Why a body becomes acidic
Becoming acidic in the context of this website is a term. However, at the same time, it’s a condition that is generally an acquired state that may have precipitating health issues, possibly persisting over decades of one’s life.
“Becoming Acidic” means overwhelming your body with a whole spectrum of health-damaging factors that lead to chronic physiological and psychological stresses, depleting your body of the necessary nutrients to handle those stresses.
For example, one of the statistically significant causes of metabolic stress is a chronic H. pylori infection, which, under certain conditions, gradually lowers stomach acid production, resulting in indigestion and eventual nutrient loss. Other causes could include inherited DNA mutations, increased cortisol production, undiagnosed celiac disease, pesticide exposure leading to gluten sensitivity, intestinal fungal overgrowth, dysbiosis, or inherited genetic defects predisposing a person to illnesses such as allergies, poor glucose metabolism, thyroid disease, and type 1 diabetes. Any chronic illness or condition imposes profound metabolic stress on the body, and the byproducts of chronic metabolic stress are highly acidic. Otherwise, if no known chronic health conditions have been previously identified, chronic latent acidosis (a.k.a., mineral depletion) has likely been caused by imbalances in one’s lifestyle. Additionally, decreased kidney or pancreas function with age or as an acquired condition may also be a contributing factor.
Latent acidosis is a symptom of the body’s decreased ability to remove toxic waste. In otherwise healthy individuals, it is often caused by damaging lifestyle factors, including nutritional imbalances leading to systemic mineral depletion. Since no testing is available to measure the bioavailability of over 90 minerals required for human biological function, diagnosis remains difficult in mainstream medicine and thus is not fully recognized. Current diagnostic standards measure only a limited number of nutrients, and when basic electrolytes and minerals appear within range, no further investigation is conducted. The diagnostic process becomes compromised, and the patient is treated for symptoms rather than the underlying cause.
Latent acidosis is most prevalent in highly developed and industrialized parts of the world, such as the United States. With an abundance of mineral-depleted foods and a profit-driven food industry, a vicious cycle contributes to the implications of the typical “Western pattern diet,” fueled by endless market competition among food corporations.
Western pattern diet. This dietary pattern has become a cultural norm, suffering from imbalanced carbohydrate, protein, and fat consumption, as well as a reversal of the natural dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio. This dietary complex provides insufficient mineral content, as found in processed foods, breads, meats, dairy, and sweets. Consequently, all of these foods—especially those with excessive protein consumption—require significant gastric acid to activate protein-digesting enzymes responsible for nutrient absorption.
Mineral depletion in foods over time has become so drastic that eating normal portions no longer provides sufficient nutrition to sustain optimal body function without supplementation. An abnormal sense of hunger becomes nature’s call for more nutrients that are no longer available in healthy ratios.
The following statistics are the historical consequences of basic mineral depletion
| 1940 to 1991 Vegetables |
1940 to 1991 Fruit |
1940 to 2002 Meat |
1940 to 2002 Dairy |
|
| Sodium | -49% | -29% | -24% | -47% |
| Potassium | -16% | -19% | -9% | -7% |
| Phosphorous | 9% | 2% | -21% | 34% |
| Magnesium | -24% | -16% | -15% | -1% |
| Calcium | -46% | -16% | -29% | 4% |
| Iron | -27% | -24% | -50% | -83% |
| Copper | -76% | -20% | -55% | -97% |
Data by McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods and [srs]
Furthermore, the refining process alone removes over 60% of minerals from grains. By the time food reaches the consumer’s table, cooking reduces naturally occurring vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids by 20% or more. People feel less satisfied after eating, leading them to consume more starches and larger portions, eventually resulting in overeating, weight gain, and additional digestive stress.
Gastric acid. This is where digestive disaster begins. Gastric acid is composed of hydrochloric acid (HCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), and potassium chloride (KCl). With the help of parietal cells (a.k.a., oxyntic cells), the body produces and sustains a highly acidic environment after protein-rich foods are ingested. In the duodenum (the first section of the small intestine), the acid is neutralized by the pancreas via sodium bicarbonate secretion, and food is further broken down by pancreatic enzymes. The more gastric acid is produced, the more bicarbonate ions are needed to neutralize the hydrochloric acid in chyme.
The first signs of an imbalanced diet or high-stress lifestyle. Consuming hard-to-digest foods and chronic stress synergistically increase gastric acid production. As the body’s ability to neutralize acids diminishes over time, abdominal pain and peptic ulcers can be among the first signs of mineral deficiency. Over time, as gastric acid levels decrease, the presence of H. pylori infection—found in the vast majority of people—becomes a further contributing factor to reduced gastric acid secretion and stomach ulceration.
Stomach acid production and bicarbonate synthesis for acid neutralization require significant mineral utilization. If food is not mineral-rich, as is typical in the “Western pattern diet,” the entire nutritional cycle enters a stage of gradual and unavoidable mineral depletion. The fewer minerals available—especially zinc, copper, boron, selenium, and manganese—the weaker thyroid function becomes, and the less gastric acid is produced. Gastric acid deficiency and impaired enzymatic function further hinder mineral absorption. The fewer mineral buffers the body has, the fewer carbonates are available to counteract acidic metabolic waste.
The beginning stage and symptoms of tissue acidosis. The earliest symptoms of mineral deficiency are often associated with underactive thyroid function, leading to low energy, unrestful sleep, excessive afternoon sleepiness, insomnia, and reduced gastric acid production. Gassiness, burping, and heartburn after eating hard-to-digest foods are the most prominent symptoms of insufficient gastric acid.
Indigestion and misdiagnosis. A person visiting a doctor with complaints of acid reflux and heartburn is typically prescribed acid-suppressing medications, such as over-the-counter antacids or even proton pump inhibitors, without measuring actual gastric acid secretion. Long-term use of these so-called “aids” wreaks havoc on the digestive system, often leading to devastating and irreversible consequences.
In reality, most cases of heartburn and burping are not caused by misdiagnosed excess acid but by insufficient gastric acid, resulting in indigestion. If not enough gastric acid is produced, the sphincter of ampulla (a.k.a., sphincter of Oddi) fails to contract properly, allowing gastric acid to escape into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Simultaneously, food fermentation due to insufficient enzyme activation from low gastric acid creates gas that escapes through the inactive sphincter of ampulla. The only way to eliminate these symptoms is to increase gastric acid production, restoring digestion by activating enzymes and contracting the sphincter.
The wrong approach. The common method of addressing indigestion symptoms is entirely counterproductive to digestion—suppressing it! Using antacids or H2 blockers to suppress gastric acid deactivates digestion, leading to malabsorption of proteins and, consequently, minerals and vitamins. Another mistaken remedy is drinking water with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) after meals, which temporarily relieves heartburn at the expense of digestion. Repeated use can have serious consequences. Combined with a low-fat diet that inhibits normal gallbladder function, digestive health becomes severely compromised.