Body pH, insulin resistance and weight loss
by Danny
(Arizona USA)
I've heard and read a lot lately that the pH of your body can affect how effectively your body can use insulin. I've also read that insulin-resistance may be a factor if you're having a hard time losing weight?? Can you shed some light on this for me??
Hi Danny,
Thank you for your question. I've also seen a lot more information about pH and health and also the subject of insulin resistance is more and more frequently heard, especially as the incidence of diabetes keeps growing to astronomical numbers!
Regarding the pH of your body affecting insulin usage:
As you know, insulin is a hormone made by the body, and is responsible for a number of chemical reactions in the body including carbohydrate metabolism.
All chemical processes have an ideal pH at which they function optimally. The ideal pH of the human body is slightly alkaline (pH of 7.0 to 8.0). Furthermore, the blood itself must be maintained at a pH of precisely 7.4 (slightly alkaline) and the body works ceaselessly to maintain the proper blood pH.
This ph definition article explains the basics of pH in plain English.
What we eat and drink affects the pH of our cells and tissues. Eating and drinking certain foods creates either an alkaline (healthy) or an acidic (unhealthy) body pH.
So an out-of-whack body pH would affect how well the chemical processes related to insulin worked.
My personal experience, having Type 1 diabetes myself, is that I now have much better blood sugar levels as I've improved the pH balance of my body with diet and adding alkaline antioxidant drinking water. This would seem to indicate more effective insulin action!
Insulin resistance and weight also appear to be related to the pH of the body. As noted, an acidic pH can interfere with how well (or not) the body can utilize insulin.
Another aspect of an unbalanced body pH is that it is very hard on the body when it builds up an excess acidic waste that the body cannot get rid of it.
The acidic waste is stored in the cells, especially the fat cells, of the body, making weight loss extremely difficult, as well as compromising the health of the entire body.
Hope this sheds a little light for you! Thanks again for your question, and feel free to comment or ask other general health questions you may have.
Cheers,
BB
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