Acids and Bases: the Atkins Diet and Healthy Lifestyle

Abstract

Bases are chemical substances that donate electrons, accept protons, and release hydroxide (OH-) ions in an aqueous solution. While acids are chemical substances that donate protons, accept electrons, and release hydrogen (H+) ions in aqueous solutions. Acidity is indicated by a pH of less than 7, whereas a base is indicated by a pH greater than 7. pH is a measure of the acidic/basic essence of water. With 7 being neutral, the range goes from 0 to 14. The abnormal conditions that result from an imbalance in the pH of the blood caused by an excess of acid or base are characterized by acidosis and alkalosis. There are lots of causes and factors that may affect the blood pH level in the body and lead to an abnormal blood pH level. For example, health problems, such as asthma, diabetes, lung diseases, heart diseases, drug overdose, bad diet, bad habits, and lack of activity, will all cause the blood pH level to change. The kidney is one of the main organs that keep the pH level balanced; the kidneys have two key ways to preserve their cells' acid-base balance by reabsorbing bicarbonate back into the blood from the urine and secreting hydrogen H+ ions into the urine.

Acids and Bases

Bases are chemical substances that donate electrons, accept protons, and release hydroxide (OH-) ions in an aqueous solution. Bases usually have certain characteristics that help us identify them such as feeling slippery, tasting bitter, having a pH level higher than 7, and reacting with acids to form salts. Acids are chemical substances that donate protons, accept electrons, and release hydrogen (H+) ions in aqueous solutions. Acids usually feel sticky, taste sour, and can turn blue litmus paper into red color. Unlike bases, acids have a pH level lower than 7.

Blood pH Level

pH is a measure of the acidic/basic essence of water. With 7 being neutral, the range goes from 0 to 14. Acidity is indicated by a pH of less than 7, whereas a base is indicated by a pH greater than 7. Actually, pH is a measure of the relative amount in the water of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. Acidic water with more free hydrogen ions is acidic, while water with more free hydroxyl ions is basic. Blood usually has a typical pH range of about 7.35 to 7.45 which means it is slightly basic. The body typically retains a blood pH of close to 7.40.

Acidosis and Alkalosis

The abnormal conditions that result from an imbalance in the pH of the blood caused by an excess of acid or base are characterized by acidosis and alkalosis. Usually, this difference is caused by some underlying disorder or illness. To ensure the proper functionality of metabolic processes and the supply of the necessary amount of oxygen to tissues, natural blood pH must be preserved within a narrow range, usually 7.35-7.45. Acidosis refers to an excess of blood acid, which causes the pH to decrease below 7.35, and alkalosis refers to an excess of blood base, which causes the pH to increase above 7.45.

Factors that affect blood pH in the body

There are lots of causes and factors that may affect the blood pH level in the body and lead to abnormal blood pH levels known either as alkalosis or acidosis. For example health problems, such as asthma, diabetes, lung diseases, and heart diseases. As well as negative environmental factors such as drug overdose, bad diet, bad habits, and lack of activity, will all cause the blood pH level to change, therefore serious injuries and diseases will affect and infect the body.

Habits that maintain a healthy blood pH

A safe pH equilibrium in our body avoids the development of toxic and disease-causing microorganisms. Eating too much junk food and drinking alcoholic and carbonated drinks may lead to an increase of the acidity level of the body, therefore it is most important to reduce the intake of such products and follow a healthy diet that will balance the blood pH level. A solid way to regulate pH levels is exercise. Physical activity involves the muscles which flush out the body's excess acid to keep it balanced, so exercising for 30 minutes daily may affect the body's pH level positively therefore it is highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists.

Effects of pH balance disorder on the body

A blood pH imbalance can lead to two conditions: acidosis and alkalosis. If acidosis or alkalosis is caused by a lung disease or exhalation problem, it is referred to as 'respiratory.' It is referred to as 'metabolic' when acidosis or alkalosis is caused by a kidney function problem. Metabolic acidosis is the body's production of acid that originates in the kidneys. This happens if the body is unable to get rid of extra acid or loses too much base. Some of the causes to metabolic acidosis are having too little sodium bicarbonate in your blood, buildup of lactic acid, and renal tubular acidosis which is the failure of the kidneys to release acid into the bloodstream. If bicarbonate levels in the blood get too high or the body loses too much acid, metabolic alkalosis occurs. A lengthy duration of vomiting, overuse of medications, or an overactive adrenal gland may cause it. Kidney damage caused by a significant lack of fluids or intake of a substantial volume of baking soda is another factor that may contribute to metabolic alkalosis.

Signs, Symptoms, Treatment for acidosis and alkalosis

Two types of acidosis occur, each with different causes. Depending on the predominant cause of acidosis, the form of acidosis is known as either respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis. Many signs are shared by both respiratory and metabolic acidosis. The signs of acidosis, however, differ depending on its cause. Some common symptoms of respiratory acidosis are fatigue, feeling tired easily, shortness of breath, confusion, and sleepiness. Meanwhile, some common symptoms of metabolic acidosis are rapid breathing, lack of appetite, increased heart rate, headache, sleepiness, and breath that smells fruity, which is a sign of diabetic acidosis (ketoacidosis). To decide how to treat it, doctors typically need to know what's causing the acidosis. However, with some forms of acidosis, certain therapies may be used. Your doctor can, for instance, send you sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to increase your blood pH. This can be done either by mouth or by an intravenous drip. Alkalosis signs match symptoms of other disorders. It's really important not to try and treat yourself. To get tested, make an appointment with your doctor. There are early symptoms that might show a person’s diagnosis with alkalosis and some serious symptoms that might appear later. Some of the early symptoms are hand tremors, muscle twitching, muscle spasm, and numbness. While some of the serious symptoms that might appear later are dizziness, the harsh difficulty of breathing, coma, and stupor, which is a serious mental state where people don't respond to normal conversation.

Kidney relation to the blood pH level

The kidneys have two key ways to preserve their cells' acid-base balance by reabsorbing bicarbonate back into the blood from the urine and secreting hydrogen H+ ions into the urine. They regulate the pH of the bloodstream by changing the volumes reabsorbed and secreted. By spreading the blood that comes into the kidney to millions of tiny functioning units called nephrons, our kidneys filter blood continuously. The glomerulus, or a tiny clump of capillaries, is made up of each nephron where blood filtration starts. Around one-fifth of the plasma exits the glomerular capillaries and goes into the renal tubule as blood flows into the glomerulus. The renal tubule works to reabsorb the good stuff such as water and electrolytes, and they leave behind all wasteful products and acids to keep the pH level balanced.

Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet, created by cardiologist Robert C. Atkins in the 1960s, is a popular low carbohydrate eating method or lifestyle. The Atkins diet mainly focuses on reducing and restricting the intake of carbs (carbohydrates) while it promotes the intake of protein and fats. The Atkins Diet also promotes that eating is a healthy lifelong strategy if you want to lose weight, increase energy, and help strengthen some health conditions, such as high blood pressure or metabolic syndrome. Whether you're talking about your skin, your stomach, or other parts of the body, the pH of your body varies greatly. The stomach has a pH level of 1.35-3.5, which allows it to break down protein. The blood has a pH level of 7.3-7.4, and the skin has a natural pH level of 4-6.5, which protects against germs. Along with respiration, by metabolizing acids during urination, the body regulates the pH of your blood and organs. The pH will range from 4.6 (acidic) to 8.0 (alkaline) in the urine. Acid-forming diets rich in protein, such as the Atkins diet, will force the body to steal calcium, an alkaline mineral, from your bones, according to studies. It is said that this calcium balances the acid created by the foods that the person consumes. In fact, the kidneys are responsible for removing the acid from the bloodstream and regulating the body’s pH balance. Atkins presents many advantages that may make it the best diet for others. But the disadvantages could rule it out for some. The biggest advantage of Atkins is the fast weight loss; There is a rich history of effective weight loss on the Atkins diet. Many people on this diet have lost weight and the method has been tested in several clinical trials and it showed very positive results. Another advantage is that rich in protein which encourages a lot of people to follow this diet since it will keep the steaks and burgers always an option in their menu; Foods rich in protein and foods with more fat tend to be more satisfying. People are likely to delay their next meal or snack when they feel satisfied after eating and may consume fewer calories overall as a result. Although some people love the results of the diet, others fail to adapt to the restrictive schedule of Atkins. A big disadvantage of the Atkins diet is that it reduces the intake of fruits and grains which may lead to a lower intake of vitamins and nutrients therefore health problems will be followed after some time of following this diet. As well as it may lead to big health problems since it increases the acidity of the pH level of the body which may lead to acidosis.

Conclusion

The Atkins diet is a diet or a healthy lifestyle that focuses on the intake of protein-rich foods and the reduction of consumption of carbs. Since this diet focuses on the intake of protein, it will increase the acidity of the body which is a pH imbalance. Some of the main organs that help in regulating the blood pH are the kidney which removes the acidity in the body through the urinary system, but sometimes certain disorders might happen in the kidney; therefore, it won’t be able to filter the acids out of the body which may lead to an acidic pH balance. In case that happens, we can keep a healthy pH balance or reduce the acidity by the intake of alkaline water since it may stabilize the acidity of the body.

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