With acidification is not acid
reflux or heartburn meant, but an excess of acid in the blood. The human
organism constantly needs energy. He gets this from food. Fats,
carbohydrates and proteins play an essential role in generating energy. The
oxygen that we breathe is also involved. The process of generating energy
is a combustion process that also produces metabolic end products. These
are substances that the body does not need and that must therefore be excreted. The
organs of elimination in this case are the kidneys, intestines, skin and
lungs. Many of these waste products are acidic. In order to be able
to eliminate them, they have to be neutralized beforehand.
When does one speak of hyperacidity?
Normally the blood has a slightly basic pH value between 7.35 and
7.45. If this value falls below 7.35, the body begins to
over-acidify. The value fluctuates depending on the time of day. A
temporary short deviation into the acidic range is not a problem. However,
if the value remains permanently or predominantly in this range, it is referred
to as hyperacidity. Chronic acidosis (acidosis) can often be traced back
to an underlying disease and is associated with a metabolic disorder. This
article deals primarily with the types of acidification that can be traced back
to improper diet, stress and unhealthy lifestyles. Information about the
pathogenic acidosis can be found
in the article: Overacidification
of the body (acidosis) .
Acid Metabolic Products
It is vital that the hydrogen ion concentration, i.e. the degree of
acidity characterized by the pH value, does not experience any
deviations. The body therefore has various mechanisms to counteract
hyperacidity. The regulation takes place through buffering, through the
kidney activity and the tasks of the lungs. This is done by buffering the
acids in the blood with the help of basic minerals. Bicarbonate, to which
acid is bound, is formed in the stomach. The kidney releases the
bicarbonate from the connection and returns it to the body. The acid is
excreted. The lungs are also involved in the regulating
mechanism. There acids are released with the exhaled air.
Both acidic and basic minerals are present in the body in order to be
able to maintain a balance between bases and acids. Acid minerals are
sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, fluorine, iodine and silicon. Basic minerals
include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. These basic
minerals are also known as deacidification minerals. They are part of a
natural diet and must be present in every cell, as they are needed for the
neutralization of acids. In the case of over-acidification, minerals are
withdrawn from the organism, such as in the case of acid rain from the
soil. This slowly leaches the body and the mineral content steadily
decreases.
Acidification: symptoms
Over-acidification leads to exhaustion of the buffering capacity of the
blood over time, not overnight. This results in metabolic disorders and
various complaints through to manifest diseases such as
- Tiredness ,
- Lack
of drive,
- Headache
for no
apparent cause,
- Indigestion ,
- Nausea ,
- Susceptibility
to infection,
- Discomfort
in the musculoskeletal system,
- Tension,
- Loss
of appetite ,
- general malaise ,
- Gallstones ,
- Intestinal
cramps,
- Kidney
and bladder stones,
- Osteoporosis ,
- Muscular
dystrophy,
- Muscle
hardening ,
- dry
skin,
- Insomnia.
Organs get acidic
During hyperacidity, the blood pH value is normally in the normal
range. The buffer capacity of the blood slowly decreases. However, in
order to keep the blood pH value constant, basic substances are withdrawn from
the tissue. Even the calcium is removed from the bones to serve as a
buffer substance. The metabolism takes place more and more under difficult
conditions. Organ such as the kidneys, liver, skin and intestines suffer
from this in particular.
Every organ reacts differently to acidification. Decalcify the
bones, causing what is known as osteoporosis. Hardenings, so-called
myogeloses, form in the muscles and can be very painful. Rhythm disorders
develop in the heart and tooth decay develops in the acidic oral
flora. Stones can form in organs such as the kidney and gall bladder.
How acidification occurs
Over-acidification begins insidiously, initially without any
symptoms. A diet high in animal protein, sugar, saturated fat, and alcohol
is the main cause. There are also environmental toxins, competitive
sports, medication, nicotine and stress . Too
little exercise, too little fresh air and a lack of fluids in the form of pure
water can also lead to over-acidification. A disturbed intestinal flora is
unable to absorb minerals from food. This results in a mineral
deficiency. This also influences the acid-base balanceand can cause an
excess of acid. If too many acids accumulate in the body and the
possibility of buffering them has been exhausted, the acids are stored in
various tissues and the metabolism is massively impaired. This leads to a
wide variety of complaints.
Deacidify the body
The first priority to avoid over-acidification is diet and a healthy
lifestyle with plenty of exercise and sufficient relaxation. In daily
food, the ratio of bases to acids should be aimed at three to one or, even
better, four to one. Animal proteins, contained in dairy products, meat,
sausage and fish are metabolized sour. Vegetables and fruits, on the other
hand, contribute to an alkaline diet. For example, an excess of acid from
200 grams of beef needs 250 grams of kohlrabi or 400 grams of cauliflower for
neutralization. A plentiful supply of fluids, in the form of
non-carbonated water, also counteracts hyperacidity.
Many spices have a high alkaline effect such as cinnamon, bay leaves,
poppy seeds, white pepper, vanilla, marjoram, dill, onion, white mustard,
caraway seeds, black mustard, black pepper and paprika. This list is
sorted according to the degree of alkalinity, starting with the spice that has
the highest proportion of alkaline. Dry brushes, alkaline baths with
sodium bicarbonate and weekly saunas help the body to release acids. A
wide variety of base powders and base tablets are also available in stores. Bases
are hereby supplied orally, which are supposed to help buffer the acids in the
body. However, these are not used for long-term medication. What is
more important here is a consistent change in diet, which, however, can be
supported initially with base preparations.
A cure with a bread drink also works against
over-acidification. Bread drink tastes sour, but is metabolized in the
body in an alkaline way, and also has an extremely good effect on the
intestinal flora due to its lactic acid bacteria content.
Together with a healthy diet that is low in animal protein, the
Schüssler salt therapy can also help with hyperacidity. Base tea mixtures
round off the whole thing. These contain, for example, fennel, anise,
caraway, coriander, raspberry leaves, dandelion and nettle. The daily
enrichment of the food with bitter substances is recommended if the acid-base
balance is disturbed. Bitter substances are contained in bitter vegetables
such as chicory, rocket, endive and dandelion. The daily consumption of
green tea or rooibos tea also contributes to recovery.
