|
J Environ Public
Health. 2012; 2012: 727630.
Published online 2011 Oct 12. doi: 10.1155/2012/727630
PMCID: PMC3195546
The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits
Health?
Gerry K. Schwalfenberg *
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/
9. Conclusion
Alkaline diets result in a more alkaline urine pH and maylead to less
calcium loss in urine (however, this may not reflect total calcium balance
[because of other buffers such as phosphate]). There is no substantial
evidence that this improves bone health or protects from osteoporosis.
However, alkaline diets may result in a number of health benefits as
outlined below
1. Increased fruits and vegetables
in an alkaline diet would improve the K/Na ratio and may benefit bone
health, reduce muscle wasting, as well as mitigate other chronic diseases
such as hypertension and strokes.
2. The resultant increase
in growth hormone with an alkaline diet may improve many outcomes from
cardiovascular health to memory and cognition.
3. An increase in intracellular
magnesium, which is required for the function of many enzyme systems,
is another added benefit of the alkaline diet. Available magnesium,
which is required to activate vitamin D, would result in numerous added
benefits in the vitamin D apocrine/exocrine systems.
4. Alkalinity may
result in added benefit for some chemotherapeutic agents that require
a higher pH.
So, an alkaline diet may reduce
morbidity and mortality due to chronic diseases. .
8. Discussion
The human body has an amazing ability to maintain a steady pH in the
blood with the main compensatory mechanisms being renal and respiratory.
Many of the membranes in our body require an acid pH to protect us and
to help us digest food. It has been suggested that an alkaline diet
may prevent a number of diseases and result in significant health benefits.
4. Alkaline Diets and Muscle
As we age, there is a loss of muscle mass, which may predispose to falls
and fractures. A three-year study looking at a diet rich in potassium,
such as fruits and vegetables, as well as a reduced acid load, resulted
in preservation of muscle mass in older men and women [39]. Conditions
such as chronic renal failure that result in chronic metabolic acidosis
result in accelerated breakdown in skeletal muscle [40]. Correction
of acidosis may preserve muscle mass in conditions where muscle wasting
is common such as diabetic ketosis, trauma, sepsis, chronic obstructive
lung disease, and renal failure [41]. In situations that result in acute
acidosis, supplementing younger patients with sodium bicarbonate prior
to exhaustive exercise resulted in significantly less acidosis in the
blood than those that were not supplemented with sodium bicarbonate
[42].
6. Alkaline Diet and Back Pain
There is some evidence that chronic low back pain improves with the
supplementation of alkaline minerals [47]. With supplementation there
was a slight but significant increase in blood pH and intracellular
magnesium. Ensuring that there is enough intracellular magnesium allows
for the proper function of enzyme systems and also allows for activation
of vitamin D [48]. This in turn has been shown to improve back pain
[49].
J Environ Public Health. 2012; 2012: 727630.
Published online 2011 Oct 12. doi: 10.1155/2012/727630
PMCID: PMC3195546
The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits
Health?
Gerry K. Schwalfenberg *
|
