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Role of Kidney in Acid Base Balance

The acidity or alkalinity of our cells and fluids govern what metabolic activities take place inside our bodies and determine how effectively the organs designed to regulate them function. Proper pH of the blood is critical for life, and the kidneys play a significant role in how well our body's acid is balanced.

  1. Kidney Function in Acid-Based Balance

    • When blood plasma habitually becomes more acidic, it acts as a chemical irritant, slowly attacking and eating away at the smooth muscle tissue of the inner walls of arteries and veins, as well as the heart itself. It is the duty of the kidneys to come to the rescue.

      While the lungs are involved for excreting carbon dioxide in large quantities, 12,000 to 13,000 millimoles per day (mmols/day), the kidneys perform a similar function by filtering bicarbonates in the range of 4,000 to 5,000 mmols/day. The kidneys perform this excretion in two ways, by a proximal tubular mechanism and by a distal tubular mechanism.

    Normal Blood Chemistry

    • Normal blood pH (7.4), which governs the rate at which cells burn glucose for energy, is controlled by the addition of buffers, acids or alkalis added to the solution. Carbon dioxide is the most abundant acid-based substance within the human body and forms in the blood, resulting in carbonic acid. Proper pH governs the rate at which are cells burn glucose for energy. The body has the ability to maintain balanced acid levels in blood, assuming the person eats the proper foods and lives a healthy lifestyle.

    Abnormal Blood Chemistry

    • Simply put, the human body cannot withstand unbalanced blood acid for extended periods of time. Early symptoms of this imbalance could be skin eruptions, colds, flu, headaches or allergies. More seriously, it is virtually not possible for diseases and other major health disorders to sustain themselves inside a body that has properly acid-balanced blood. The more serious symptoms to watch for should include unexplained weight gain, excess gas and bloating, stiff muscles and fatigue.

    How the Kidneys Balance pH

    • Just as the lungs work to excrete acids from the body via exhalation, the kidneys also remove acids, but they do the job by filtering blood. Whenever there is an imbalance of acid in the blood, the kidneys compensate by reabsorbing the high levels of acid (bicarbonates), filter out the excess and excrete that excess from the body through the urine. As our stomach breaks down food, acids are produced, then removed by the kidneys on a daily basis in small amounts.

    Diet

    • Eating a proper diet can help your kidneys do their job. Meat, refined sugar, fish and eggs produce acids, while fruits and vegetables add alkaline. Improperly balanced blood pH can weaken the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight infection. Seeing your doctor for regular check-ups is always a good idea.

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