Acidosis is a biochemical condition, caused by an acid-alkaline imbalance in the body’s pH levels, where the acidity of the body fluid is very high. The kidneys and lungs maintain the balance of chemicals (acids and bases) in the body. All foods are digested in the body leaving ash as the result of the digestion. This food ash can be neutral, acid, or alkaline, depending largely on the mineral composition of the foods. Some foods leave an acid residue, some alkaline. The acid ash results when there is a depletion of the alkali reserve in the blood and the tissues of the body. When the alkalinity of the blood is reduced, the ability to transport carbon dioxide is reduced. As a result, acid accumulates in the tissues.
Acidosis can be classified into respiratory acidosis and metabolic acidosis. When the body is unable to remove carbon dioxide through breathing, it results in respiratory acidosis. Metabolic acidosis occurs when the kidney is not able to remove enough acid from the body. Metabolic acidosis has several types. Diabetic acidosis (Diabetic ketoacidosis) develops when ketone bodies that are acidic build up in the body. Hyperchloremic acidosis is caused when too much sodium bicarbonate is lost from the body. Lactic acidosis occurs when there is a build-up of lactic acid.
Symptoms of Acidosis
The general symptoms of acidosis are constant hunger, pain in the pharynx, nausea, and vomiting, headaches, various nervous disorders, and drowsiness. Chronic acidosis can lead to inflammation of the kidneys, rheumatism, arteriosclerosis, high BP, skin disorders, and other degenerative diseases. It lowers immunity and vitality and makes us prone to the danger of other infections.
Causes of Acidosis
The main cause of acidosis is wrong diet choices. It mainly occurs because of too many acid-forming foods in our diet. When metabolism takes place, various acids are formed. The food we eat also introduces some acids into the body. Sometimes there is a sizeable increase in the acids in the system. These acids are not eliminated properly, thus reducing the alkalinity in the blood, resulting in acidosis. The depletion of alkali reserves also takes place due to diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera. Sometimes a circulatory or pulmonary problem leads to the accumulation of carbon dioxide leading to asphyxia. Diabetes mellitus sometimes leads to the accumulation of acetone bodies.
Acidosis is a common problem and can be treated quite easily, by maintaining a proper ratio between acid and alkaline food in the diet. Some foods leave alkaline ash while others leave acid ash. The foods that leave alkaline ash help to maintain the alkalinity of the blood. Our diet should consist of 80% of alkaline-forming foods and 20% of acid-forming food. Citrus fruits are said to contain a large percentage of alkaline salts and are very effective in reducing acid in body fluids. Include plenty of alkaline minerals in your diet. The alkaline minerals are calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.
Food that leaves acid ash
- Meat and meat products.
- Egg whites, coffee, tea, alcohol, vinegar
- All grains except buckwheat and millet
- Cheese, cottage cheese, cream, butter, margarine, and boiled, canned, or dried milk
- Dried coconut
- Avoid fast food
- Avoid sugars, soft drinks, and beer
Food that leaves alkaline ash
- All fruits (except plums, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, and canned fruit)
- Greens (Dandelion greens, mustard greens, spinach, kale) and root vegetables, tubers, and legumes (except dried beans and lentils)
- Buttermilk and yogurt
- Raw milk
- Almonds, chestnuts, and fresh coconut
- Egg yolks, herbal tea, honey
Diet for Acidosis
- Drink water frequently.
- Eat lots of fruits like apples, apricots, citrus fruits, dates, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, melons, oranges, pears, and raisins.
- Vegetables such as avocado, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, spinach, sprouts, sweet potato, radishes, tomatoes, and turnips are recommended for acidosis.
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Manage your diabetes.
Other specific food that may be beneficial for acidosis.
Water
Try to drink one or two litres of filtered pure water every day. You can add fresh lemon or lime, to the water you drink. You can also add any other citrus juices added to water or tea to help in your alkalinizing efforts. The mineral-rich water is the best.
Raisins
Raisin is a very effective home remedy for acidosis. It is a dry fruit that is very alkaline in nature and is helpful in maintaining the acid balance of the body. Studies show that eating 100 grams of raisins a day reduces the acidity of urine quite effectively and also reduces ammonia in the urine. Raisins are a good source of potassium and magnesium that help reduce acidity. They are also the two most popular constituents of antacids.
Spinach (Palak)
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and other alkaline elements which help in preserving the alkalinity of the blood and hence is a very valuable home remedy in curing acidosis. Spinach contains alkaline minerals which are essential for cleansing the tissues and for maintaining the blood alkalinity, making it effective for combating acidosis.
Tomato
Tomato is another effective home remedy for acidosis. It is basically an alkaline vegetable. It increases the alkalinity of blood and neutralizes the acid compounds of the body such as phosphates, urea, and ammonia. Tomato juice is a powerful alkalizing supplement that will help balance your pH level, as it contains alkalizing minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium.