Already at the beginning of the last century, therapists like Franz Xaver Mayr (1875-1965) and Howard Hay (1866-1940) envisaged a holistic concept of health and spoke of acid-base balance. In the middle of the 20th century, the Frenchman Louis-Claude Vincent, inventor of bioelectronics, measured certain characteristics of blood, including its pH, in collaboration with Jeanne Rousseau. Their work has inspired many researchers and authors. Among the best known of the last three decades are Dr. Catherine Kousmine and Christopher Vasey, both of whom have contributed greatly to the recognition of the importance of this health parameter.
This essential fact would explain in part the rise of so-called "civilization" diseases linked to our modern diet and lifestyle. The acid-base balance, which is essential for the optimal functioning of the body, was broken a long time ago, since man was no longer in harmony with his environment. The food industry which offers us today an impoverished and denatured food was born from the practice of agriculture and breeding set up by the man who at the beginning was mainly hunter-gatherer.
A long time ago, the ideal menu of Homo sapiens left a large part to plants (fresh fruits, dried fruits, berries, seeds, vegetables) which provided all the necessary minerals and vitamins.
Our plates today are filled with too many animal proteins, refined and chemically treated foods, all of which are enhanced with numerous additives and a good dose of salt, inevitably leading us to acidosis. In order to function properly, our body must have a balanced pH which is directly dependent on what we eat. Most minerals have a "basifying" effect, but unfortunately our current plates provide very little at the expense of other minerals (sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine) and acidifying elements (salt, additives, coloring). Animal proteins also provide sulfur amino acids that also contribute to lowering the pH. If you don't eat fruits and vegetables, you're unlikely to provide your body with enough mineral reserves to compensate for the large amount of acidifying elements you ingest. If you combine this with alcohol, tobacco, soda, sugary foods, or medication, you will not escape the health problems associated with chronic acidosis.
The urinary pH is the mirror of the tissue pH, so it is very useful and easy to know the pH of the body. The Pral (potential renal acid load) index, also called potential renal acid load, developed by Dr. Thomas Remer, a German specialist in acid-base balance, can also be taken into account. This index is measured in milliequivalents (mEq) and allows to evaluate the acidity directly linked to the food and the menu consumed. The Pral index takes into account the intestinal absorption coefficient for each food. Thus, by adding up all the acidifying minerals and subtracting from them all the basifying minerals absorbed, it is very simple to evaluate if your diet is acidifying, in which case the Pral index will be greater than zero, on the contrary, if your diet is basifying, the Pral index will be negative.
The (non-exhaustive) list of consequences of chronic acidosis on our health seems endless since it can include musculo-osteo-articular problems (gout attacks, rheumatism, sciatica, arthritis, polyarthritis, arthrosis, osteoporosis, cramps, demineralization), skin and mucous membrane manifestations (itching, pimples, eczema, herpes, mouth ulcers, fissures...), digestive disorders (acid reflux, regurgitation, heartburn, ulcers), kidney and bladder stones, circulatory problems (varicose veins), chronic problems (colds, sinusitis, ear infections, chronic bronchitis), migraines, a deficiency of the immune system, not to mention fatigue, lack of energy, chilliness or emotional disturbances (depression, nervousness, irritability, insomnia...) or sexual disturbances (decrease or loss of libido) and in any case a premature global aging of the body.