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acidity alkalinity ph balance

What Chiropractic Patients Need To Know About Acidity vs. Alkalinity In The Body

There has been a lot in the media lately about alkalinity and acidity in the body, but finding solid, straightforward information isn’t always easy. In short, acidity can cause a number of health issues. There are many benefits of bringing your body into balance.

What is high acidity?

The term acidity describes a condition where the body is affected by the excess production of gastric acids. Under normal conditions, hydrochloric acid is secreted by the stomach, aiding in the digestion and breakdown of food.

However, when this normal process is triggered in such a way that it causes overproduction of the acid, it can result in health problems. Acidity can be caused by irregular eating patterns, fad diets, alcohol consumption, stress, smoking, an unhealthy diet, and a sedentary lifestyle. Symptoms can include:

  • Indigestion
  • Burning in the stomach
  • Belching
  • Sour taste
  • Burning in the throat
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Restlessness

What are the dangers of high acidity in the body?

When the body is acidic, it can affect everything from immunity to neurological function to bone health. The Japanese have linked acidity to degenerative diseases like arthritis, cancer, and osteoporosis.

An acidic body is also a very hospitable environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive meaning the person will often get sick more often. When the body is out of balance it becomes susceptible to conditions as simple as dandruff and as complex as diabetes. Interestingly, many people have reversed or gone into remission by simply bringing their body into balance.

What is alkalinity?

In order to understand alkalinity, you need to understand pH levels. This is the measure used to determine how alkaline or acid something is. A pH of 0 is at the acidic end of the scale and means the thing being measured is completely acidic. At the other end of the scale, a pH of 14 is totally alkaline. The neutral point is a pH of 7.

Different parts of the body have different pH levels, meaning that some parts are more acidic while others are more alkaline. For instance, blood typically has a pH that is between 7.35 and 7.45, making it slightly alkaline. The stomach, on the other hand, is highly acidic, registering a pH of 3.5 or lower. Making the body more alkaline is not about making it completely alkaline – you need some acidity, it is necessary for digestion and other processes – it is more about bringing the body into balance.

What are the benefits of alkalinity?

When the body has increased alkalinity, bringing it into better pH balance, it is healthier and has a decreased risk of chronic illness. There is also less likelihood of illness. When the body is in a better pH balance it can result in many benefits including:

  • More energy
  • Improved cognitive function
  • Slowed aging process
  • Weight loss
  • Lower cancer risk
  • Decreased risk of chronic illness
  • Increased immunity

How can you bring your body into balance?

The best way to bring your body into better pH balance is by modifying your diet. As a rule of thumb, animal based foods like meat, eggs, and dairy tend to be more acidic. A vegetarian diet rich in plant-based foods like vegetables and fruits tend to be more alkaline. While the body does need a diet that includes both acidic and alkaline foods, a diet of processed foods and foods high in fat and sugar can cause too much acidity. By adjusting the diet, eliminating processed foods, and maintaining a healthier, more vegetarian based diet, you can bring your body into balance and enjoy better health as a result.

Visit www.ocwc.ca for more tips on how to get your body feeling and looking better!

What To Know About Probiotics and Digestive Health

What are Probiotics

Probiotics are those “good bacteria” we’ve all heard about but what are they exactly? Probiotics are live organisms that help your digestive organs work the way they are meant to.

When working properly your digestive system breaks down the food you eat into smaller compounds. These compounds are then absorbed by your digestive system for your body to use.  Left over material that was not absorbed is then regularly eliminated from your body. This is an important process.

What do Probiotics Do?

Simply put, probiotics help to create and maintain conditions that allows for efficient movement and absorption of food by the gut. Probiotics or “good bacteria” make up your gut flora. Your gut flora is made up of many different types of “good bacteria”;   there are trillions of them and they are meant to be balanced. When the balance of “good bacteria” is no longer ideal then digestive problems can occur.

Common signs of poor gut flora balance

When your gut flora is out of balance there are some common signals that your body may give, to let you know there is a problem.  These signals may be:

  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Heartburn/Acid reflux
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation

People with diets that are low in fruits in vegetables are more prone to have a poor balance of “good bacteria” to make up their gut flora.

In addition, people who use antibiotics can experience poor balance of “good bacteria” because the medication will kill off useful bacteria as well as bacteria that are causing illness. So, people taking antibiotics may be more prone to experience digestive problems as a side-effect of their medication. If you have taking antibiotics for infection, talk to your prescribing doctor about Probiotics to prevent digestive upset.

The best way to maintain your gut flora is to eat a diet full of vegetables and fruit.  Doing so will have so many more benefits to your health and well being on top of maintaining your gut flora.

If you do not eat a balanced diet, it will take some time to develop that habit. In this case consider using a probiotic supplement. A Probiotic supplement will help to restore and maintain your gut flora, allowing for more efficient digestive function.

Gut health is extremely important to your overall health and well being, so pay careful attention to it. At Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic our goal is for you to experience the health and well-being you are meant to.

Take care.