For many women, weight loss can be challenging and although it is common
knowledge to eat less and exercise more, what do you do when this formula
simply doesn’t work?
Leading Australian naturopath Narelle Stegehuis understands the importance of
getting to the cause.
"It’s important to remember that although the elements of
this traditional weight loss formula are justified, many others such as
acidosis and hormonal factors are often overlooked", say's Narelle.
With the typical western diet high in animal proteins and processed foods,
acidosis is not uncommon, and imbalance in your bodies pH can lead to a range
of unpleasant symptoms including stubborn abdominal fat.
Acidosis or heightened acidity can cause symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain,
aches and pains, bloating, digestive problems, hot flashes and mood changes. It
has also been associated with health conditions such as Poly Cystic Ovarian
Disorder, endometriosis, thyroid imbalance and unexplained infertility.
What Causes Acidity?
Acidity is primarily caused by the breakdown of food. When foods such as those
mentioned above are broken down, they raise the pH in our body slightly,
creating acidity, while whole foods, fruits and vegetables create alkalinity.
For many this unfortunately means that our diet has become 30 times more
acidic.1,2 This is because 100 years ago, a typical diet contained more
vegetables and fibre but less processed foods and soft drinks. This means the
ratio of potassium to sodium has changed from 10:1 back then to 1:3 now.
Top 5 Acidity Triggers
• Poor diet and excessive anaerobic exercise
• Excessive dieting and fasting
• Inflammation
• Health conditions such as PCOS, Diabetes or endometriosis
• Stress
The Impact of Acidity
Over acidity has many impacts upon the body, due to its influence on the cell.
Firstly, under healthy conditions, the nucleus (centre) of the cell is slightly
acidic but the surrounding area is alkaline. This difference in pH creates an
electrical current which allows nutrients to pass into the cell nucleus and
toxins to be pumped out of it.
However, if there is little or no difference in acidity between cell nucleus
and environment, there will be a reduced electrical current between the two and
consequently less influx of nutrients and less elimination of toxins. This
affects your cell’s metabolism.
Let’s have a look at the various areas it can impact on.
What are the effects of acidity on:
• Stress hormones
An increase in acidity increases production of the stress hormone cortisol in
your adrenals2,3,5.
Cortisol activates the production of inflammatory hormones such as Interferon
gamma, leading to a state of (chronic) low grade inflammation symptomatic of
unexplained aches and pains or fatigue.2 Inflammation puts your body in an
energy-storing rather than energy-expending mode, making it easier to put on
weight and harder to lose it.
Acidosis induced cortisol excess also influences tryptophan (a naturally
produced mood enhancing protein). This potentially contributes to lower moods
or depression.2
• Glucose metabolism
Chronically high levels of cortisol reduce insulin sensitivity and glucose
uptake by the cells, and increase fatty tissue around the stomach.2,5,6,7,8
This can make conditions such as Poly Cystic Ovarian Disorder, or other
hormonal imbalances worse.
• Leptin
Leptin is a hormone that regulates your satiety. The lower the leptin levels
are, the hungrier you feel.
Acidosis reduces leptin concentration through a negative link with cortisol:
the higher the cortisol levels, the lower the leptin levels. Studies have shown
that a diet high in protein (acidic) is associated with significantly lower
leptin levels than a diet high in fruit and vegetables (alkalizing).2
• Energy production
Acidity blocks energy production in the little powerhouses in your cell nucleus
called mitochondria.2 This impairs on the influx of nutrients into the cells
slowing your metabolism.
• Thyroid hormones
Chronic acidity decreases T3 and T4 levels but significantly increases TSH
levels. This can cause mild hypothyroidism.3,4,5
• Bone health
Acidosis draws calcium from your bones, because calcium is alkalizing. If the
pH in your blood increases due to an acidic diet, your body will mobilize
calcium from the stores in your bones to alkalize it to reduce its harmful
potential. It is your body’s way of trying to maintain equilibrium no matter
what cost. This not only leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis as calcium
is drawn out of the blood, but also to a higher risk on calcium deposits in the
kidneys and gall bladder.3,5
How does this affect your weight?
1. Causes hormonal imbalance
Increased levels of insulin, combined with elevated levels of cortisol, put
your body in an energy saving mode. This slows down your metabolism and
encourages your body to store fatty tissue, especially, but not exclusively,
around the tummy area. Ironically, this fatty tissue is not just dead storage,
but starts to act as a gland itself and secretes even more cortisol, insulin
and inflammatory mediators. This perpetuates the cycle of unexplained weight
gain.
2. Slows Your Metabolism
Your thyroid regulates your metabolism. Acidosis can trigger low thyroid
function and a slow metabolism, once again putting you in energy-saving rather
than energy-expending mode. Elevated cortisol levels further impact on this,
because they do impair the conversion of (largely inactive) thyroid hormone T4
into the (more active) T3. This means there are less active thyroid hormones
available for your body to use, slowing your metabolism even further.
3. Increases Cravings and Appetite
With low leptin levels you feel hungry more often, so it is likely that your
energy intake through food will be higher. Often you’ll be tempted to choose
energy dense foods such as sweets, chocolate, biscuits, or a soft drink to give
you that quick boost of energy. Unfortunately, when your body is acidic, your
body has no option but to store it for future use: as body fat!
What can you do about this?
For many women, restoring balance is the first step to feeling great and
getting on top of their health. It also means they can manage chronic illness
or unexplained infertility more effectively as in the case of Michelle Curmi
from Melbourne Australia. Once Michelle discovered the cause of her imbalance she
fell pregnant after years of trying with PCOS and endometriosis.
Regular exercising and relaxing help reduce acidity in your body, however the
most obvious step is to change your diet. Include more alkalizing fruits and
vegetables, and reduce the intake of acidic grains, meats, sugars and soft
drinks. It is also important to adjust your diet to balance your hormones,
especially if acidosis has created imbalances.
Alkalizing combinations containing magnesium, potassium or calcium can help
improve the acid-alkaline balance, although they should be used with the
guidance of a practitioner.
Remember, your body may need support to recover from the impact of all this
acidity. Although it has an amazing capacity to correct itself, sometimes it
needs a helping hand. Medicinal herbs and nutritional support to switch your
metabolism from energy-saving to energy-expending mode and gently support
natural hormonal balance are also recommended.
How can you measure if you are acidic?
If you are concerned about your pH levels, or simply want to monitor them to
ensure you do remain within the optimal ranges, you can check this yourself.
There is an easy test that you can do at home, to test the pH of urine or
saliva, but other body fluids can also be tested. The kit contains a booklet that
lists the ideal pH range of various body fluids.
If you are interested in this test kit, or want to talk to one of our
practitioners about acidity and what we can do to help you, please contact our
clinic on 1300 133 536.
Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath
specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years
clinical experience. She is both an accomplished writer, editor and technical
training advisor for the media. A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic
Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science
and traditional complementary health care principles and can be contacted at www.massattack.com.au
References
1. Schwalfenberg G, “The Alkaline Diet: is there evidence that an alkaline pH
diet benefits health? – Journal of Environmental and Public Health, Vol 2012,
Article 727630
2. Forrest Robey I, “Examining the relationship between diet-induced acidosis
and cancer” – Nutrition & Metabolism, 2012, 9:72
3. Wiederkehr M, Krapf R, “Metabolic and endocrine effects of metabolic
acidosis in humans” – Swiss Med Weekly, 2001;131:127-132
4. Brungger M, Hulter N, Krapf R, “Effect of chronic metabolic acidosis on
thyroid hormone homeostasis in humans” – American Journal of Physiology – Renal
Physiology, May 1, 1997, vol 272, no 5, p F648-F653
5. Mitch WE, “Metabolic and clinical consequences of metabolic acidosis” – Journal
of Nephrology, 2006, March-April; 19 suppl 9:S70-5
6. DeFronzo Ra, Beckles AD, “Glucose intolerance following chronic metabolic
acidosis in man” – American Journal of Physiology – Gastrointestinal and Liver
Physiology, 1979 April, vol 236, no 4, G328-G334
7. Souto G, Donapetry C et all, “Metabolic acidosis-induced insulin resistance
and cardiovascular risk” - Metabolic syndrome and related disorders, August
2011, 9(4):247-253
8. Alemany M, “Do the interactions between glucocorticoids and sex hormones regulate
the development of metabolic syndrome?” – Frontiers in Endocrinology, Feb 2012,
vol 3, article 27.
