Acid overload

Modern living can play havoc on the body. We are too busy and too distracted, which can mean we don’t pay enough attention to our health.

A diet high in processed food, refined sugars, salt and saturated fats can lead to your body being excessively acidic. As with everything in life, we need to strike a balance between acid and alkaline, and let our bodies live in a happy medium.

Natural health practitioners are urging people to take note of the importance of the body’s pH (acid to alkaline ratio), and that an imbalance can leave the body susceptible to disease. The body constantly creates acid as a by-product of metabolism, but acid is also introduced from food. Much of this acid is filtered by the kidneys and released from the body as urine and perspiration. However it is possible to ‘overload’ the body’s internal systems, and this can lead to serious health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and digestive disorders.

The body’s pH is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total scale ranges from one to 14, with seven considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic and a pH greater than 7 is alkaline. This can be tested in saliva, and optimal saliva pH levels should be between 6.5-7.5.

The body’s pH can be regulated by making simple dietary changes. Many New Zealanders could improve their diet by eating less processed foods, soft drink and coffee and more fruits and vegetables. This has benefits for your whole system, as well as reducing acid intake.

Practitioners warn that the effects of an overly acidic diet can be as follows:

Skeletal System – While supplementing with natural calcium can help build stronger bones, calcium can leach from the bones when the body is overly acidic.

Circulatory System – An overly acidic internal environment contributes to inflammation in the arteries which in turn causes the arteries to thicken with plaque, narrowing the blood flow and increasing risk of heart disease.

Immune System – Acidic environments are breeding grounds for bad bacteria whereas the high levels of hydrogen rich body fluids keep bad bacteria inactive.

Digestive System – Many digestive disorders, such as ingestion, nausea, bloating and gastric reflux, are symptoms caused by excess acid in the gastric region and not enough alkaline minerals in the intestinal tract.

Urinary System – Kidneys are the main organs of the urinary system which perform the task of filtering fluids and purifying the blood. If the body is overwhelmed by excess acids, the body copes with this by pulling alkaline minerals from bones and depositing them into the blood. If this happens frequently, alkaline minerals may build up in the kidneys to form painful kidney stones.

Muscular System – Muscles perform better in a more alkaline system, where is is easier to metabolise energy for the body to recover from strenuous exercise.

Consuming large quantities of green vegetables regularly ensures the body gets plenty of chlorophyll – which helps the body at a cellular level, cleanses and helps one resist infection and promotes healing. Water, green and herbal teas, all vegetables including leafy greens (spinach, kale and lettuce), beans and legumes, and fruits such as lemons, limes, watermelon, grapefruit, mangoes, apples, pears, kiwifruit, melon and papaya are highly alkaline and can help balance out the body’s pH levels.  What a delicious combination for health!