Acidosis is the state of health in which the body has become acidic. The process is gradual. As you eat acid-forming foods and beverages, the liver and the kidneys sometimes fail to get rid of the acids that are formed as by-products of digestion. When the normal body functions fail to excrete the excess acids, the acids accumulate in the body, making it acidic.
The body is naturally slightly alkaline with a pH value of between 7.30 and 7.45. When the body’s pH value lies in this natural range the health of the body is good. When the pH of the body goes down, the body has become acidic. The body reacts to the acid build-up in several ways.
- At first the body protects vital organs by sending the excess acid to the extremities which is why people get arthritis.
- As more acid accumulates in the body, the body tries to protect the blood vessels by plastering them with cholesterol. This leads to the narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure.
- As the acid continues to accumulate in the body it makes the blood sticky and thick which makes it difficult for the blood to flow and easy for the blood to form clots. This is why some people feel tired all the time – they lack sufficient oxygen in the body cells and the brain.
- Eventually a blood clot or partial blocking of a coronary artery may lead to the damage to heart tissue due to lack of sufficient oxygen. That is the beginning of heart disease that may later manifest as a heart attack.
- The acidity in body tissue invites bacteria making the sufferer get infections too often. It even increases the incidence of yeast infections.
- The acid affects body cells leading to the development of cancers and auto-immune diseases.
- Eventually the acidity, if it is not reversed, will affect vital organs leading to organ failure, general inflammation, and early death.
In a nutshell, acidosis or acidemia is an environment that encourages diseases and early death. The implication is that we have to do everything we can to reverse or prevent it if we want to stay healthy. And, all we have to do is to stop eating or reduce the consumption of acid-forming foods.