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http://www.livestrong.com/article/555287-candy-acidosis/
Acidosis and Candy
The term acidosis is often used to describe an increased acidity of the blood and other body tissues. Acidity is measured by the pH scale, which is a negative logarithmic scale of hydrogen ions. Thus, high acidity is represented by low pH values. Most forms of candy are made almost entirely from heavily processed and refined sugars or sugar substitutes. Refined sugar and artificial sugar reduce the pH of your body fluids and tissues when consumed in moderate or higher amounts. Depending on your body’s ability to metabolize sugar and a variety of dietary factors, eating lots of candy may promote acidosis and disease conditions.
Acidosis
Acidosis is an unhealthy concentration of hydrogen ions within your body fluids and tissues. Technically, the term acidemia is used to describe blood that is too acidic, whereas the term acidosis is used to describe the biochemical processes leading to over-acidity. However, the two terms are often used interchangeably. Acidemia occurs when the blood falls much below its normal pH range of 7.35 to 7.45. Unbalanced metabolic activity, disrupted respiration and consuming acidic foods are all primary contributors to the process of acidosis.
Acidifying Diet
Most fruits and vegetables have an alkalizing effect on your body when you consume them, whereas animal protein and most processed or refined food has an acidifying effect, according to the book “Nutritional Sciences for Human Health.” For example, citrus fruits contain natural acids and sugar, but their metabolism triggers biochemical reactions that lead to alkalinity. In contrast, baked goods, chocolate and candy are made with processed and refined carbohydrates, sugar and chemicals that taste sweet, which trigger metabolic reactions that donate hydrogen ions, thus lowering pH measurements of body fluids and tissue.
Problem with Candy
Most commercially made candies are made from high fructose corn syrup, processed sugar cane and/or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and Splenda. These sugars and chemicals are quickly broken down by your digestive system and absorbed into your blood, where they affect its chemistry and pH levels. Insulin is needed to transport blood sugar into your cells. If you eat too much candy, or if your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or if your cells are desensitized to insulin, then too much blood glucose remains and potentially leads to health problems. Diabetics are often deterred from eating candy, although if they take too much insulin artificially, they may benefit from the readily available glucose that candy provides to bring their systems back into balance.
Health Consequences
Diabetic and respiratory acidosis are medical emergencies, although the acidic conditions caused by eating too much candy and other acidic foods are more insidious and typically lead to more subtle symptoms. Dental cavities, hyperactivity and weight gain are well acknowledged symptoms of excessive candy eating, but gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, chronic thirst and headaches occur also. Further, acidic blood and other tissues increase your risk of infection and degenerative diseases because of reduced immune response and because most pathogenic microbes thrive in acidic environments. Talk to a nutritionist about the risks of eating too much candy.
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http://www.livestrong.com/article/555287-candy-acidosis/#ixzz1parn45R2
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