Alkalinity: the concept that defines healthy nutrition

Poor digestion? Lack of energy? Cardiovascular problems? Maybe it all boils down to poor diet and bad eating habits because one of the concepts that defines good nutrition is alkalinity.

Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the scientist Dr Otto Warburg, winner of the Nobel Prize for medicine and physiology (1931), said that where there is acidity or acidosis, there is poor cellular oxygenation and where there is little oxygen there is acidity. This investigation served him later to postulate his theory on the origin of cancer.

“Viruses and bacteria need an acidic environment to live. Hence, it is key to maintaining good health that our internal environment is slightly alkaline. When we consume these alkaline-generating foods, we have good digestion, renew our energy, acquire mental clarity and improve our cardiovascular health“, explains María Romeralo, expert nutritionist at SHA Wellness Clinic.

Having a healthy organism is synonymous with having an alkaline organism. Alkalinity is measured by the pH of the blood, which ranges from 0 to 14. If the pH of the body is below 7, it is considered acidic, and above that, alkaline.

“The human body needs a slightly alkaline medium to live in health. Alkalinity is a measure of internal fluids. Different fluids in the body have different pHs, and the pH of the blood is vital to be between 7.35 and 7.45,” explains their expert nutritionist.

NUTRITION AND ALKALINE FOODS

Some foods and habits help our body become more acidic and others help maintain alkalinity.

As the SHA Wellness Clinic expert explains, the basis of alkalising nutrition would be that “based on balanced foods such as whole grains, legumes, seasonal fruit and vegetables, algae, fermented foods (miso, sauerkraut, tamari, pickles, tempeh), seeds and nuts or olive oil“.

And which foods would add the most acidity to our bodies? Some examples include soft drinks, coffee, alcohol, refined sugar, fried foods, white flour, packaged fruit juices, jam, chocolate, red meat, etc.

But it is essential to make the whole process of food intake natural and healthy, correctly chewing food. It will not only help us eat less, but also process the food we eat better because it is in the mouth where digestion begins.

Finally, it remains to be seen what drink we accompany our alkalising meals with. And María Romeralo has a clear bet: “to drink quality water“. Water should be the indisputable drink of choice before or after our meals. Quality water makes a powerful contribution to alkalising the organism, helping to achieve a healthier immune system.

THE BENEFITS OF AN ALKALISED BODY: PHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH

Viruses and bacteria need an acidic environment to live in. So why make it easy for them?

The list of pathologies and discomforts caused by acidosis in the body is much longer than you might think. It affects fields as diverse as emotions (sadness, depression, irritability), digestion (heartburn, gastritis, ulcers), respiration (frequent colds, sinusitis, coughs), skin (acidic sweat, dryness, acne, eczema), bone system (osteoporosis, fractures) or circulatory system (hypotension, hypertension, anaemia, bleeding).

The general measure should be a pH level below 7, acidosis; above, alkalinity. In this way we will quickly avoid some of the most recurrent symptoms of acidosis: tiredness, pain, inflammation, heaviness, poor digestion, mental confusion, lowered defences, infections, cavities and, in the longer term, diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems, obesity or diabetes, among others.

And can you have a completely alkaline diet or should it be a complement to a more general diet plan? 

“Balance is the answer. We must have a diet with a predominance of alkaline foods,” summarises the SHA nutritionist.

A rigorous alkalising plan, such as the one proposed by SHA Wellness Clinic, allows you to reset your body and regain vitality and energy, laying the foundations for a long and healthy life.