Beyond osteoporosis: health implications of metabolic acidosis beyond osteoporosis

In a state of low-grade metabolic acidosis, where the balance becomes too acidic, the body begins to dissolve bone mass. That’s because the minerals in bone are alkalizing and the body needs to maintain its alkaline pH.

Nevertheless, too acidic a pH causes more than just bone loss. Today we’ll look at some of the other health consequences of metabolic acidosis and learn how to avoid them.

Dietary acid load

Nutrition is critical for maintaining acid-base balance. As our bodies break down the food we eat, the compounds and molecules that make up that food are released. Some compounds have an acidifying or alkalizing effect as they interact with our digestive system.

These compounds are called acidic or alkaline precursors. Acidic precursors include phosphorus and some proteins. Alkali precursors include potassium, magnesium and calcium.

The food we consume determines the balance of acid and alkali precursors in our digestive system, which determines the pH level of our blood.¹

Our kidneys play an important role in maintaining a healthy pH level. They metabolize acid and alkali precursors and eliminate excess acid through the urine. The measurement of this excess acid secreted is called net acid production (NEAP) and may indicate an imbalance of acid and alkali precursors in the diet.

The effect of a particular food or meal on our net acid production is called the potential renal acid load (PRAL). Each food has a PRAL score that indicates whether it will acidify or alkalinize serum pH. Scientists have developed systems to assess the potential renal acid burden (PRAL) of a person’s diet and use PRAL to estimate their net acid production (NEAP). This illustrates the direct connection between nutrition and pH levels.

A diet with a high PRAL score will correlate with a high NEAP level and indicates some degree of metabolic acidosis.¹

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Food contains acid and base precursors, which acidify or alkalize the pH of our blood. The measure of excess acid secreted is net acid production (NEAP), and the measure of a food’s impact on pH is potential renal acid load (PRAL). Diet has a direct influence on the pH value of the blood.

The health effects of metabolic acidosis

Diets rich in acid-producing compounds and deficient in alkali-producing compounds such as potassium, calcium and magnesium can cause low-grade metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis can lead to many conditions and harmful changes in your body.¹

• Increased cortisol levels – Cortisol, the stress hormone, is linked to increased inflammation. Chronic high cortisol levels and the inflammation it causes contribute to many of the other health effects of acidosis.
• Sarcopenia – Sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle mass. It is likely caused by an increase in cortisol which inhibits the production of proteins for muscle building. This loss of muscle mass is accompanied by a loss of strength and increases the risk of frailty. Sarcopenia also affects the ability to build bone because muscles stimulate bone formation.
• Hypertension – Hypertension refers to high blood pressure. Cortisol increases vasoconstriction, which increases blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to heart disease and stroke.
• Diabetes and insulin resistance – Metabolic acidosis alters the expression of insulin receptors, causing insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity is an important risk factor leading to diabetes.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – Another effect of insulin resistance is an increase in available free fatty acids, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Over time, inflammation and scarring can occur in the liver, which can lead to liver failure.
• Chronic kidney disease – Metabolic acidosis can cause early and irreversible stages of chronic kidney disease. Once kidney damage has occurred, acidifying diets accelerate the progression of the disease.
• Cardiovascular disease and death – Several of the previously mentioned consequences are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease can be fatal and is even the leading cause of death worldwide. Research in Japan found that participants who consumed a diet high in PRAL had a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular death, and a 13% higher risk of general mortality.¹
• Bone loss – As Savers know, an acidic blood pH causes bone loss. Metabolic acidosis both decreases the bone-building activity of osteoblasts and increases bone resorption of osteoclasts. This can result in a decrease in bone mineralization and an increase in the number of fractures.¹

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Metabolic acidosis can lead to a variety of health problems, including hypertension, diabetes, insulin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Many of these are attributed to increases in cortisol caused by metabolic acidosis.

How to prevent metabolic acidosis

Because an acidifying diet mainly causes metabolic acidosis, following a pH-balanced diet is a direct and straightforward method to prevent this. The PRAL scoring system provides an accurate and numerical way to measure how acidifying or alkalizing a food is.

The potential acid load in the kidneys describes the excretion of excess acid, so negative PRAL scores indicate a reduction in acid load, and positive scores indicate an increase in acid load. Below are some examples of the PRAL scores of 100 grams of alkalizing and acidifying foods:¹

*Food Foundation

Fruits and vegetables tend to be alkalizing, and most other foods tend to be acidifying. However, that does not mean that acidifying foods are bad for you. It’s all about balance.

The Osteoporosis Reversal Program contains a complete list of alkalizing and acidifying foods that you can use when creating pH-balanced meals. Each meal should contain approximately 80% alkalizing foods and 20% acidifying foods. ORP’s pH-balanced diet goes beyond improving your bone health; it also helps protect you from all the ailments described above.

The system is easy to use, requires only one look at the composition of your plate and offers enough flexibility to process all your favorite dishes in moderation.

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You can prevent metabolic acidosis by eating a pH-balanced diet. The Osteoporosis Reversal Program includes a complete list of alkalizing and acidifying foods and guidelines for the 80/20 pH balanced diet.

What this means for you

Although the consequences of an acidifying diet require time to recover, acidification can be tackled fairly quickly. Our blood is constantly pumping and our diet is constantly changing the pH of our blood. Start eating a pH-balanced diet today to help get your body on the right track.

The Save Institute has developed a special program to boost your progress: the Osteoporosis Fresh Start Cleanse. It is a seven-day program that accelerates your body’s ability to heal itself and grow stronger bones. With six simple steps, it helps you restore healthy pH levels and start the journey to better health and stronger bones.

Consume a varied and tasty pH-balanced diet that not only prevents acidosis but also promotes bone health, ensuring a long, independent life.

References

¹ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2013251419301129