There’s this german saying:

‘sour makes funny’

Unfortunately, it looks a little different in today’s reality…

Perhaps you already know that there are different acids and bases in our body whose measured value is the pH-value. Every organ and every body fluid has its own pH-value. 

The stomach, for example, has an optimal pH value of 1.2 to 3 (acidic),
the blood, on the other hand, is alkaline with a pH value of approx. 7.4
and the saliva has a ph-value of 7.
(a ph-value scale can be found here)

You see, acid doesn’t mean equally bad. The body needs certain acids (in the stomach, colon etc.) in order to function optimally. They are essential in the right amounts. 

However, there are not only acids in our body, but also
a) acids which we ingest with our food
(e.g. carbonic acid, tannic acid from coffee/black tea)
b) acids resulting from the metabolism of certain food in our body
(e.g. uric acid is formed by the consumption of animal proteins).
c) and interestingly, acids can also be produced by exaggerated sport, stress or body care products with synthetic ingredients.

But back to the diet:
The healthy ratio between the amounts of acids and bases is 2:8.
That means that 8 bases are needed for two acids.
Again, acids are not bad. An excess of bases would be just as problematic, but that hardly ever happens these days.
Therefore, the body needs certain tools to eliminate acids (I.) or render them harmless (II.), which is a natural process by the way, because acids can be produced even by the healthiest diet.

(I.) Our body uses four tools for this, a.k.a. emunctories:

– the lungs:
we excrete carbonic acid through our breathing -> through conscious breathing we thus increase the acid excretion
– through our largest organ in terms of surface, the skin:
in the form of sweat –> yep, also sport helps with acid excretion
– through menstruation:
It is very interesting that women from industrial countries suffer from pain much more often and have a longer lasting period than, for example, women from indigenous peoples. In plain language:
The stronger the hyperacidity, the stronger the menstruation and the symptoms!
– and, of course, through the kidneys:
most toxins and metabolic waste products are excreted through the kidneys, making them irreplaceable.

All acids that cannot be discharged through these channels must be made harmless by the body:

(II.)
So he grabs his toolboxes full of minerals and tries to neutralize the acids by transforming them into so-called neutral salts.
The bases needed for neutralization are either
1. from our food or
2. from the body’s own mineral deposits

In the form of ‘neutral salts’, acids do not directly harm the body. As long as our emunctories (see above) function and we ingest sufficient bases with the food we’re eating, they can be excreted without any problems.

Unfortunately, due to the modern way of life and nutrition, we are literally flooded with deacidification work in these days. 
The consequences are as follows:
–> Excessive amounts of salts are produced in the body
–> the acids can no longer be completely neutralized, because we are lacking of the needed bases due to our modern diet
–> our borrowed, body-own bases from the mineral deposits can no longer be refilled

So, if our drainage tools are already busy screwing, drilling and hammering; they basically have a lot to do and are overwhelmed with the constantly excess of acids, then a back-up plan has to be made. This has already been designed by our clever body:

1. the neutralized salts are stored in the body.
   According to the plan, however, this is only a temporary solution until less acids get in the body again! Maybe you can already guess how the story continues. The plan cannot be followed due to our diet and the body has to deal with the consequences of a long-term hyperacidity, which can sometimes lead to serious diseases.
   In order to understand what consequences this excess of salt can have, it is necessary to know where our body’s own mineral deposits are located and the consequences of turning these reservoirs into salt mines:

   – the scalp -> hair loss
   – the connective tissue -> cellulite
   – the bones -> osteoporosis (since calcium is taken for neutralization!)

   It can also develop:

   – kidney stones
   – rheumatic diseases, arthrosis (salt prefer to deposit on the joints)
   – gout (in the metabolism of meat and meat products uric acid evolves, which again, preferably deposits on the joints in the form of uric acid crystals)

2. the acids are excreted through the skin: 
   the second part of the back-up plan states that our skin is used for acid excretion in order to save minerals.
   Well… acids are known for their corrosive characteristics. Small inflammations develop, followed by acne, impure skin, psoriasis, neurodermatitis and eczema.
3. the acids are stored:
   and last but not least, the body tries to store the part of the acids that can neither be excreted nor neutralized in the body – despite the corrosive effect! 
   In order to keep the damage as low as possible, the body uses a large amount of water.

   The consequences can be:
   -> water retention in unusual places (upper arms, thighs)
   -> weight gain:
   because among other things fat digesting enzymes have no desire at all to metabolize in the acid environment
   -> increased blood pressure:
   The blood becomes more viscous when acidified. In order to supply the organism with oxygen, nutrients etc., the blood pressure rises.
   and
   -> it can even lead to heart attacks, because:
   the red blood cells lose their elasticity in an acidic environment and no longer fit so well through the blood vessels (nor through those in the heart muscles), so that they are no longer well supplied with blood.

So, enough theory. I know, that was quite a big chunk now and the situation seems hopeless, but – I can tell you that much – it’s not! 😉

So what you can do for yourself to escape the whole drama up there, to stay healthy and by that I mean in the long run, you will be able to read in the next entry. 🙂
I hope, everything was understandable! 

best,
Tara 

(source: Akademie der Naturheilkunde)

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