Are You Too Acidic?!
Acidosis is the one of the underlying causes of chronic disease. Our bodies strive to maintain a blood pH between 7.3 and 7.5 and even the most minute changes in blood pH can send us straight to the emergency room.
This narrow pH range is where our metabolism, enzymes, immune system and repair mechanisms work most efficiently. An overly acidic environment causes our cells to become sluggish and unable to properly function. Just a 0.1 change in either direction can produce up to a 10-fold reduction in cell function. Cellular messages aren’t sent, waste builds up as toxins cannot be excreted, and nutrients are not properly absorbed. Dr. Lipski, a leading functional medicine practitioner and expert on digestive wellness compares this to a labor strike. Our cells simply cannot and will not work in an acidic environment!
Disease, constipation, diarrhea, liver and kidney problems, and fatigue are commonly seen when blood pH becomes too acidic. Our bodies work extremely hard to balance blood pH by drawing minerals from other body stores into the bloodstream. Sodium and potassium are typically pulled first from the fluid reservoirs outside our cells (extracellular fluid). Once these stores are used up, other minerals such as calcium and magnesium are pulled from the bones. As you can imagine, this is NOT a good thing. Our bones need calcium to maintain strength and when we use that calcium as an acid buffer our bones become weak and porous. Ever heard of osteoporosis or osteopenia? Well, these are the weakening and softening of our bones and are a direct result from being too acidic. On top of all of that, an acidic environment is the prime breeding ground for pathogenic microbes. Disease causing bacteria, parasites and fungi flourish contributing to our overall poor health.
So, now we know that being acidic is bad, but why are we acidic to begin with? What causes us to become acidic and how can we avoid that and make our bodies job at maintaining our health a little bit easier?
Causes:
-Eating an acid-forming diet
- Stress
- Toxins
- Immune system reactions
- Metabolic processes that create acid by-products
Air Pollution is a Major Contributor to Acidity
Our environment is a major contributor to increased acid in our bodies. From the air we breathe to the toxic residue on the foods we eat, it is essential we provide our bodies with the right nutrients to properly alkalize. Unfortunately, the standard American diet is another HUGE contributor to our overall acid load. Most proteins, fats, sugars, grains and refined foods are acid producing. Stress, alcohol and smoking further exacerbates the problem. Eating a high-protein diet may temporarily cause an “alkaline-tide” but the net result is actually acidotic. Soft drinks like cola are extremely acidic (2.8-3.2pH) and consuming them puts a lot of stress on the kidneys. Urine cannot be excreted below a pH of 5.0 so in order to dilute that ONE can of cola you would need to produce 33 LITERS of urine! Since we are not peeing that much (I hope) after drinking one can of cola, you can imagine how many minerals your body is pulling from its stores to neutralize the cola in order for it to be excreted.
Acid Forming Minerals:
Chlorine
Sulfur
Phosphorus
Iodine
Alkaline Forming Minerals:
Sodium
Potassium
Calcium
Magnesium
*Optimal health and resistance to bacterial infections are enhanced by all of these minerals, especially sodium and calcium. Most Americans are deficient in potassium, calcium and magnesium. Even if your blood levels come back within normal ranges, the body is likely still deficient on an intracellular level.
Citrus and other acidic fruits are actually alkaline in the body
Alkalized water is a GREAT way to combat acidity. Drinking water with a pH between 8.5-9.5 can preserve mineral stores by alkalizing the blood without needing to draw out minerals from our bones. Fruits, vegetables and seaweed can also help alkalize our systems -although we typically do not eat enough of these to alkalize our blood AND replenish our intra- and extracellular levels. It may seem like consuming acidic fruits and vegetables such as a lemon for example may be counterproductive, but this assumption would be incorrect. Dr. Russell Jaffee developed a way to calculate the bodies net response to foods based on that food’s mineral, sugar, fat and amino acid composition. You can access Dr. Jaffee’s alkaline food chart here.
So, how do you know if you’re too acidic? A good way to test if your body is too acidic is by testing your urine. Yep, that’s right! It’s time to start peeing in a cup. A urine pH of 7.0 indicates that you have enough alkalizing minerals to balance out the acids. You can purchase pH testing paper (make sure it has a range of at least 5.5-8.0) and test your first morning void. I typically buy mine from amazon.com because it’s easy and cheap. The pH of your urine should be between 6.5 and 7.5 but optimally around 7.0. Any number below 7.0 indicates that you are on the acidic side and should consider changing your diet and/or drinking alkaline water. If you’re really acidic you may benefit from taking a mineral supplement although it is advised that you speak with a dietitian or doctor before starting any new supplements. If your urine pH is consistently above 7.5 this may indicate active inflammation or other health issues and you should see your primary health-care provider.
I combat acidity by drinking 84oz of 9.5 water daily (from my home Kangen Water Machine) and making sure to have at least 3 servings of fruit or vegetables with each meal!
This was the result of my first urine pH test after a weekend of “treating myself.” After drinking 40oz of 9.5 I was able to get the pH up to ~ 6.5 that afternoon!