Acidic and alkaline environment. Which products acidify and alkalize the body?

Acid/alkaline pH – balance in the body – is an extremely important health indicator.

The most important factor in the body is blood pH, which ranges from 7.35 to 7.45. As you can see, the fluctuation of blood pH is very small, but even a very slight deviation from this norm alters the body's electrochemical processes.

If a person eats healthily – consuming natural foods and practicing a healthy lifestyle – the body easily maintains an optimal pH balance. Unfortunately, today many people's diets are dominated by refined products: sugar, white bread and products made from white flour, white rice, and unhealthy hydrogenated fats.

All of these products highly acidify the body, and over a longer period, they can cause health disorders and chronic diseases. 

What does our body do when it can no longer eliminate substances because the kidneys, skin, lungs, or intestines are not capable enough? It creates temporary storage, dreadful pollutant dumps, where it temporarily accumulates waste so that later, when the right opportunity arises, it can be removed from the body. Most toxic substances are in an acidic environment or produce acids themselves until they are destroyed. But where are they stored until they are eliminated from the body?

In vital organs (heart, brain, lungs), toxic substances cannot be accumulated for self-preservation reasons. However, there are many other places in the body that can handle a greater load in times of trouble. Fat-soluble toxins are simply transported to fatty tissues and stored there. 

When acid stores are overloaded, they then move into the joints and manifest as gout attacks - swelling and pain in the toe joints. It is precisely in those areas that uric acid crystals settle when the biologically designated stores are full. 

When there are constantly too many acids in the body, they eventually start to accumulate in the muscles. First in the connective tissue, then in the joints and tendons, and later in the muscles or muscle groups that we use the least. These muscles, affected by acids, become immobile and prone to cramps. The process continues. From the muscles, acids enter the ligaments that support joint mobility. This is how rheumatism begins.

Moreover, an acidic environment is harmful to red blood cells.

The body balances pH and strives to maintain optimal body pH as much as possible, but we pay a high price for this: in order to neutralize accumulated acid, the body takes alkaline minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and others from the bones and other vital organs. It is also believed that the body produces cholesterol to protect against the excess acid circulating in the body.

This is also one of the reasons why blood vessels narrow. Excess acid in the form of fat is deposited in various organs.

It is believed that low pH promotes the production of triglycerides (a form of fat in the blood), which later accumulate on your waist, thighs, blood vessel walls, and other body organs. The accumulation of fat also somewhat helps to neutralize pH, which is why there are so many overweight people today. As a result, it becomes very difficult to get rid of that fat. To lose weight, one of the first things to do is to normalize pH.

There are many cases where people, by balancing their pH, have been able to easily and quickly get rid of excess kilograms.

Another place where excess acid accumulates is the joints, which leads to diseases such as arthritis, gout (a form of arthritis where acid crystals that should normally be eliminated through the kidneys accumulate in the joints, causing swelling and pain), and others.

Despite the body's efforts, if a person does nothing over time, the body depletes its alkaline reserves, causing the interstitial fluid and even the blood to become increasingly acidic.

This greatly affects cell function – energy production, and as a result, people feel tired (just look around at how many people today constantly complain about fatigue).

Excess acid reduces cell resistance and the proper renewal function, as well as decreases oxygen delivery to the cells. A low oxygen level in the cells allows viruses and bacteria to thrive (when the oxygen level in the body decreases, the immune system is suppressed, making it unable to recover from infections). An acidic and low-oxygen environment in the body is very favorable for cancer cells – all cancer patients have a very low pH, and the body is highly "acidified."

Stress acidifies and ages the body.

To charm the body, it is first necessary to eliminate or at least reduce the intake of acidifying products: sugar, white bread and products made from white flour, white rice, unhealthy fats (hydrogenated: margarine, spreadable mixtures, fats rich in omega 6, soybean, sunflower, corn oils), animal-based proteins (these should be consumed in moderation, or not at all for a while), meat, dairy products.

Coffee, alcohol, and energy drinks highly acidify the body. It is necessary to give up all these drinks and replace them with water. By the way, to neutralize a glass of coffee or cola (the acid in it), you need at least four glasses of water.

What nourishes the body?

Fresh fruits and vegetables, various sprouts, fresh juices, green smoothies, eating as many leafy greens as possible, lemon with water, running and other sports, deep breathing - these are the best ways to maintain optimal body pH. Use products such as wormwood tea, coconut oil, ginger, mustard, fermented vegetables - cabbage, beets. If you eat seeds and nuts, it is more beneficial to soak them in water for at least a few hours.

You can also use high-quality alkaline minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium.

Alkalizing products that are high in potassium, magnesium, or calcium and/or low in phosphorus, sulfur, or chlorine: 

- Vegetables: cucumbers, eggplants, beet greens, broccoli, potatoes, zucchinis, sprouted beans, mushrooms, cabbages, pumpkins, carrots, leeks, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, onions, radishes, sauerkraut, spinach, tomatoes. 
- Fruits: apricots, avocados, oranges, watermelons, raspberries, strawberries, lemons, dates, dried plums, blackberries, black currants, pears, apples, lime, blueberries.   
- Spices: mint, peppermint, dill, garlic. 
- Dairy products: oat milk, whey, soy milk, Tofu (soy curd). Neutral dairy products - kefir, buttermilk. 
- Other products: olive oil, wheatgrass, honey, almonds, dandelions.

Acidifying products: 
- Grains: corn flakes, whole grain corn, and buckwheat. 
- Dairy products: sour cream, cream, cottage cheese, yogurt 
- Meat: duck, pork. 
- Fish: carp, cod, halibut, herring, trout, shrimp. 
Acids are also caused by well-known health enemies - alcohol, cigarettes, coffee. It may seem very strange, but the body's acid and alkaline balance is also significantly influenced by lifestyle. Stress, constant rushing, and lack of movement can also become a reason for an acidic body.

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