A lot of people eat foods that form acid in the body. Note that there is a difference between “acidic” foods and “acid forming” foods. They are not necessarily one and the same. What matters most is not the acidity of the food itself, but how the food is processed in the body. If we have too much acid in the body, this can cause a condition known as acidosis.
Acidosis can lead to a variety of health problems. One of the most talked-about risks associated with acidosis is that of osteoporosis. What happens, in the case of acid and osteoporosis, is that minerals are taken out of the bones by the body in order to balance out the excess acidity. In an effort to fight acidity and make itself more alkaline, the body takes valuable minerals from your bones, and this can lead to osteoporosis.
There are other health problems associated with excess acid, including (but not limited to):
The best-case-scenario for the body is to not have to work so hard to maintain the acid-alkaline balance. The good news is that you can help it do this by simply changing the foods you eat.
For example, processed foods should generally be avoided. Soda, alcohol, coffee, and various sugars and starches are also acid-forming. So are certain proteins such as meats and eggs.
One simple approach to fixing the diet side of the acid problem is to replace the intake of the acid-offenders like those above with more alkaline forming foods. For example, dark leafy greens are extremely healthy and alkaline forming in the body. So are many fruits. Replacing some meat-heavy meals with meals focused more on fruits and veggies can go a long way towards improving your acid-alkaline balance, which will in-turn improve your health.
Right on Vadim. I had no idea that acid related issues can be so serious. Lately, I have been suffering from acidic issues. And the reasons are my poor eating habits. I drink lot of coffee and also consume alcohol. This has led to severe moments when the pain rose from acidic movements in my body makes me feel so helpless. But thanks for sharing such valuable information here which inspires me to change some of my eating habits.
Being someone who can’t drink/eat certain foods from reflux, I understand what you are saying completely. So many people assume that acid foods = acid in the body, when most of the time, it is the complete opposite. If you ever wondered how you will see some people who smoke that don’t age bad at all, then others who do – It has a lot to do with their diet. If you smoke, but eat a low acidic diet, the acid isn’t there to be raised by cigarettes. The way the body functions and works with different chemicals is so amazing to me.
Excess acid intake through diet is the reason why so many people are suffering from obesity, joint/bone problems and a whole variety of health issues that are ruining their lives. Then when they notice how much damage their diets have done to their bodies, they run to a doctor who then prescribes them pills to lower the acidity of their blood, which are a hassle if not a major drain on funding.