John Myers
Online guides often warn against hyperacidity due to improper nutrition. There is something to it, but many recommendations are nonsense.
That’s what it’s about:
Diet advisors warn against “overacidification” of the body
Pasta, cheese, steak or bread are acid-forming foods. This means that when they are processed in the body, predominantly acidic chemical compounds are formed that can release protons in the form of H+ ions. There are also basic foods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts or herbs, which when processed create basic compounds that can absorb H+ protons.
Numerous nutrition guides warn that many people in Europe consume too many acid-forming foods. If you do that, you run the risk of disturbing your acid-base balance. The result is a “latent acidosis”, also known as hidden hyperacidity. These can be recognized, among other things, by deviating blood pH values - normally the blood is in the slightly alkaline range, at around 7.4.
The consequences of “latent acidosis” are said to affect the whole body
The theory spread by many nutritional advisors is simple: If we eat too many acid-forming foods – i.e. foods that produce acids during digestion in the body – the body has to work harder to compensate for the excess acid.
This can have unpleasant consequences : Those affected are more tired than usual, exhausted, more sensitive to stress, suffer more often from muscle and joint problems and the bones can also be damaged. According to some sources, such acids are deposited in the body in a neutralized form as so-called “slag” – a process that can cause gout .
That’s why we need to talk about it:
Antidotes are to be sold with half-truths
Recommendations on how to counteract impending acidosis are circulating on many websites or in books. Diets are often promoted, such as alkaline fasting or food combining , in which one should be careful not to eat acid-forming and alkaline foods at the same time. Hotels offer programs in which customers can recover from the acid load with relaxation offers and special alkaline meals.
Base cures are sold in the form of nutritional plans or dietary supplements, which “detoxify” the body in a few months. Even alkaline socks, blankets and functional underwear should help against the impending acidosis.
Most people cope very well with the daily acid load
How acidic or basic a body fluid is can be measured using the pH value on a scale from 0 to 14: the lower, the more acidic. The area around 7 is neutral, and values above 7 through 14 indicate how basic a solution is. Different organs in the body need different pH levels to function properly. For example, the inside of the stomach is very acidic because it is the acids that break down food.
The blood and also the fluids of the nervous system , on the other hand, should be slightly alkaline – this is the only way for the transmission of stimuli between the nerves to function properly. For this to work, a buffer system is working at all times to compensate for the excess of H+ protons that acids typically produce. The body also counteracts the other way around if it is too alkaline.
The effect of acidic or alkaline-forming foods has little to do with the acid reflux that many people experience after drinking a lot of alcohol or eating certain foods, for example. This is because foods can have different effects when processed in the body. For example, sour lemon juice can promote heartburn in the stomach – but if it has been processed, it has a more alkaline effect.
Acidosis is usually triggered by previous illnesses
Contrary to what many advisors claim, the buffer systems of healthy people always manage to balance out or excrete very large amounts of acids – often via the lungs in the form of CO2 or via the urine. Hyperacidity, or acidosis, is usually only a threat to people who already have problems with their metabolism, such as chronic kidney disease or diabetes . When this happens , blood pH can drop below 7.35, which can lead to weak muscles, impaired vision, and even life-threatening heart problems.
There is no evidence that many diets and cures work
The physician Roswitha Siener has published an assessment of some of the propagated recommendations in the magazine “Ernahrungs Umschau”. In it she writes: “The separation of protein and carbohydrate-rich foods in one meal, which is propagated in food combining, can not be scientifically justified.” The same applies to the “purifying” and “detoxifying” effect of various fasting methods, such as alkaline or therapeutic fasting. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) also advises against completely avoiding acid-forming foods:There was a lack of scientific evidence for an effect of base fasting, according to an assessment. “Because vital nutrients could be supplied in insufficient quantities in the long term, the DGE advises against long-term base fasting.”
But:
It might be useful to maintain an acid-base balance
Although the body of research is sparse, there is some evidence that a predominantly acid-forming diet can actually be harmful in the long run. However, the scientifically measurable consequences differ from those that are listed in some questionable nutrition guides: those who eat a predominantly alkaline diet have a lower risk of certain kidney stones than someone whose diet is acidic. In addition, a long-term acidic diet high in animal foods and grains is likely to lead to high blood pressure, which in the long term can lead to cardiovascular disease. There is evidence that an acidic diet has a negative impact onaffects bone health . But here, too, study results are contradictory – some studies gave strong evidence, others seem to refute it.
“We have very detailed data from healthy children, which clearly show a connection between an acid-heavy diet and various parameters of bone stability,” says nutritionist Thomas Remer: “Various factors play a role here. One of these is most likely elevated cortisol levels from an acidic diet. We can only speculate to what extent other factors play a role.” However, there is no definitive evidence from lengthy intervention studies.
In the large-scale DONALD study, Remer and his team from the University of Bonn are investigating how nutrition affects the development of test subjects over decades. One focus is the long-term effects of the acid-base balance. In several studies, he repeatedly found evidence of a connection between acid-forming diets and various health problems. For example, for the risk of kidney stones, elevated blood pressure or gout.
And now?
If you eat a balanced diet, you don’t need a base cure
Overall, there is little evidence and many questionable claims regarding the theories and products surrounding the balance of acids and bases in the diet. It is true that there are foods that have an acidic or alkaline effect – the body’s own buffer system, however, prevents hyperacidity from occurring, which can actually be recognized by a different pH value.
Nevertheless, there are indications that a predominantly acid-forming diet can put a strain on the body in the long term – effects on the cardiovascular system and bone health are suspected. However, it cannot be scientifically confirmed that people who eat acidic foods become more tired than usual, exhausted and more sensitive to stress.
Anyone who eats a few nuts instead of chicken fillets and has a vegetable smoothie instead of milk can be sure that they are doing something good for their body: “There are enough studies that indicate that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is better for us as one that mainly consists of meat products and the like,” says Thomas Remer. Of course, more factors than the balance of acids and bases are responsible for this. A cure with alkaline food supplements is therefore not necessary for most people who eat a balanced diet. The same applies to detoxification cures, since there is no evidence that waste products exist.
