Many organs and systems, especially the kidneys and lungs, play
important roles in maintaining proper pH. The lungs excrete acids
as carbon dioxide and they do this without much effort or input
from us. Diet plays no direct role in lung excretion of volatile
acids. The kidney's ability and need to excrete acids, however,
is directly influenced by what we eat. On a balanced whole foods
diet which includes many fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, the
body is provided with the anonic mineral salts it needs for buffering
excess acids. Under these ideal circumstances the kidney is able
to maintain the net acid/alkaline balance in proper proportion.
An imbalanced diet high in animal protein, sugar, caffeine and
processed foods, however, can force us into mild acidosis. As
acidity rises the kidney must compensate seeking and using the
body's precious alkali reserves. As the alkali reserves become
depleted the body becomes compromised and forced into sub optimal
functioning.
Overall, in our society we consume a very imbalanced diet high
in acid-forming foods. This imbalanced diet pushes us towards
low grade metabolic acidosis, the response to which is a withdrawal
of calcium salts and other alkalinizing mineral salts from the
blood and tissues. The majority of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds
and spices have an alkalizing effect. Most grains are somewhat
acid forming as are high protein foods. Refined sugar is acid-forming,
while natural sea salt is alkaline-forming. Generally our diet
should be composed of about 35 percent acid-forming foods and
65 percent alkaline-forming foods. For a comprehensive chart detailing
the alkalinizing and acidifying metabolic impacts of foods see
the Acid Alkaline Food Chart.
Extracted from our book, Better
Bones Better Body (Keats 2000) by our Director, Susan E. Brown,
Ph.D., CCN
and
Acid-Alkaline Balance
and Its Effect on Bone Health. (PDF) International Journal
of Integrative Medicine, Nov./Dec. 2000. Susan E. Brown, Ph.D.,
CCN, Russell Jaffe, M.D., Ph.D., CCN.
