Acid-Alkaline Imbalance

Energy Bulletin

  It is becoming more and more common these days to hear the term “acid alkaline imbalance”. You may have heard the term from your Naturopath, Nutritionist, Personal Trainer or these days perhaps even your doctor.

So, what is “acid alkaline imbalance” and what does it mean to you?

Well, if recent studies and medical experts are to be believed then it should start meaning a great deal. Before I get to that however let’s try to understand a bit more about the nature of ph balancing.

Ph stands for potential of hydrogen and is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14—the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral.

Water, which makes up 70 % of your body, is constantly regulating its overall pH levels. So when we talk about pH we are not talking, as some people believe, about stomach acids or digestion but the entire water content of your body. For more on hydration go back and re-read my Energy Bulletin on “Hydrating for Optimal Training.”

By far the most common problem or imbalance in humans is high acidity (acidic). The problem with being acidic is that it forces the body to ‘borrow’ minerals from vital organs and bone much the same way as free radicals ‘borrow’ electrons causing that ‘free radical damage’ we so often hear about. These minerals are acid buffers or neutralizers and include calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. This condition can go on for many years and even decades without notice but can ultimately cause some very alarming health issues and complications including;

• Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and the reduction of oxygen.
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
• Reduced healing capacity
• Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
• Immune deficiency.
• Acceleration of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations.
• Hormone concerns.
• Premature aging.
• Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
• Low energy and chronic fatigue.
• Slow digestion and elimination.
• Yeast/fungal overgrowth.

Another large problem with being acidic is that your ability to absorb nutrients and minerals (bio-availability) can be severely impaired. This means that even though you are taking the best herbals, nutrients, mineral supplements or medication money can buy, you may not actually be assimilating them into the body where they can be doing you some good.

The largest underlying reason for becoming acidic is Diet. Most of your body’s ability to buffer acidity comes from fruits, vegetable, grains and herbs. We also know that meat and meat products can cause acid to build up in the body, although we also know that your body enjoys the benefits of a protein rich diet which helps build lean muscle and repairs damage to tissue. Without the proper balance however between lean meats and acid neutralizers like fruits and vegetable we could have a serious acidity problem.

Some of the worst offenders in a western diet are;

• Processed foods like White Flour.
• Sugar (any).
• Acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks.
• Pharmaceutical drugs especially antibiotics (Extremely acid forming).
• Artificial chemical sweeteners like NutraSweet, Equal, or aspartame (Extremely acid forming).

Note- Last week we talked about some of the positive aspects of drinking coffee with regard to sports performance. Like too much of anything, coffee can increase the likelihood of acidity in the body. 

The best way to balance the body’s pH is to obviously avoid too many acid forming foods and to eat as much as you can of the foods that alkalize such as; Lemons, Watermelon, Limes, Grapefruit, Mangoes, Papayas, Asparagus, Onions, Freshly Squeezed Vegetable Juices, Parsley, Raw Spinach, Broccoli, Garlic, etc, etc.

If you’re on our mailing list I’ve included a list of the best and worst acid-alkalizing foods that can go on your fridge. If you are reading this on our blog site and you would like a copy simply e mail me at duncan@energyclinic.net

You can purchase pH testing kits from your local chemist. These can come in the form of either urine or saliva tests.

Urine- If the average urine pH is below 6.5 the body's buffering system is overwhelmed and attention should be given to lowering acid levels.

Saliva- If the saliva pH is too low (below 6.5), the body may be producing too many acids or may be overwhelmed by acids because it has lost the ability to adequately remove them through the urine. If the saliva pH is too high (over 6.8), the body may suffer greatly, e.g. excess gas, constipation and production of yeast, mold and fungus.

If you’re still unsure you can check with your local Naturopath and they can easily perform the test for you. For you Energy Clinic clients we can organize a session with Russell our resident healer ;o)


Yours in Health,

duncan