The maintenance of a constant blood and tissue pH is consistent with acid-base regulation. However, if buffering systems are overloaded and normal pH range is exceeded, blood loses its normal rheological properties and the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic waste-products is dramatically impaired. In medical terms, excess acid load in the blood is called “acidosis”. Acute acidosis is a life threatening condition requiring immediate steps of emergency treatment for instant reconstitution of physiological blood pH.In practice acute acidosis is rather uncommon and usually the consequence of diseases of the lung and kidney which are significantly involved in the regulation of acid-base balance. Acute acidosis is not subject to dietary influences and therefore we should not go into detail with it in this context.

Our attention is concentrated on chronic acidosis which is also called “latent” acidosis. The term “latent” means “disguised” and refers to a chronic condition which is not recognisable at first. Latent acidosis is much more commonly observed featuring a slight shift of blood pH in the acid direction within the normal range (7.34 –7.45). At the same time, blood buffering capacity is diminished. Latent acidosis progresses without any specific symptoms, that is, we do not feel any physical changes.

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