By Andrea Bartels CNP NNCP RNT

Registered Nutritional Therapist

Get Alkaline for Better Skin, Joints, Heart and Bones

Arthritis, wrinkles, sagging skin, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease: what do these have in common? Collagen deterioration and over-acidity.

In an aging society where the number of senior citizens is increasing each year, collagen has become a popular supplement. Collagen is a protein that gives the body structure, forming bones, joint cartilage, skin, arteries, and more. It’s so important to the maintenance of these tissues that we produce our own collagen using dietary proteins and micro-nutrients like vitamin C.

While collagen deterioration is a natural part of the aging process, the weakening of skin, bone, cartilage and arteries is accelerated by exposure to unstable, damaging molecules called free radicals that form during stress exposures (such as anxiety, sun, x-rays, car exhaust, cigarette smoke, eating fried foods, etc.). Stressors such as these promote acidification of the body’s tissues, adding to the toxic load and preventing new collagen synthesis.

That’s why having a well-co-ordinated, nutritionally-supported set of detoxification pathways is key to protecting our cells from toxin accumulation and ultimately, premature aging.

The body’s five channels of elimination include the liver, kidneys, colon, skin, and lungs. These organs work together to clear the blood, tissues and lymph of substances that can harm our health. This process depends on thousands of chemical reactions that convert the toxins that circulate to less harmful, or harmless compounds. None of this can happen without enzymes—specialized proteins that direct, activate, accelerate and stop chemical reactions. These are built from amino acids, vitamins and minerals. So, having a nutritious, varied diet is vital for ensuring all types of detoxification enzymes are made in ample supply.

Your Enzymes are pH-Sensitive

If only it were that simple. Without the proper pH in the environment in which they are supposed to be working, enzymatic reactions slow down, get de-activated and switch off, impairing the elimination of waste and the synthesis of new building blocks. The burden and backlog of uncleared toxins becomes inflammatory, resulting in aches and pains, fatigue, skin irritation, and more. In fact, inflammation itself can begin damaging the tissues, leading to premature aging of joints, arteries, skin, and more.

Proper pH is critical for the elimination of toxins we consume, but also for reducing the metabolic waste products we produce.

Modern diets and lifestyles not only provide incomplete nutrition; the high intake of processed foods creates a state of chronic over-acidity in the body’s tissues. Excess acid is toxic to all but stomach cells and must be buffered by alkaline minerals. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium and must come from the diet; otherwise they are withdrawn from the bones—gradually reducing their mineral density and strength.

We can support our pH buffering systems and acid clearance by ensuring our diets are high in alkalizing, whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. These are rich in water, the ultimate (neutral) buffer for excess acidity. In addition they are rich sources of potassium, an essential alkalizing electrolyte mineral.

Do you eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily? That’s 4 cups. Even if you do, keep in mind that many cooking and processing methods cause alkaline mineral losses from your food. That’s why you may consider supplementing alkaline mineral compounds to reduce systemic acidity. AlkaPure pH provides potassium, sodium and magnesium in forms that the body uses to buffer acids, protecting from undesirable mineral deposits and mineral losses in the urine.

So, are Collagen Supplements a Waste of Money?

It’s not if you are taking care with adequate alkaline mineral intake to support your systemic pH, your elimination pathways AND your gastric acid secretion is adequate. Remember: the older one gets, the lower one’s gastric acidity, and the higher one’s systemic acidity tends to get. Without good digestion, we don’t absorb the dietary nutrients critical for body maintenance. Make alkalizing a priority in your health maintenance routine and you will make the most out of your skin, bone, joint and arterial health supplements.