I just had a great conversation with Connie, a sales rep for a Search Optimization Company. The reason for her call was to help our Health Alkaline website with its SEO efforts. However that’s not the first thing she mentioned. Immediately when I answered the call, she started asking questions about alkaline water. “How do I get my body alkaline?” and “How does alkaline water help get my body alkaline?” were two of her most pressing questions.
Connie told me her doctor had recently diagnosed her having acidosis. That’s a serious circumstance for her. Read my answer to her below, but first let’s look at what acidosis is. Acidosis is a condition in which there is excessive acid in the body fluids. It is the opposite of alkalosis (a condition in which there is excessive base in the body fluids).
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, acidosis occurs when acid builds up or when bicarbonate (a base) is lost. Acidosis is classified as either respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis.
Respiratory acidosis develops when there’s too much carbon dioxide (an acid) in the body. This type of acidosis is usually caused by a decreased ability to remove carbon dioxide from the body through effective breathing. This is probably not the type of acidosis she has. Connie’s was probably more related to her diet because her doctor advised her to dramatically cut back her sugar and meat intake.
The other acidosis is Metabolic acidosis. This type develops when too much acid is produced or when the kidneys cannot remove enough acid from the body. I hope Connie is reading this… There are several types of metabolic acidosis:
- Diabetic acidosis (also called diabetic ketoacidosis and DKA) develops when substances called ketone bodies (which are acidic) build up during uncontrolled diabetes.
- Hyperchloremic acidosis results from excessive loss of sodium bicarbonate from the body, as can happen with severe diarrhea.
- Lactic acidosis is a buildup of lactic acid. This can be caused by:
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- Alcohol
- Cancer
- Exercising vigorously for a very long time
- Liver failure
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Medications such as salicylates
- Prolonged lack of oxygen from shock, heart failure, or severe anemia
- Seizures
I told her it’s very easy to alkalize your body. All she has to do is exactly what her physician advised, which was to cut back on the sugar and meat intake. Additionally, I recommended drinking fresh squeezed lemon water with healthy meals, instead of soda or sweetened drinks. A teaspoon of baking soda in 8 oz. of water with a half squeezed lemon once a day is also great to start alkalizing the body. The taste is not pleasant but it is healthy for you. The alternative to drinking the baking soda mix or alka-seltzer would be investing in an alkaline water ionizer. This can replace your bottle water purchases and actually save you money in the long term.
Acidosis can be dangerous if untreated. Please see your doctor for more information.
Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Would it be okay to use Lime juice instead of the Lemon?