Dangerous ways acidosis impacts on the body

By Julia Oyefunke Fortune

Enzyme disruption

Enzymes are organic molecules that work in conjunction with chemical reactions within the body. For the most part, enzymes are proteins. They are essential to the body’s organs as they are responsible for triggering its unique functions.

Like many compounds within the body, enzymes  are designed to function in an alkaline atmosphere so when the body  begins to become more acidic, these vital enzymes can no longer operate  properly. They become slow to react or trigger chemical reactions and  erratic behaviors, causing the organs to malfunction. The end result is disease and even death in chronic and severe cases.

Tissue irritation

We also learned from our school days that all acids are corrosive. When our bodies are essentially acidic, this corrosive acid begins to irritate our tissues. The body will naturally try to balance itself by eliminating  excessive acids through the lungs, kidneys and skin. This can show  up as kidney stones and urinary tract infections such as cystitis or  urethritis and on the outside, as skin blemishes, acne, hives, eczema and excessive itching as the toxins are pushed out through our sweat  glands and pores.

Doctor and patient

Chronic acidosis can also irritate the intestines, leading to conditions  such as colitis, enteritis and anal burning. Acidosis can even aff ect the  nervous system and cause infl ammatory conditions like arthritis.

Lowered immunity

Research shows there is a direct relationship between pH balance and  immunity. There are several factors linking an acidic body to lowered immunity. First, when tissues become weakened by chronic acidosis, they become more susceptible to viral and microbial infections.

Acidosis is especially hard on the respiratory system as the lungs must not only work harder to remove excess acid by fl ushing acid out of the body by exhaling CO2 (carbon dioxide,) but also excessive acid can cause lesions in the sensitive mucous membranes allowing microbes to easily infi ltrate and quickly multiply.

Studies also show when acid levels reach between pH 6.0 and 5.5 the body’s ability to release white blood cells that typically fi ght off  infections and other toxic invaders becomes impaired, allowing these microbes to wreak havoc.

Studies also show a link between acidity and other areas of immune response. In acidic bodies, the ability of the body to release specific anti-inflammatory chemicals such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF,) a protein deigned to induce necrosis (death) in tumour cells, is also impaired.