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Our modern lifestyle can easily disrupt the sensitive acid-base balance. The result is an acidification of the tissue, which can manifest in numerous complaints. If the acid-base balance is already so disturbed, the body can no longer restore a healthy balance on its own. What to do?
Read below about the causes of acidosis, the symptoms and diseases that are favored by it, and the measures you can take to restore your acid-base balance.
Causes of acidosis
A main cause of acidosis is the modern, unhealthy diet. We consume too many acid-forming foods and too few alkaline ones daily. The following foods acidify the body:
- animal proteins such as meat, sausage, cheese, dairy products, milk, eggs, fish
- white sugar, sweets, sweet drinks
- white flour i.e. wheat bread, wheat pasta
- coffee, black tea, alcohol, carbonated drinks
- other factors: nicotine, synthetic preservatives and colorings, synthetic sweeteners
Another point is the lack of physical activity. More and more workplaces are becoming "sedentary jobs." An ideal balance would be gentle and conscious physical movement such as walking, Qi Gong, yoga, stretching exercises, or similar activities. Because during relaxation, the acid load in the tissues is reduced. In strenuous sports or prolonged muscle activities, lactate is formed (part of lactic acid), which can again lead to acidosis if it accumulates too much.
Emotional factors such as stress, tension, anger, fear, rage, or negative thinking can also contribute to tissue acidosis. In Western conventional medicine, emotional factors are often undervalued, which is unfortunate for the health of patients. Stress hormones can cause muscles to shorten and cramp, which means that acids form in the muscle – acidosis of the muscle is the result. This can lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain. Additionally, it can result in joint blockages and mobility restrictions, which stressed individuals often suffer from.
Another cause of acidosis is insufficient fluid intake, or more precisely, water intake. Many people drink too little. How much should one drink? The simple rule of thumb is: 0.3 liters of fluid per 10 kg of body weight. This corresponds to a daily intake of 1.8 liters for a body weight of 60 kg. Ketone acids that arise during diets also lead to an excess of acids in the body, which can no longer be buffered by the body's own buffering systems. Chronic diseases such as rheumatism, gout, and diabetes, as well as the long-term use of certain pain medications (e.g., anti-rheumatics, acetylsalicylic acid), also burden the acid-base balance.
Acidosis symptoms
When the acid-base balance is disturbed, acids are deposited in connective and fatty tissues, in muscles and tendons. The cells and organs can no longer function properly – this results in disturbances in the supply and disposal of the cells, which manifests as a decline in performance and resilience. Acidosis reaches deep into the cells, which can no longer eliminate acids and absorb bases.
The delicate balance is disrupted. Metabolism in the cells can no longer proceed unhindered. This leads to a lack of energy. Gradually, chronic diseases can develop.
Numerous diseases and symptoms are favored by acidosis:
- Pain conditions
- Allergies
- Arthrosis
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Circulatory disorders
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Cancer
- Migraine, headache
- Muscle and bone wasting
- Muscle cramps
- Kidney disorders
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatic diseases
- sleep disorders
- Tinnitus (ear noises)
Self-test: Am I acidic?
Find out with a few questions if you have an increased risk of acidosis:
- Do you often feel tired and listless, perhaps even apathetic and in a bad mood?
- Do you struggle with recurring infections or never feel really fit?
- Do you feel stressed quickly and have trouble concentrating on a topic for a long time?
- Is your digestion causing you trouble?
- Do you suffer from constipation, diarrhea, bloating, nausea?
- Do you occasionally have headaches?
- Does your skin and your eyes lack radiance? Are your nails brittle? Is your skin rather pale and are there dark circles under your eyes?
- Do you have hair loss, water retention, or cellulite?
- Do you occasionally have heartburn?
- Are you not losing weight despite a balanced diet?
- Do you often eat bread, pasta, rice, cheese, yogurt or quark, sausage, meat, and less often fruit, vegetables, and salad?
- Do you drink less than 2 liters of water or unsweetened tea daily?
- Do you drink coffee daily?
- Do you have muscle and joint pain?
- Do you take medication regularly?
If you can answer more than three of these questions with yes, it is very likely that you are suffering from acidosis.
Acidosis what helps quickly?
The best way to avoid acidosis is an alkaline-rich diet. This can be done in the form of a time-limited alkaline cure. However, to change eating habits in the long term, one should start in small steps and gradually replace more and more acid-forming foods with alkaline-forming foods.
Foods with an acidic pH - Reduce or completely avoid these acid formers:
- Sugar and sweets
- White flour products
- Meat and sausage
- Milk and dairy products
- Carbonated drinks
- Coffee and caffeinated beverages
Foods with an alkaline pH - Increase the proportion of these alkaline formers!
- Salad
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Potatoes
- Herbs
- Spices
- Mushrooms
What you can do in addition to bring the acid-base balance into a healthy equilibrium:
Alkaline nutrition can be supplemented with alkaline therapeutics in the form of dietary supplements. Suitable alkaline powders provide the body with alkaline minerals and valuable trace elements. Pay attention to high-quality products from the pharmacy with a balanced composition that effectively detoxify and are free from additives such as preservatives, colorings, and flavorings.
Industrial food products contain hardly any bitter substances. They have been bred out for taste reasons. However, bitter substances are "bitterly needed" for detoxification: they bind acids and ensure that these are excreted. Natural bitter substances from dandelion, plantain, or other wild herbs are hardly on the menu today and are therefore a sensible dietary supplement, e.g., in the form of bitter capsules.
Base baths
Full or foot baths with strongly alkaline bath additives (e.g. Epsom salt or baking soda) can help with detoxification. The application is very simple:
- At the beginning, use the base baths 2 to 4 times a week and then continue once a week
- The water temperature should be between 37 and 40°C
- For a base bath, a bathing duration of 30–60 min is necessary, as the acid excretion through the skin only begins after 30 min
- important: drink enough
Magnesium The wonder mineral is important for the breakdown of tissue acidity, among other things. However, magnesium deficiency is widespread and can be associated with acidity. Therefore, supplementation with magnesium can be sensible. When making your choice, note: The organic compounds magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are particularly bioavailable. The magnesium powder should be free from flavors, sugar, sweeteners, lactose, gluten, yeast, preservatives, anti-caking agents, and colorants. Magnesium-rich bath salts and magnesium oil additionally offer the possibility of external application.
As pharmacists, we share our pharmaceutical expertise and natural healing experience in the Casida guide. An individual diagnosis and consultation is additionally necessary in any case. Therefore, this offer cannot replace medical advice. The offer is not intended for the treatment, healing, or prevention of diseases. It is not a substitute for medications or other treatments prescribed by a doctor.
