Acid-alkaline balance: identifying and bringing equilibrium back to imbalances

Well-balanced acid-alkaline levels are crucial to our health. For only when these are balanced is the metabolism able to function optimally. We explain how you can identify and bring equilibrium back to imbalances in your acid-alkaline levels.

Not only is the body a true marvel, it’s also incredibly patient and forgiving. It has a constant underlying endeavor consisting of keeping its physiological functions in balance at all times. In medical terms, this is referred to as homeostasis. To preserve the balance between acids and alkalines in our body, for example, the body makes use of various buffer systems . These ensure the ongoing neutralization of excess acid. For this to happen, it is vital that the kidneys, lungs, blood and liver are functioning properly. “The body is an expert in balancing out inner imbalances. Luckily, knocking it off balance to the extent that it becomes critical is not easy to do. It possesses numerous compensatory mechanisms for balancing out fluctuations. The body attempts to regulate everything that might acutely throw the acid-alkaline levels off balance, and on the whole it is very good at doing so,” explains Dr. Werner Zancolo, holistic doctor at VIVAMAYR.

But if the body is such an expert at establishing balance, how can we detect when it is slowly but surely getting out of sync? The following symptoms can be a sign that the acid-alkaline levels are out of balance. If you discover that you have one or more of these symptoms over a prolonged period of time, you should pay attention and scrutinize your lifestyle (in particular your nutrition) with regard to its acid-alkaline balance.

Symptoms that your acid-alkaline levels are out of balance

1. Tiredness and lethargy

Tiredness and lethargy can be indications that something is not right with the acid-alkaline balance. If the metabolism is sluggish, this also has an impact on our disposition. We feel low in energy and listless. This is related to our hormones. Serotonin and dopamine play a major role here. “Serotonin is largely formed in the gut and is responsible for our mood and our feeling of well-being. If we eat too unhealthily in the long term, this impairs the production of serotonin in the gut,” explains Dr. Zancolo. But it also has negative consequences for the metabolism of dopamine. “Ultimately, it’s a lack of serotonin and dopamine that makes us tired and listless and puts us in a bad mood,” according to the doctor.

2. Pain

Widespread pain in the musculoskeletal system may be a sign that the acid-alkaline levels are out of whack. “Pain is always a symptom of inflammatory processes in the body. This occurs when the body is acidic,” explains Dr. Werner Zancolo. What frequently crops up in this context is hidden inflammation. This will be predominantly in the gut and be barely perceptible. You might feel them not as pain, but as all manner of digestive complaints.

3. Poor skin

The skin plays an important role in the detoxification of the body. This is no surprise, since it measures around one and a half to two square meters, consists of up to 110 billion skin cells and generally makes up around 16 percent of our bodyweight. Our skin not only helps us to perceive heat, cold and touch, but also plays a considerable role in transporting harmful substances out of the body. When the body is acidic, our entire metabolism works poorly and an excess of metabolic waste products, toxins and other harmful substances end up in the body. The organs responsible for detoxification have their hands completely full. The same is true for the skin, which reacts with impurities, eczema or irritations as it attempts to get rid of contaminants.

4. The mouth, hair and nails present problems

If the tongue is coated, tooth indentations are visible in the gums or if stubborn cracked corners of the mouth become apparent, these may be signs that your acid-alkaline levels are off balance. In addition, dull or brittle hair or hair loss also indicate that something is not quite right in the body. The likelihood of the cause leading back to imbalanced acid-alkaline levels is high. If such symptoms appear, the body’s compensation mechanisms then get going.

If, for example, the body is deficient in iron or zinc, it draws these nutrients from the hair and nails. However, the nutrients are then lacking in these places, causing white spots or ridges in the nails or a loss of hair.

5. Blood levels are out of balance

Hyperacidity of the organism is also reflected in the blood levels. On the one hand, the pH value of the blood is taken as a reference value here. As a general rule, this should be around 7.4. The tolerance range is low here; it should remain between 7.37 and 7.45. “On the other, there are also other blood levels that indicate an excess of acidity in the body. If iron levels are too high, for example, this is indirectly related to a site of inflammation in the body. We can use the carbon dioxide, oxygen and bicarbonate values to identify what type of acid strain is present in the body,” Dr. Zancolo shares with us.

How to ensure balanced acid-alkaline levels

To find out whether your lifestyle generally has an acid-forming, alkaline-forming or neutral impact on your organism, it’s best to reflect on your day-to-day routine. The following questions are helpful when doing so:

What food do you eat and in what proportions?
Do you move a lot, do you perhaps even practice sports intensively, or do you spend the majority of your day sitting down?
What stimulants do you indulge in and to what extent?
Is your workday pretty calm or on the stressful side?

The right diet for balanced acid-alkaline levels

To find out which foods have an acidic, alkaline or neutral effect on the body, read our article “The 7 most effective tips for a strong immune system”. “Make sure that each main meal always includes vegetables and that this portion is larger than the portion of fish or meat,” is Dr. Zancolo’s advice for ensuring an alkaline-based diet. But beware: Raw vegetables in the evening are not a good solution! You can read more here to find out why it’s essential that you avoid raw food in the evening. What’s more, you can also find numerous inspiring recipes and nutrition tips in the new VIVAMAYR cookbook “Veggie Stars”, which was published in summer 2021.

Relaxation has a harmonizing effect on the acid-alkaline levels

Integrate moments of relaxation into your daily routine and allow yourself to take real breaks. These help to regulate the acid-alkaline balance. “Relaxation contributes to our overall balance. When the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system is regularly activated, this automatically contributes to relaxation and the acidity levels in the body are reduced,” explains Dr. Zancolo. Gentle forms of movement such as yoga or yogic breathing techniques (also known as pranayama), for example, help to deepen breathing, allowing more carbon dioxide to be exhaled. This supports detoxification, and consequently also the balance of acids and alkalines in the body.

Bringing acids and alkalines into balance with movement

Moderate training sessions also support the body in eliminating acid in the form of carbon dioxide. If your pulse is in the low to mid-range – for example where you are still easily able to hold a conversation while jogging – this is ideal for exhaling CO₂ via the lungs. Careful, however, with high-intensity strain. “If you overexert the body during training, it produces lactic acid. This is an acid that requires alkalines in order to be neutralized and thus has the capacity to destabilize the acid-alkaline levels in the body,” the holistic doctor adds as food for thought. Now and again, this kind of high activity level is beneficial to our health, but if it occurs on a lasting basis and is not compensated with sufficient alkalines, this can also lead to hyperacidity.

Colon cleansing as a detoxification turbocharger

“No matter how well you are able to implement an alkaline-based lifestyle or not, a detoxification treatment once a year is recommended for all organisms,” Dr. Zancolo emphasizes. Intestinal cleansing takes a massive burden off the digestion, allowing the gut to regenerate and the mind and spirit to recover. “In the course of a VIVAMAYR program, you get the right food at the right time and in sufficient quantity. Our strength is that we meet each guest individually where they are at,” explains Dr. Zancolo.

Thus not only are the blood levels comprehensively analyzed at the start; VIVAMAYR also uses functional myodiagnostics to test what indications are present and which measures and therapies will best support the guest. “Very important for all – and not just in the context of a VIVAMAYR course: drink! Drink plenty of still water, especially between mealtimes. This promotes the detoxification of the organism via the kidneys and urine.”

Dr. Zancolo’s personal tip: “Before you go to bed, drink a little water mixed with alkaline powder. This contains important minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium, which are essential for well-balanced acid-alkaline levels. Drinking this in the evening, therefore, is an excellent way to support the detoxification of your body overnight.

Sources

p., n.d., pH value, accessed 11.11.2021, 15:05

Stossier Harald, Stossier Georg, 2018, Moderne Mayr-Medizin & das VIVAMAYR-Prinzip / Du bist, was du verdaust [Modern Mayr Medicine & the VIVAMAYR principle / You are what you digest], Verlagshaus der Ärzte, Vienna