Urine Alkalinization Acidic Urine Is A Harbinger Of Many Diseases!
The ideal pH of fluids in our body varies between 7.35 and 7.45, and thanks to this value, our body performs its daily routine flawlessly. Animal-based or processed foods have a distinctive feature: "HYDROGEN IONS," i.e., acidity...
During our daily nutrition, acid residues, namely hydrogen ions, naturally occur as a result of energy metabolism in our body. This is a normal situation, our body balances it, but if our dietary habit is primarily composed of animal-based or processed foods, this balance will be disrupted. The proof of this is that our urine pH level is acidic. Having an acidic urine pH value is an indicator of an unhealthy body condition. You are at risk of diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, obesity, joint pains, calcification, kidney stones, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, chronic fatigue.
To keep your urine pH level constantly close to alkaline, change your dietary habits, frequently consume vegetables and fruits, do sports, live in environments with clean air. If you can't permanently change your environmental conditions and dietary habits, you can turn your acidic urine into alkaline using alkaline mineral combinations. Thus, you take a very important step to improve your deteriorating health status.
The Importance of Alkalinization for Athletes
It is a fact that individuals who regularly exercise, athletes and coaches are more careful about their overall body health compared to other people.
However, an alkaline body is one of the most important factors that increase individuals’ quality of life and support protection from diseases. Especially in people who exercise intensely, the body becomes acidic more quickly as a result of the exercise, and the situation becomes even more serious for athletes who consistently consume a protein-heavy diet. Because when proteins are digested, the metabolism quickly becomes acidic. If these acidic wastes are not neutralized in the body, the body cannot stay healthy and becomes vulnerable to diseases.
What Happens in the Body During Exercise?
During exercise, muscles first use the glucose in the blood and then the glycogen stores in the liver to meet energy needs. After this process, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, and CO2 are produced. These substances are acidic in nature and accumulate in the muscles, while the normal pH of the muscles is 6.9-7.0, it recedes to 6.6 levels. The muscles become non-functional below a pH of 6.5. Not only muscles and tissues but also joints are exposed to the acidic environment. It is known that collagens in the joints are also adversely affected by the acidic environment. As the duration, weight, and frequency of exercise increase, muscles and tissues quickly become acidic. This acid accumulation also causes a decrease in energy (ATP) production. This makes people feel more tired than they actually are.
Why Do You Feel Pain After Exercise?
If the disposal and buffering of acidic wastes, mainly lactic acid, are not sufficiently provided, they begin to accumulate in the muscles and this acidic environment causes pain-stiffness in the muscles.
What conditions does exposure to acidic environment trigger?
Long-term exposure to an acidic environment can cause muscles to weaken and lose strength, as well as diminish their buffering capability. Muscle cramps and joint mobility limitations may also start to occur. This is a significant issue that can affect an athlete’s performance in the long term.
In the long run, a body exposed to an acidic environment begins to “steal” calcium minerals from the bones to alkalize itself. At the end of this process, bone density decreases, and a process that negatively affects bone health, such as osteoporosis, begins. When the pH balance is disrupted, cells enter a faster aging process and begin to fail to perform their old functions. Free oxygen radicals (ROS) also increase during exercise, increasing oxidative stress on the cells. This situation also negatively affects heart cells. The increased incidence of MI (heart attack) in young athletes may be associated with the acidic environment and ROS.
In conclusion, maintaining an alkaline environment in the body is not only essential for overall health, but also crucial for athletes. It can help to improve performance, reduce post-workout discomfort, and protect long-term health. Thus, incorporating alkalizing strategies, such as a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, regular hydration, and using alkaline mineral combinations if necessary, can be beneficial.
The Relationship Between Osteoporosis and Acidity
Although bone loss has been an old disease encountered since ancient times, it has recently come to the agenda with its increasing frequency.
Conditions of modern life and our eating habits are increasing the frequency of osteoporosis day by day. If the decrease in bone density is detected early and necessary precautions are taken, that is, risk factors are eliminated or minimized, osteoporosis can be prevented.
As a result of our changing dietary habits, the increase in acidity in our body today leads to calcium loss in our bones. As a result of the increase in acidity in the blood and body fluids due to dietary habits, this body dynamic aimed at normalizing this level is forced to use the calcium and other alkaline minerals in the blood to neutralize this imbalance hyperacidity. As a result of increased acidification, neutralization is performed using free positive ions, especially calcium, which can be used at the lowest energy level as a thermodynamic balance developed by the body at the beginning of normalization mechanisms. If free positive ions are consumed, calcium ions integrated with the structure in the bones and teeth begin to be used. Because it should be known that the acidity value of blood must be constant under all conditions and the pH value should be kept at 7.4. Therefore, the result of neutralizing the acidity level is that the calcium consumed from bone and teeth is the main cause of osteoporosis.
When our pH drops below physiological pH as a result of acidification, osteoclast cells that cause bone destruction become strong and fully active. Bone structure and destruction, which are in balance at physiological pH, accelerate bone destruction as pH drops. As a result of the full activity of osteoclast cells, pits occur in the bones and osteoporosis occurs.
The two most important factors in preventing osteoporosis are to ensure a strong bone formation and to prevent bone loss. If the bones are strong at the start, there are fewer problems when loss begins. Bone cells are constantly made and broken down throughout life. Production and breakdown vary with age and the physiological condition of the individual. Bone formation is greater than loss during the period of rapid growth in children and adolescence. The fastest growth in bone occurs from birth to about 20 years of age. Bone mineral density reaches its maximum between the ages of 12-40. Bone loss begins in the 30-40s and continues throughout life. In women, after menopause, due to the decrease in estrogen levels, the rate of bone loss significantly increases. The increase in calcium excretion in the urine during this period, the decrease in effective absorption of calcium from the intestines, are the causes of bone loss.
How Do Alkaline Mineral Citrates Affect Osteoporosis?
Our body fluids are slightly alkaline in their natural state. Our body maintains this natural value by combining the H ion formed in the body fluids as a result of metabolic processes and daily nutrition with alkaline minerals in the correct ratios and neutralizing them by balancing. Due to the high amount of protein intake or changing dietary conditions, the amount of H ion in our body increases and acidifies the urine pH. In order not to have bone loss, calcium-rich foods that protect bone health should be consumed or an alkaline environment should be provided to prevent calcium withdrawal from the bones. Alkaline diet and alkaline life help maintain the body’s balance in its natural state.
Another bone problem caused by acidosis is bone fractures. Osteoblast alkaline phosphatase enzyme is hardly inhibited at low pH. Vesicles containing alkaline phosphatase and other enzymes with a diameter of 100 nm in osteoblasts are given to the surroundings of the cell by exocytosis. When the vesicles given to the environment are torn in the matrix, the enzyme concentration necessary for mineral precipitation in the environment is achieved and mineral precipitation is initiated. As a result of the increased enzyme activity with decreased pH, mineralization increases and harder bones than necessary (similar to glass structure) occur. As a result, bone fractures occur with the slightest impact. To prevent this, mineral citrate complexes that will create an alkaline environment should be used.
We said that calcium is stolen from the bones to balance these H ions that increase in our body and it becomes ineffective by combining with calcium. So what happens to the excess of these H ions? The system starts to store these acids in order to maintain the pH of the blood. Because even a tiny change in the pH of the blood can cause death. Some of these excess H ions, namely acids, are stored in cells in fat stores. As a result, excessive weight occurs.
Obesity and Acidity Relationship
When the energy intake is more than the energy expended, the unspent energy is stored as fat in the body, leading to excessive weight gain. In this case, the ratio of fat tissues to other tissues increases.
For our bodies to maintain a healthy weight, it is crucial to intake only as much and the right type of nutrients as we can burn. When we consume more and the wrong type of foods, excess calories accumulate as fat in our bodies and lead to obesity.
There is a close relationship between weight gain and the lowering of the pH of our body fluids. When our body’s pH drops below 7.0, that is, our body shifts towards acidity, our system prevents us from losing all our fat tissues. Fat acts as the acid buffer of the body. Buffering refers to reducing the harm of free H ions, the substances that cause acidity, and neutralizing them. Thus, fat neutralizes excess H ions. To protect itself, the body uses fat to bind and store H ions circulating in the blood. As acidity increases, the tendency to store fat increases. Therefore, fat stores also serve as the stores for excess H ions generated in our body, resulting in obesity.
How Do Alkaline Mineral Citrates Affect Obesity Formation?
Cells cannot function healthily when there is a high amount of H ions. Some of these H ions, i.e., acids, are stored in cells in fat deposits. The system starts to store these acids to maintain the pH of the blood. As a result, excessive weight occurs.
An acidic body doesn’t want to burn stored fats. Because it produces more H ions when it converts them into energy. But by consuming enough alkaline nutrients and increasing the alkaline buffering capacity, the body can easily neutralize the acidity that will come from these fats and can use these fats for energy.
Acidosis causing insulin insensitivity also makes weight gain easier. Despite the same amount of food, the amount of insulin increases and excess insulin commands more fat to be stored. Even if your weight appears unchanged when you weigh yourself, your waist thickens.
Diabetes is a lifelong disease that occurs as a result of the deficiency or inefficiency of the insulin hormone.
Type-II diabetes occurs when there is insulin present but the amount is low or if there is resistance to insulin in tissues, this type of diabetes is called “Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes)”.
The insulin hormone is the key to a lock on the membranes of cells. This key opens the door that lets glucose in. Without insulin, this door in the cell cannot be opened and glucose cannot enter. As a result of acidosis, this lock in the hardened cell membranes gets damaged, and the pancreas produces more insulin to unlock it.
While the increasing insulin in the blood tries to push excess sugar into the cells, it also orders the body to increase fat storage. Insulin insensitivity causes weight gain in this way.
Moreover, we should also be careful not to acidify when losing weight. If we continue to consume acidic foods while dieting (as in protein diets rich in animal food), we both harm our health in the long term and easily regain the weight we lost. Because acidic diet, preparing the ground for easy fattening to store the increasing H ion.
To prevent all these and maintain our normal weight, we should use mineral citrate supplements that will make the internal environment of our bodies alkaline.
The Relationship Between Gout and Acidity
Known as the “disease of kings and the king of diseases,” gout has been the subject of many studies since at least the time of Hippocrates and has affected countless people. Problems occur during the conversion of purine, a substance that is a method of disposal for protein-based substances, into uric acid, which then accumulates in the blood. Our body must eliminate this excess uric acid. If it cannot, some problems can occur.
The uric acid is usually eliminated through the kidneys. Some problems may occur during the excretion process in the kidneys. These problems primarily include kidney stones, but an even more dangerous situation is the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. Uric acid crystals are small, needle-like crystals, and when they accumulate inside joint and muscle tissue, they are perceived as foreign objects, and the body reacts with severe pain. This condition is known as gout.
Although not every person with hyperuricemia develops gout, hyperuricemia is a requirement for the development of uric acid crystals. Gout is considered a type of rheumatic disease. The first clear symptom is a burning, reddened, and swollen joint. The joint most often affected is the protrusion of the big toes of the feet, and essentially almost any joint could potentially be affected by gout (legs, feet, knees, hands, fingers). The infection of the joints and soft parts occurs due to the deposition of uric acid crystals in the tissues. Genetic factors, along with dietary habits, play a significant role in the development of gout. Our daily dietary habits can lead to painful joint infections. Accompanied by fever, severe general health problems may arise. If your uric acid levels in your blood are constantly high (Hyperuricemia, Greek: too much uric acid in the blood), this means:
Too much uric acid is being produced, or too little is being eliminated from the body, or too much has been taken in with food. This results in the formation of uric acid crystals and severe infection reactions can occur. A condition known as a Gout attack, a very painful process, can occur. The onset of these attacks can be triggered by stress or even a meal consumed a day earlier that included protein-heavy, yeast-containing drinks could turn into a pain crisis the next day.
How Does Gout Occur?
The waste substances produced in our body are converted to uric acid and eliminated. Uric acid is the breakdown product of substances known as purines. If there is a problem in the elimination of uric acid, which is the way protein-based substances are excreted, or if too much is being produced, this substance accumulates in the body. The amount present in the blood increases. Sometimes it may circulate in the blood for years, and sometimes it can accumulate in different tissues and turn into a disease. When uric acid accumulates in the joints, inflammation occurs there, and the disease we call gout arises.
The end product of purine metabolism in humans is uric acid. Purine metabolism is important in terms of DNA and RNA synthesis. In the degradation stages leading to uric acid from nucleic acids and free purine nucleotides, hypoxanthine and xanthine are formed. Xanthine is broken down by the enzyme xanthine oxidase to produce uric acid. In humans, due to the absence of the enzyme uricase, uric acid cannot be broken down and converted into water-soluble allantoine. 80% of uric acid is excreted from the kidneys. Apart from the kidneys, 20% of uric acid is excreted from the gastrointestinal system. In some cases, there are problems with the excretion of uric acid. If our urine has shifted towards acidity, the excretion of uric acid in the kidneys decreases, and as a result, it can accumulate in various tissues and cause the disease known as gout.
Scientific Impact of Alkaline Mineral Citrates on Gout Treatment
Our body’s natural activities require a slightly alkaline environment around 7.35-7.45. Deviation from this slightly alkaline environment may lead to serious imbalances, including abnormal levels of uric acid in the blood, due to changes in the urine regulatory mechanism. The mechanism of uric acid being reabsorbed into the blood and the potential excess uric acid levels in the blood as a result of this is more active in acidic environments. On the contrary, the excretion of uric acid from the kidneys is higher when the urine pH is alkaline. Approximately 98% of uric acid is soluble at physiological pH (7.4), and high solubility of uric acid in alkaline urine reduces the risk of hyperuricemia and indirectly the risk of gout.
In healthy individuals, diet is very important in determining urine pH. To prevent the accumulation of uric acid in the body, an alkaline environment should be provided. For this, the use of mineral citrate supplements is recommended.
• Potassium Citrate: It is an alkaline agent and is used to raise the urine pH. It has a protective effect on the bone and reduces renal calcium load by decreasing calcium excretion in the urine.
• Magnesium Citrate: It is an alkaline mineral salt. When taken orally in normal individuals, citrate undergoes oxidation, creating an alkaline load.
• Vitamin D: It increases the absorption of calcium in the digestive system. It protects the body against muscle weakness and is effective in regulating heartbeats.
• Coenzyme Q10: It increases the use of oxygen within the cell, thereby helping to increase and use energy in the cell. It has a strong antioxidant effect.
•Calcium Citrate: It is an alkaline mineral salt; together with potassium and magnesium citrate, it increases urine pH, providing protection against acidosis and diseases caused by acidosis. Calcium is a vital mineral for bone health.