Diet-induced acidosis and alkali supplementation

Abstract

Western diet, high in protein-rich foods and poor in vegetables, is likely to be responsible for the development of a moderate acid excess leading to metabolism deregulation and the onset or worsening of chronic disturbances. Available findings seem to suggest that diets with high protein/vegetables ratio are likely to induce the development of calcium lithiasis, especially in predisposed subjects. Moreover, some evidence supports the hypothesis of bone metabolism worsening and enhanced bone loss following acid-genic diet consumption although available literature seems to lack direct and conclusive evidence demonstrating pathological bone loss. According to other evidences, diet-induced acidosis is likely to induce or accelerate muscle wasting or sarcopenia, especially among elderlies. Furthermore, recent epidemiological findings highlight a specific role of dietary acid load in glucose metabolism deregulation and insulin resistance. The aim of this review is to investigate the role of acid-genic diets in the development of the mentioned metabolic disorders focusing on the possible clinical improvements exerted by alkali supplementation.

Oral alkali therapy and the management of metabolic acidosis of chronic kidney disease: A narrative literature review

“…Even when oral alkali therapy was used in patients with CKD G2 and normal serum bicarbonate levels, a decline in the reduction of GFR was observed[ 20 ]. These findings correlate with the understanding that western, high animal meat diets are indirectly renotoxic due to their overall acid-inducing effect, and that alkaline agents, either fruits and vegetables or oral sodium bicarbonate, help to neutralize this excess acid[ 42 , 43 ].…”

Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Homeostasis Can Be Influenced by Metabolic Acid Load

“…One of the major concerns of vegetable-based diets is the role of dietary fiber. As noted above, vegetable-based diets are low acid producing diets, and high fiber consumption constitutes a dietetic strategy to control body weight and help prevent the onset of diabetes and insulin resistance [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 97 ]. Fiber intake stimulates satiety and it is correlated with decreased post-prandial insulin demand [ 98 ] by modulating glucose absorption and regulating gastrointestinal hormone-like peptides secretion [ 99 , 100 ] such as glucagon-like peptide 1 [ 101 ].…”

“…Vegetable-based diet consumption represents an effective strategy to control diabetes and insulinemia [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Conversely, the consumption of diets rich in protein and poor in vegetables may constitute a risk factor for the development of metabolic disturbances through the impairment of acid–base balance [ 5 , 6 ] and increasing attention has been focused on acid–base homeostasis in the aetiology of metabolic disorders including diabetes T2 [ 6 ]. Dietary intake can markedly influence the body’s acid–base balance [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…Dietary intake can markedly influence the body’s acid–base balance [ 7 , 8 ]. Foods rich in animal-derived proteins increase acidic metabolic compounds, thereby disrupting metabolic homeostasis and increasing the risk of developing adverse conditions [ 5 ]. Accordingly, the health benefits gained though adherence to vegetables-based diets is due, at least in part, to the control of circulating metabolic acid levels [ 6 ].…”

Can Avicenna Help Manage the Diabetes Epidemic in Central Asia?

“…A growing pool of evidence suggests that a diet with high acid load increases body acidity and may be an independent predictor of developing IR and T2DM [126]. Higher acidic dietary acid-base load, defined by higher the potential renal acid load and net endogenous acid production scores, may be an independent risk factor for the development of IR and related metabolic disorders [127,128].…”