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Does a keto diet cause blood to be more acidic?

lindisfel

Expert
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5,853
I apparently have metabolic alkalosis caused by an adrenal tumour.
It is causing me issues because by homeostasis at rest my respiration drops to 6x per minute. It is an attempt to make my blood more acid by retaining co2.
As a consequence this keeps me awake and I gain the impression I cannot take a full breath.

Does a keto diet affect blood ph?
regards
Derek
 
Hi Derek,
Only going on by my last seven years of being continually in ketosis, all my blood panel results have not shown this, quite the contrary!
But since last year, my breathing has been a health issue and I have been given an inhaler to help me, when I do get breathless.

Hope you are coping with lockdown and the threat of this pandemic?

Best wishes mate

Keep safe
 
I’ve been low carb/Keto for over three years now and after a recent unexpected stay in hospital with what seemed like every blood test possible, I was told my blood was definitely not acidic.
 

Hi @lindisfel,

Interesting question. I have been interested in this myself.

According to some presentation I heard from the Virta Health people (probably Steve Phinney, but not quite sure), the answer seems to be no. They've not seen higher blood acidity in their patients. (Sorry can't find the presentation anymore.)

Personally, though, I've seen higher levels of blood acidity in myself and was diagnosed with metabolic acidosis a couple of years ago. It could have been the diet (this is what the doctor at the hospital thought), however my guess would have been too much exercise and too few calories leading to starvation ketosis. I also seem to be one of the few people who still show ketones in the urine after years of being ketosis (though most report they disappear after some time in ketosis). Anyway, am now supplementing with baking soda (GP approved) to create a buffer and prevent this from happening again.
 

Hi Ziggy,
Actually, I want my diet to make my blood more acidic. The tumour is making my blood more alkaline and my lungs can't compensate.
Ironically all the aldosterone I produce is putting massive amounts of bicarb into my blood. That is why I am apparently trying to retain co2 by low respiration rate.
A more acidic diet will hopefully compensate?
regards
Derek
 
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Flora123 said:
I’ve been low carb/Keto for over three years now and after a recent unexpected stay in hospital with what seemed like every blood test possible, I was told my blood was definitely not acidic.
Click to expand...
Thanks Flora,
Homeostasis normally corrects our blood ph via the kidneys. Please you are ok.
It cant do this for me because I am producing a massive amount of aldosterone.
Best wishes
Derek
 
Good to hear from you Lamont, hope you and your family are well and getting through this virus. Yes we are getting through this odd existence ok, thanks. Family being away being the worst aspect and not seeing grandson or daughters.

Breathing difficulties not good.

A keto diet could be more acidic and for normal people the body balances the ph by homeostasis.
I think my low breathing respiration rate is my body trying to balance out alkalosis by retaining co2 to change ph?
Just taking 6x breaths/minute gives one feeling cant get a lung full of air and keeps one awake.

With massive amounts of aldosterone, kidneys and liver are putting large amounts of bicarb into blood. Lungs can't compensate but more eplerenone may help.
Hence hope that diet that's acidic may help.

Best wishes
Derek
 
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Thanks for getting back to me, @lindisfel.

You are right -- maybe I wasn't providing enough context -- but I was aware of the fact that you have the opposite problem. Just thought that maybe some of this (i.e. very high level of ketones and individual responses to this) might be helpful anyway.

(I just added the info on bicarb in case other people read this (as we all know the majority of forum readers don't tend to post themselves) and would be interested).

Btw, I know bicarb can buffer too much acidity -- but after blood acidity is already optimal, does it then work to increase alkolosis?
 
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Hi Ziggy,
Yes, I realise your the opposite to me. You too require endo support, if one can get it, nowadays. My daughter, a gp, suggested I should ask my endo if going keto will help me.
With biological feedback loops it is difficult to know what's happening and adding and taking away with these systems may help up to a point. I cant stop the massive amounts of aldosterone, only attempt to block the receptors with receptor blockers, potassium, low sodium and perhaps, hopefully, balance the extreme end of the range with an acid diet.
Best wishes
Derek
 
lindisfel said:
I wouldn't expect the homeostasis in athletes to be impaired in any way.
The question is really about the inputs before feedback correction homeostasis.
regards
D.
Click to expand...
Agree. But read the equation the other way. Normally the body detects a change in blood ph and this triggers hormones that control the kidney filtration system. If that is functioning then the acidity of our wee changes to close the loop. The adherents of alkali diet propose that repeating the delta ph bumps will induce an average movement in blood ph that is sustained while the bumps are being made (weak proposition IMHO) but trials show that a steady alkali diet has no discernible effect on blood ph in most. But a compromised kidney function may well not be able to adjust and so LCHF may be helpful in your case.

So the study in a way confirms that the diet does affect blood ph short term. However, urine is one excretion pathway, but there are others that our body has mechanisms to use namely breathing and sweat. If you consider DKA then it is often accompanied by peardrop breath and ketone loaded sweat. Would probably still require kidneys in some way.

One problem you may face is if the ph does raise due to buildup of waste products then at some time you need to find some way of relieving that stress which is where dialysis is sometimes needed, Also, measuring the ph of blood is not something you can monitor at home easily and looking at DKA, then a significant event can occur quite quickly. I wish you well and hope the specialists find solutions for you.
 
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