Acid-Base Balance - The body's balance between acidity and alkalinity

 Acid-Base Balance

The acid-base balance is the body's own regulatory mechanism, playing a crucial role in various physiological functions, including metabolic processes. For example, in an overly acidic gut, the absorption of essential nutrients and minerals from food is impaired. The acid-base balance also ensures that the blood’s pH level remains stable within the range of 7.35–7.45. Even a slight deviation from this value can pose a serious threat to life.

Very few individuals maintain an ideal acid-base balance; most people’s bodies are overly acidic. But where do excess acids come from?

• Environmental pollutants and chemicals: Air pollution, toxins in our living environment (such as textiles, clothing, cleaning agents, paints, and cosmetics) introduce acids into the body.
• Dietary factors: The quality of food has deteriorated—vegetables contain fewer minerals due to artificial fertilizers, and modern livestock, fish farming, and poultry production result in chemically enhanced foods. Packaging methods, long transportation, and additives (preservatives, flavor enhancers, colors) further introduce foreign acids and toxins into our bodies.
• Poor eating habits: Home-cooked, nutritious meals are no longer the norm. Processed, additive-rich, nutrient-poor fast foods, sugary products, refined wheat flour products, and trans fats are consumed daily, leading to an accumulation of harmful substances.
• Stimulants: Alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and black tea all contribute to acidity in the body. Many medications, particularly painkillers, also increase acid levels.
• Lack of physical activity: Insufficient movement prevents the body from eliminating waste efficiently through sweating. Additionally, excessive exercise can lead to the accumulation of lactic acid in muscles.
• Stress and emotional strain: High stress levels, pressure, irritability, and depression increase the production of hydrochloric acid in the body, whereas relaxation and tranquillity promote alkalinity.

Minerals neutralize acids in metabolism, converting them into waste products that need to be expelled. Water plays a crucial role in eliminating these neutralized acids from the body. However, carbonated mineral water, coffee, tea, and other beverages containing water do not bind acids in the same way as pure water. The best choices are natural spring water or boiled, purified tap water.

Despite the body's attempts to maintain balance, we often accumulate more acids than the neutralizing minerals we consume. Essential minerals are primarily obtained from vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based foods. Ideally, one should consume approximately 500 grams of vegetables and fruits daily, preferably organic, as they contain higher mineral levels compared to conventionally farmed produce. During winter, access to fresh, naturally ripened, chemical-free produce is limited, making it more difficult to maintain the balance. Historically, people relied on berries like lingonberries and cranberries, as well as root vegetables, to sustain their mineral intake. In modern times, mineral supplements can serve as an alternative source.

The skin plays a vital role in eliminating excess waste products from the body. If the body is overly acidic, it may manifest as pimples, warts, moles, and other skin irregularities. When the body cannot neutralize or eliminate all acids, it begins storing them in fat tissues—first in areas such as the hips, thighs, arms, and buttocks. Once these storage sites are full, the body moves on to connective tissues, cartilage, joints, and blood vessels. At this stage, lifestyle-related diseases, such as migraines, asthma, rheumatism, gout, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, become common. In the final stages, acids accumulate in internal organs, severely compromising overall health.

Since minerals help neutralize acids, when dietary intake is insufficient, the body extracts minerals from its own reserves:

• Hair and scalp
• Nails
• Skin
• Teeth and bones
• Blood vessels and veins
• Cartilage, tendons, and blood

Observing the condition of these bodily structures can provide clues about excessive acidity.

A well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet is the foundation of overall health. Consuming high-quality, nutritious food is essential for maintaining both acidity and alkalinity at appropriate levels.

An optimal diet should consist of 80% alkaline and 20% acid-forming foods. Drinking 1–2 liters of pure water daily, getting fresh air, ensuring adequate rest, and engaging in moderate physical activity are also key components of maintaining balance.

How to Support Alkalinity:

• Eat mindfully and chew thoroughly—digestion begins in the mouth, where saliva (an alkaline fluid) aids in breaking down food.
• Consume stimulants in moderation. For example, drinking coffee in the morning allows the body more time to neutralize the acids it produces. Always pair coffee with a glass of water to help flush out excess acids.
• If you consume an excess of acid-forming foods, supplementing with minerals may support a healthy balance.
• After a day of consuming heavily acidic foods, consider following it with a vegetable-rich or soup-based diet the next day to help the body recover.

By adopting these practices, individuals can maintain a healthier balance, supporting long-time overall well-being.

You may also be interested to see our fulvic & humic acids supplement (natural-form minerals) that supports the body balance: https://theamonas.com/products/amonas-northern-black-gold-capsules 

Learn more about important minerals for health for example here.