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Forget the hype about a food’s pH in your glass. What shapes your health is the acid produced after digestion—and how your kidneys manage it all day, every day. We unpack the science behind dietary acid load, explain the difference between DAL, PRAL, and NEAP, and show how a modern, grain-heavy pattern quietly raises acid burden while delivering minimal nutrients. The goal isn’t to fear protein; it’s to pair it with the right plants so bones, muscles, and metabolism get stronger together.

We walk through how the kidneys buffer acids using ammonium and titratable pathways, why blood pH won’t reflect diet, and how a simple first-morning urine pH can be a practical window into your load. Then we get tactical: spinach, tomatoes, avocados, Swiss chard, and sweet potatoes are heavy hitters for generating bicarbonate and neutralizing the acids that come from protein. We also dig into evidence linking higher PRAL with fatty liver in type 2 diabetes and explore mechanisms that tie low-grade acidosis to insulin resistance and muscle catabolism.

If you train hard, there’s a performance angle too. Some athletes use sodium bicarbonate to improve tolerance to lactic acid, and low-PRAL phases show promise for faster lactate clearance. For kidney stone formers, potassium citrate can meaningfully alkalinize urine and improve uric acid handling. The simple blueprint: keep protein adequate, cut refined grains and sugars, and choose alkalinizing plants that support your kidneys. Try a one-week experiment, track your morning pH, and notice how energy, recovery, and clarity respond.

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For video, open-source references and powerpoint slide deck go to: www.thehealthedgepodcast.com