Our modern day lifestyles, sub-optimal nutrition, high sugar intake, medications and stress all contribute to over acidity of the body. Acidity or alkalinity is expressed as pH. The pH of any solution is based on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline.
Our blood has a very narrow pH range and if it becomes either too acid or too alkaline, we die. Not to be toyed with. Therefore, it makes sense that our body works very hard to maintain our blood pH.
Foods and liquids you consume every day have a significant effect on the pH of your blood. Most vegetables and some fruits, including lemons, have an alkaline effect on blood pH, while meat, dairy and most grains are more acid yielding. Sugary foods and soft drinks significantly raise the acid load on your body.
In order for your body to maintain blood pH, it uses up alkalising minerals – the most effective being calcium, potassium and magnesium. So if you consume a diet high in processed foods, soft drinks and regular alcohol intake, chances are your body is using up valuable minerals to try and keep you going. Even though your body may maintain blood pH, it will be doing so at the expense of your bones.
Unless you consume good quantities of beneficial alkalising vegetables, and the green ones are best here, you may be heading towards osteoporosis, diabetes or obesity.
Research has also found that chronic metabolic acidosis (ongoing acid load on the body) increases cortisol secretion. Ongoing elevated cortisol also increases blood sugar levels and may lead to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes, weight gain and adrenal exhaustion. Furthermore, research showed that by alkalising the acid load, plasma production and urinary excretion of cortisol production was significantly reduced.
Key benefits of balancing your pH:
- Improved stress response
- Improved bone mineral density
- Improved detoxification and liver health
- Improved energy production
If you would like to help your body maintain its pH, get sound nutritional advice and help reducing acid-induced cortisol overload, arrange an appointment with Dagmar today.