eFood

Volume 1, Issue 1, February 2020, Pages 12 - 23

Body Fluid pH Balance in Metabolic Health and Possible Benefits of Dietary Alkaline Foods

Authors
Wataru Aoi1, *, Xiaobo Zou2, Jian Bo Xiao2, 3, Yoshinori Marunaka2, 4, 5, 6, *
1Laboratory of Nutrition Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
2International Research Center for Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
3Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
4Research Institute for Clinical Physiology, Kyoto Industrial Health Association, Kyoto 604-8472, Japan
5Research Center for Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Development Science, Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan
6Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
*Corresponding authors. Email: waoi@kpu.ac.jp; marunaka@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Corresponding Authors
Wataru Aoi, Yoshinori Marunaka
Received 4 June 2019, Accepted 18 September 2019, Available Online 3 October 2019.
DOI
10.2991/efood.k.190924.001How to use a DOI?
Keywords
pH; interstitial fluid; food; diabetes; insulin resistance
Abstract

Living cells have several mechanisms to avoid acidic conditions created by excess protons. The protons are extruded to the extracellular space via the plasma membrane by various types of transporters such as the Na+/H+ exchanger and monocarboxylate transporters, which hereby contribute to the exclusion of protons in the cells of metabolic tissues including the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue. Disturbances in the functioning of the transporters cause abnormal intracellular fluid pH of the cells and dysfunction of metabolic homeostasis, leading to the development of metabolic diseases and a decrease in physical fitness level. In addition to the intracellular fluid pH regulation, growing evidence shows that the fluid pH in the interstitial space around metabolic tissues is easily reduced due to weaker pH buffering capacity than that in the cytosol and blood circulation. Therefore, pH reduction in the interstitial fluid may cause the onset of metabolic dysfunction. In contrast, several dietary foods have direct and indirect benefits in maintaining the interstitial fluid pH to the normal range by improving buffering capacities, suppressing proton production, and activating proton transporters, which strengthen the effect of appropriate diet on metabolic health.

Copyright
© 2019 International Association of Dietetic Nutrition and Safety. Publishing services by Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Journal
eFood
Volume-Issue
1 - 1
Pages
12 - 23
Publication Date
2019/10/03
ISSN (Online)
2666-3066
DOI
10.2991/efood.k.190924.001How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2019 International Association of Dietetic Nutrition and Safety. Publishing services by Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wataru Aoi
AU  - Xiaobo Zou
AU  - Jian Bo Xiao
AU  - Yoshinori Marunaka
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/10/03
TI  - Body Fluid pH Balance in Metabolic Health and Possible Benefits of Dietary Alkaline Foods
JO  - eFood
SP  - 12
EP  - 23
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
SN  - 2666-3066
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/efood.k.190924.001
DO  - 10.2991/efood.k.190924.001
ID  - Aoi2019
ER  -