Most people have a diet that's too high in acidifying foods relative to alkalinizing foods. In addition, stress also causes the body to become more acidic. When the body is too acidic, there's a higher risk of diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Alkalinizing supplements are a good way to help balance the acidity in the body, especially if you're unable to change your diet or lifestyle.
Bicarbonate Supplements
The body naturally uses bicarbonates to buffer acids--which means to bind them to make them harmless. Therefore, it makes sense that bicarbonate supplements are a good way to alkalinize. There are many bicarbonate minerals; calcium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate are all useful supplements. Bicarbonate supplements are gaining popularity for osteoporosis, a disease characterized by chronic acidity in the body, according to Dr. Susan Lanham-New in her lecture published in 2002 in "The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society." A 1984 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people on a high-acid diet had high levels of calcium excreted in the urine, but that effect was completely reversed by consuming bicarbonates. Research published in 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that potassium bicarbonate supplementation--not potassium alone--has a positive effect on bone resorption and calcium loss. Both of these markers are also associated with acidity in the body.
It's important to have a mixture of minerals in a bicarbonate supplement. A 2009 study published in Nutrition Journal found that using an oral bicarbonate supplement with a mixture of minerals--particularly potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium--significantly increased the alkalinity of urine and blood pH.
Citrate Supplements
Citrate supplements often have a combination of calcium citrate, magnesium citrate and other citrates. The body doesn't use these naturally to bind acids. However, a study published in March 2010 in the Journal of Critical Care showed that the alkalinzing effect of injected citrates is similar to bicarbonates. These researchers indicated that citrates are converted to bicarbonates in the liver, after which they can exert their alkalinizing effect. As with bicarbonates, a balance of minerals rather than a single mineral supplement is important.
Greens
Greens supplements--such as vegetable and fruit powders--can also be helpful as an alkaline supplement. Research in 1995 by Dr. Thomas Remer and Dr. Friedrich Manz showed that fruits and vegetables are strongly alkaline. Therefore, a supplement containing fruit and vegetable powders also has the capability to act as an alkalinizing agent. However, when compared with bicarbonate or citrate supplements, greens supplements are much less potent and are most useful for maintaining a good acid-alkaline balance, rather than removing acids already in the body.
Alkaline Water
Alkaline water can also be used as an alkaline supplement, if it contains a high amount of bicarbonate. A research paper presented at the 2006 International Acid-Base Symposium and subsequently published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2008 showed that water high in bicarbonate--but not water high in calcium alone--could have a positive effect on bone metabolism. Bone metabolism is significantly affected by your body's acid-alkaline balance. However, the vast majority of fortified water doesn't contain enough bicarbonate to have an impact.
References
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association; Potential Renal Acid Load of Foods and Its Influence on Urine pH; Thomas Remer Ph.D. and Friedrich Manz M.D.; July 1995
- Nutrition Journal; Effect of a Supplement Rich in Alkaline Minerals on Acid-Base Balance in Humans; Daniel Koenig et al.; June 2009
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Calcium Balance and Acid-Base Status of Women as Affected by Increased Protein Intake and by Sodium Bicarbonate Ingestion; J. Lutz; 1984
- Journal of Critical Care; Metabolic Effects of Citrate- vs Bicarbonate-Based Substitution Fluid in Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration: A Prospective Sequential Cohort Study; Jurjan Aman et al.; March 2010
- "The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society"; The Role of the Skeleton in Acid-Base Homeostasis; S. A. New; May 2002
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