Surely you have ever read or heard of an overwork of the body or of base treatments. But where do the acids come from and why is the balance between acids and bases so important?
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- If the basic balance is missing
- Symptoms of overuse
- First remove it - then remove it
- Dietary crisis will stop with zinc and bicarbonates
- Prevent muscle cramps during exercise
- Overuse: How to Prevent
If you suffer from listlessness, chronic fatigue or even chronic pain, from a naturopathic point of view, your acid-base balance may be out of balance.
If the basic balance is missing
In the human organism, acids are produced in the energy metabolism, that is, when our body converts the supplied food to other substances that our organism needs. But from what do acids and bases actually come from? The taste of foods has nothing to do with their conversion to acids or bases. For example, sour-tasting lemons are converted into bases in the body, whereas meat and sausages become acids.
Roughly it can be said that fruits and vegetables in the body are converted to bases, cereal and dairy products, and meat and fish to acids. The resulting acids must be balanced with bases, which otherwise burden the organism. If we take too many acid-forming foods, these acids can no longer be neutralized by the bases.
Lack of exercise, alcohol, nicotine, diets and endurance sports can also promote over-acidification of the body.
Symptoms of hyperacidity
An acidification of the body is brought experience with many symptoms in connection. For example, an increased susceptibility to infections, connective tissue weakness, listlessness or chronic pain can be signs of acidification of the body. Fatigue states, muscle aches after sports activities or diet crises can also indicate a lack of base balance.
First deacidify - then remove
If you want to get rid of a few unloved kilos, it's a good idea to look for a balanced acid-base balance. For z. Low carb diets, for example, produce many acids in the body that need to be balanced with bases.
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The reason for this: If you largely do without carbohydrates such as cereal products, potatoes and sugar, you can expect a rapid weight loss. If our food contains too few carbohydrates, it resembles a starvation condition, ie an emergency situation. The body turns to "survival" and gains its necessary energy by forming so-called ketone bodies in the liver from fatty acids and providing it to the brain as an energy source.
These ketone bodies increase the acid load in the body. Who largely abstains from fruit due to the high sugar content in the course of a diet, only vegetables will remain as a basic balance. However, most diets replace the missing carbohydrates with proteins and fats. But meat, fish and dairy products metabolizes the body into acids. Together with the ketone bodies, the organism experiences a true flood of acid during a so-called "low carb diet". If the buffer systems * of the body are overloaded, the acids must be stored in the connective tissue.
The result: This can lead to an impairment possibly also to a slowing down of the metabolism.
Diet crisis stop with zinc and bicarbonates
Be aware of your acid-base balance at the beginning of the low carb diet. If you compensate for the acidity of the acids from the beginning, a successful diaper is more likely. Basic bicarbonates are the main buffer substance of the body. When taken with zinc as a nutritional supplement, you support the body during a low-carbohydrate diet and help counterbalance potential dietary crises. In addition, zinc plays an important role in eyesight, the immune system and the health of the skin, hair and nails.
Prevent muscle spasms during exercise
Lactic acid deposits in the tissues can also cause cramping or sore muscles after exercise. If the body forms more acids than it can buffer, acidification occurs. This can happen, for example, during sports: If a muscle is overloaded, it increasingly produces lactic acid. These lactic acid deposits are unpleasant in the tissue in the form of cramps or soreness noticeable.
The issue becomes particularly explosive when the body has to contend with a diet-related acidity at the same time. Protein and carbohydrate-rich foods such as meat, fish, grains and dairy products are also converted to acids in various metabolic processes. If the basic balance is lacking due to sufficient fruits and vegetables, the body can no longer compensate for the high acid load. If the buffer capacity of the blood is no longer sufficient, excess acid particles are temporarily stored in the connective tissue. But as soon as the muscle-surrounding tissue stores too many acid particles, it loses its substance in order to be able to spread amino acids that can help the body in the deacidification.
Acidification: How to Prevent
Especially in times of increased physical activity, eat a base-rich diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink enough during the sport. Warm up your muscles well and stretch extensively after exercising. Not only your muscles will enjoy a relaxing sauna session or a massage after the sport.
In addition, relieve your body with minerals such as zinc, calcium and magnesium . Zinc supports the formation of bicarbonates, the body's most important buffer, thus contributing to a balanced acid-base balance. Minerals such as calcium and magnesium help maintain normal muscle function and normal bone metabolism. Magnesium also helps to reduce tiredness or fatigue.
Minerals as dietary supplements are available, for example, in the form of tablets or powders in the pharmacy. Discuss the dosage with a doctor, naturopath or pharmacist.
* The most important endogenous buffer system is the bicarbonate buffer. It ensures that the ph value always remains in an optimal range, especially in the blood, but also in the vital organs. With the bicarbonate buffer, acids that arise in our metabolism are absorbed in the blood.
