To guarantee the homeostasis of some body parameters is essential for staying healthy. A refined internal control system is attributed to this aspect, which, however, we can improve through our food choices and our lifestyle. Let's see how.
- What is homeostasis
- What is acid-base balance and why it matters
- How to maintain acid-base balance
- Useful supplements for acid-base balance
What is homeostasis
Homeostasis is the constant maintenance of certain conditions internal organs of the organism, necessary for survival and for a correct functionality of the human body.
They are an example:
- body temperature;
- blood pressure;
- blood sugar levels;
- oxygen levels;
- hormone levels and acid levels
whose values ​​are constantly and strictly monitored in order to ensure survival and health.
When one of these rises or falls excessively, the internal control system, which mainly involves hormones and the nervous system, intervenes to restore homeostasis.
What is acid-base balance and why it matters
Among the fundamental factors for maintaining a good state of health there is acid-base balance: the blood needs adequate levels of acid compounds e basic (alkaline) to function efficiently and the kidneys and lungs are the organs mainly involved in maintaining this balance.
An increase in acid compounds causes an excessive reduction of the pH, on the contrary, an increase in alkaline compounds causes an excessive increase, respectively causing acidosis (excessive acidity) or alkalosis (excessive basicity) blood.
Also slight alterations in the acid-base balance they can involve more or less significant health problems, such as fatigue, muscle aches, numbness, confusion, rapid breathing, nausea and dizziness.
How can we do to keep it?
How to maintain acid-base balance
One a healthy lifestyle and a varied diet, balanced and nutritious are the basis of a good state of health and also very useful for guaranteeing acid-base balance.
In fact, each food has acidic, basic or neutral characteristics and alternating them regularly in your diet is the best strategy so that the pH of our body is not unbalanced.
Among predominantly acidic foods we find:
- Meat;
- cured meat;
- fish;
- eggs;
- cheeses;
- refined grains;
- sugar;
- coffee;
- alcohol.
While among the basic foods we find:
- Fruit;
- vegetables;
- Whole grains.
Useful supplements for acid-base balance
Although regularly practicing physical activity, getting enough rest and eating adequately are the main forms of prevention and, therefore, also essential for maintaining acid-base balance, in some cases they may not be sufficient.
In fact, to date, many foods such as fruits and vegetables, due to production processes, they are noticeably impoverished of important nutrients, which are further reduced following some methods of harvesting, storage and cooking.
In this sense, taking specific supplements under the advice of your doctor and always accompanied by a healthy diet and balanced, it could avoid the risk of nutritional deficiencies and improve the acid-base balance, essential for maintaining a good state of health.
Gunabasic by GUNA, for example, is a supplement rich in minerals such as zinc, magnesium and potassium, involved in acid-base metabolism.
Furthermore, contains vegetable extracts of carrot, fennel and nettle, which favor the elimination of excess fluids and dandelion extract which contributes to the purifying functions of the body.
It is gluten free, therefore, also suitable in case of gluten sensitivity or celiac disease and sweetened with stevia which, compared to most of the sweeteners on the market, does not involve gastrointestinal side effects.
Bibliography and sources
Acid-Base Homeostasis, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
Understanding Acid-Base Disorders, The Ulster medical journal
Physiology, Metabolic Alkalosis - Joshua E. Brinkman; Sandeep Sharma
Clinical manifestations and evaluation of metabolic alkalosis - Michael Emmett
