the acid-base balance

This is how you can check your own pH level

• You can check your pH by purchasing test strips from your local health food store or pharmacy.
• The pH measurement can be performed using saliva or urine. The second morning urination gives the best pH results in terms of accuracy.
• You are comparing the colors on the test strip to the pH scale chart that came with this test strip kit.
• During the day, the best time to check the pH is one hour before meals and two hours after meals.
• If you are testing your saliva, the ideal pH range for health is between 6, 8 and 7, 3 (remember, optimal pH is around 7, 365).