Balance your acid-base balance: Remedies & tips

In alternative medicine, it is assumed that the human organism has an acid-base balance. This keeps the acids and bases in balance, which ensures healthy functioning of the body. However, if the balance is disturbed, this can have a negative effect on health. This article shows how the acid-alkaline balance can be balanced and what diet and lifestyle have to do with it.

What is the acid-base balance?

The acid-base balance is one of many complex processes that take place in the body . It ensures that acids and bases are in balance. The acid-base balance is balanced when the pH value is between 7.35 and 7.45.

Acidosis occurs when the value is below 7.35, also known as“acidosis“. It can be both acute and chronic. While acute acidosis requires immediate treatment, chronic acidosis develops slowly. Those affected can actively influence this type of acidosis themselves.

But how does acidosis actually develop? Acidosis develops when there is an excess of acids or a lack of bases in the blood. This can be caused by too much stress, a lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet.

Incidentally, even if you can balance your acid-base balance yourself, you should always speak to a doctor if you have severe symptoms or questions about acidosis. An acid-base test can often be carried out at the doctor’s surgery. This involves measuring the pH value in the urine. Such test strips are also available for use at home if you want to test for acidosis yourself.

Some diseases can also trigger hyperacidity. These include disorders of kidney or lung function. This is also best clarified with a specialist.

Why should you balance your acid-base balance?

If acidosis is present or there are signs of it, measures should be taken to balance the acid-base balance. Symptoms of acidosis include, for example

• Tiredness

• Listlessness

• Difficulty concentrating

• Headaches

• Skin problems

• Joint problems

• Muscle pain

• Hair loss

• Brittle nails

• Osteoporosis

• Weakening of the immune system

As acidosis does not simply stop, it is advisable to take measures to balance the acid-base balance. In most cases, a change in diet and lifestyle can help. If left untreated, acidosis usually gets worse and worse, so that the symptoms become more and more severe.

If you do not counteract acidosis, you increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Persistent acidosis can also lead to inflammatory diseases.

How can I balance my acid-base balance? – Home remedies at a glance

To say one thing up front: there is no single home remedy that can balance the acid-base balance. Rather, it is changes in diet and lifestyle that have a positive effect on the balance of acids and bases in the body.

In addition, it is hardly possible to balance the acid-base balance quickly. It is a process that needs to be given some time. After all, the balance often does not become unbalanced overnight.

Drink enough

People should drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day . This helps the body to excrete acidic metabolic products. In addition to water, herbal teas are also considered very healthy. Herbal teas made from alkaline plants are best, including nettles, rosemary, basil and fennel.

Regular exercise

Good breathing is the be-all and end-all for a balanced acid-alkaline balance. This is because acids can be excreted through the lungs. Regular exercise – preferably in the fresh air – is therefore essential.

Reduce stress

Due to the excessive production of stress hormones in hectic phases, acids build up in the body. In addition, breathing often deteriorates. What helps against this are measures to reduce stress. Breathing and relaxation exercises as well as yoga can prove valuable.

Correct eating behaviour

In order to balance the acid-base balance, it is not only important to eat the right foods. The right eating behaviour is also essential. Experts advise not to eat too hastily and instead to chew thoroughly. In the evening, it is important to only eat light meals so that the body can digest the food more easily.

It is also advisable to take breaks between meals. These should be between four and five hours. Of course, this also depends on individual factors.

Balancing the acid-base balance with the right diet

Diet plays a major role in balancing the acid-base balance. Food can be divided into three categories:

• Bad acid producers

• Good acidifiers

• Alkalis

In order to categorise foods correctly, they are not simply assessed according to their pH value. It is more about how foods are metabolised. The best example is probably citrus fruit: As everyone knows, these are acidic. However, they are metabolised in an alkaline way. They are therefore alkalising. Conversely, the same principle applies to dairy products. As they have a high protein content, they are metabolised acidically.

A balanced diet consists of 20 % healthy acidifiers and 80 % alkalis . This keeps the acid-base balance in equilibrium.

If you want to balance the acid-base balance due to hyperacidity, you should only use alkalis in the initial period. Only when the symptoms have passed and the acid-base balance is in equilibrium should you include good acidifiers in your diet again.

Bad acidifiers

Bad acidifiers are foods that form acids in the body and do not provide any valuable nutrients. It is therefore better to avoid them. These include, for example, industrially processed foods.

Refined flour products, refined sugar, meat and sausage products, ready meals, cheese and dairy products are just a few examples. Coffee, alcohol and soft drinks should also be avoided.

Good acid producers

Good acidifiers are foods that promote acid formation in the body, but at the same time provide a lot of important nutrients . The following foods are good acidifiers:

• Protein from rice, hemp and peas

• Oilseeds such as sunflower and flax

• Pseudo-cereals such as amaranth, millet and buckwheat

• Pulses such as corn, chickpeas and beans

• Green tea

Alkalising foods

• Fruit such as bananas and grapes

• Vegetables such as chard, pumpkin and kale

• Herbs such as parsley and basil

• Raw cocoa

• Dried fruit

• Nuts such as almonds, chestnuts, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds

In addition to the advantage of balancing the acid-base balance, these foods provide a lot of valuable vitamins, trace elements and minerals. They therefore contribute to a healthy diet.

If you suffer from acidosis and want to balance your acid-base balance quickly, you should initially only eat alkaline foods. An alkaline diet is also beneficial for various illnesses such as high blood pressure.

After around 10 to 14 days, the body should be detoxified and purified. The acid-base balance should be back in equilibrium. An alkaline diet is therefore usually only recommended as a cure.

Neutral foods

In addition to acid and alkalising foods, there are also so-called neutral foods. These have no effect on the pH value in the human organism. This means that they have neither a negative nor a positive effect. This category includes vegetable oils, quinoa, rice, tofu and kefir.

Supplements that balance the acid-base balance

In addition to foods that can be used to balance the acid-base balance, there are also special minerals that promote alkalisation. Such alkaline minerals include zinc and magnesium. While zinc is the mineral that is said to make a positive contribution to the balance of acids and bases, magnesium keeps the electrolytes in balance.

These minerals can also be taken in through the diet. However, depending on your diet and individual requirements, this may not be enough. This is when dietary supplements come into play. When taking supplements, it is important to always use high quality products such as those from Kingnature and only take supplements as a supplement to a balanced diet.

Conclusion

If the acid-base balance is out of balance, this has negative consequences. In addition to feeling unwell, it can also lead to physical complaints. For this reason, there are a number of measures that should be taken to balance the acid-base balance. Acidosis can usually be counteracted by changing your lifestyle and adjusting your diet. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor if you have severe symptoms.