Tissue acidification

A person’s health largely depends on the body’s acid-base balance. The normal performance of the body’s complex functions in fact requires a perfect tissue acid-base balance.

The acid-base balance

In order to function properly, each of our body’s cells, tissues, and organs needs a suitable environment with the proper degree of acidity, measured in pH in a scale from 0 to 14. Substances with a pH less than 7 are considered ‘acidic’, those equal to 7 are considered ‘neutral’, and those higher than 7 are called ‘alkaline’.

A modern lifestyle, seasonal changes, stressful conditions, and low-fibre diets expose us to the risk of the progressive accumulation of acidic substances. When the concentration of these substances exceeds our organs’ capacity to eliminate them, tissue acidification occurs, exposing us to numerous disorders. The presence of acidic metabolic waste in the connective tissue matrix effectively increases the elasticity and hydration of the tissue, consequently slowing down various functions, such as nourishment, hydration, exchange, defence, drainage, and creating the basis for various morbid conditions.

To check our body’s acid-base balance, it is recommended to measure our urinary pH by purchasing a litmus test strip from a pharmacy, normally with a scale ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 inclusive and corresponding colour range.  The strip must be wet with a few drops of urine. The value of our urinary pH is indicated by the corresponding colour. If the number is less than 7, this means our urinary pH is acidic.

General measures

The main tools to restore an acid-base balance are essentially a healthy, fibre-rich diet, adequate hydration, regular exercise in a suitable environment, control and minimisation of stress conditions, and the reduction or elimination of acids. It is also recommended to drink lots of water throughout the day to promote the renal excretion of acidic radicals.

Alkalising salts

In many cases where the acidic overload persists over time, dietary adjustments alone prove insufficient. Integration with alkalising substances is therefore necessary to restore the acid-base balance. This essentially means regularly taking salts, in particular calcium and sodium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate, commercially available in the form of powder or tablets. These are alkaline salts, which allow the progressive neutralisation of the acids that have accumulated in the connective matrix, providing calcium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc. Urinary pH values can be checked daily and will tend to gradually adjust as the acidification is slowly reduced.